200
Pesticides, Organic Contaminants, and Pathogens in Air
11.4 New Insights into Viral Transmission
There are of course many other diseases transmitted by airborne contact, ranging from colds to infuenzas to hantavirus, other airborne microorganisms,
plagues, and tuberculosis. There is also a broad array of plant viruses, some
of which are spread in air. Common to many of these is a lack of knowledge
about their transport, fate, and persistence in air. The coronavirus pandemic
is serving to accelerate research into airborne transmission of diseases, opening up new avenues for discovery. A study conducted by the University of
California, Davis, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai suggests that
viruses may spread through the air on dust, fbers, and other microscopic particles (Asadi et al., 2020)—a particular problem given the wildfres ravaging the
western United States at the time of this writing. Another study conducted by
researchers from Yangzhou University in China suggested that fushing a toilet can release clouds of virus-laden aerosols (Wang et al., 2020). And research
in Australia appears to suggest that low humidity is correlated with greater
spread of COVID-19 (Ward et al., 2020).
Pesticide research and assessment principles/techniques could apply to
studying/modeling the transmission of COVID-19, i.e., measurement, drift,
and intervention. The U.S. EPA and California Department of Pesticide
Regulation are involved in registration of control agents for viruses.
These chemicals are registered pesticides (https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/covid-19/). To date there is a lack of cross talk between public health personnel and agricultural and environmental scientists and engineers. It may take
a pandemic or other catastrophe to promote interdisciplinary cooperation!
References
Ahmed, S., Karim, M.M., Ross, A.G., Hossain, M.S., Clemens, J.D., Sumiya, M.K.,
et al. (2021). A fve-day course of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 may
reduce the duration of illness. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 103, 214–216.
Alfonsi, S. (2021). Finding a possible early treatment for COVID-19 in a 40-year-old
antidepressant. CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fuvoxamineantidepressant-drug-covid-treatment-60-minutes-2021-03-07/ (Accessed 03/16/2021).
American Thoracic Society (2011). Coccidioidomycosis. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
184, 5–6.
Asadi, S., Gaaloul ben Hnia, N., Barre, R.S., Wexler, A.S., Ristenpart, W.D., and
Bouvier, N.M. (2020). Infuenza A virus is transmissible via aerosolized fomites.
Nat. Commun. 11, 4062.
Azimi, P., Keshavarz, Z., Laurent, J.G.C., Stephens, B.R., and Allen, J.G. (2020).
Mechanistic transmission modeling of COVID-19 on the diamond princess
cruise ship demonstrates the importance of aerosol transmission. MedRxiv
2020.07.13.20153049.
Pesticides, Organic Contaminants, and Pathogens in Air
11.4 New Insights into Viral Transmission
There are of course many other diseases transmitted by airborne contact, ranging from colds to infuenzas to hantavirus, other airborne microorganisms,
plagues, and tuberculosis. There is also a broad array of plant viruses, some
of which are spread in air. Common to many of these is a lack of knowledge
about their transport, fate, and persistence in air. The coronavirus pandemic
is serving to accelerate research into airborne transmission of diseases, opening up new avenues for discovery. A study conducted by the University of
California, Davis, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai suggests that
viruses may spread through the air on dust, fbers, and other microscopic particles (Asadi et al., 2020)—a particular problem given the wildfres ravaging the
western United States at the time of this writing. Another study conducted by
researchers from Yangzhou University in China suggested that fushing a toilet can release clouds of virus-laden aerosols (Wang et al., 2020). And research
in Australia appears to suggest that low humidity is correlated with greater
spread of COVID-19 (Ward et al., 2020).
Pesticide research and assessment principles/techniques could apply to
studying/modeling the transmission of COVID-19, i.e., measurement, drift,
and intervention. The U.S. EPA and California Department of Pesticide
Regulation are involved in registration of control agents for viruses.
These chemicals are registered pesticides (https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/covid-19/). To date there is a lack of cross talk between public health personnel and agricultural and environmental scientists and engineers. It may take
a pandemic or other catastrophe to promote interdisciplinary cooperation!
References
Ahmed, S., Karim, M.M., Ross, A.G., Hossain, M.S., Clemens, J.D., Sumiya, M.K.,
et al. (2021). A fve-day course of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 may
reduce the duration of illness. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 103, 214–216.
Alfonsi, S. (2021). Finding a possible early treatment for COVID-19 in a 40-year-old
antidepressant. CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fuvoxamineantidepressant-drug-covid-treatment-60-minutes-2021-03-07/ (Accessed 03/16/2021).
American Thoracic Society (2011). Coccidioidomycosis. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
184, 5–6.
Asadi, S., Gaaloul ben Hnia, N., Barre, R.S., Wexler, A.S., Ristenpart, W.D., and
Bouvier, N.M. (2020). Infuenza A virus is transmissible via aerosolized fomites.
Nat. Commun. 11, 4062.
Azimi, P., Keshavarz, Z., Laurent, J.G.C., Stephens, B.R., and Allen, J.G. (2020).
Mechanistic transmission modeling of COVID-19 on the diamond princess
cruise ship demonstrates the importance of aerosol transmission. MedRxiv
2020.07.13.20153049.