What to know as Western Washington enters heat wave this week
With temperatures slated to reach into the 90s, Western Washington is under a heat advisory until 11 p.m. Wednesday evening. The heat wave will span Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with overnight lows struggling to dip into the 70s. Temperatures are expected to lower into the high 80s Thursday, and potentially down into the 70s by Friday. . . . KUOW.
Excessive Heat and High Fire Danger
. . . With high pressure in control and north wind in the mix, smoke from the sourdough fire will move through at times today. Air quality will come down east and north of Seattle to at least the moderate range and then poor around the fire.s KIRO.
West Nile virus detected in Grant County, Washington
It is the first-known positive case of the virus found in mosquito samples in the county. Benton and Yakima counties have also confirmed positive tests.
. . . The most recent-known cases were reported in Grant County after testing was done on mosquitoes around the Moses Lake area, according to the Grant County Health District. It is the first-known case in the county so far this year. West Nile virus was also detected after mosquito testing in neighboring Benton and Yakima counties earlier this summer. KING5.
Air Pollution May Be To Blame For Thousands Of Dementia Cases Each Year, Researchers Say
Nearly 188,000 dementia cases in the U.S. each year may have been caused by air pollution, researchers estimate, with bad air quality from wildfires and agriculture showing the strongest links to a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other kinds of dementia later in life. CBS.
Girl, 13, gives birth after she was raped and denied abortion in Mississippi
The nearest abortion clinic – in Chicago – was too far away and too expensive for her mother to provide her with the procedure
A 13-year-old girl in Mississippi gave birth to a boy after she was raped as well as impregnated by a stranger – and then was unable to get an abortion, according to a Time magazine report published on Monday. . . . TheGuardian.
5 Victorian-era diseases that are back in the West
Here’s why Dickensian illnesses are returning years after being eradicated.
Falling childhood vaccination rates, changes in behaviors and eating habits — and, of course, climate change — contributed to a perfect storm where dangerous diseases, thought to be relegated to a bygone era, returned to countries that had previously practically eliminated them.
- Measles . . .
- Syphilis . . .
- Gout . . .
- Leprosy . . .
- Malaria . . . Politico.
Should I worry about my BMI?
Devised almost 200 years ago, body mass index is used as a marker of health by many, yet called useless by others. What’s the truth?
. . . “The real concern is body fat . . . In terms of simplicity and speed, and to prompt further action, whether that’s an immediate lifestyle change or further testing, it could be argued that BMI has a place. The problem is that it’s been overvalued or used in isolation and misinterpreted historically by health professionals, and that does need to change.” The prescription? Use your BMI as an easy reference point – but if you’re telling yourself that you’re OK despite being over the acceptable range, perhaps check your waist circumference with a tape measure (the British Heart Foundation has a handy guide) . . . . TheGuardian.
