"Measles has been so rare in many countries that some physicians have never seen a case - but that is changing. Dropping vaccination levels mean that the ruthlessly contagious disease is sparking outbreaks in North America, Europe and elsewhere. The good news is that vaccination is highly effective, and the symptoms tend to be mild in the tiny percentage of people who are vaccinated but still get infected."
"Using their hairy arms, the beetles groom the usually aggressive ants to harvest chemicals called cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) from the ants' exoskeletons. The compounds camouflage them with the ants' scent and stop them from drying out. This disguise locks the beetles in a symbiotic relationship with the ants: if they produce their own CHCs, the ants will recognize and attack them; if they stop harvesting the ants' CHCs, their bodies will desiccate."
Cleaner technologies can impose hidden human costs on vulnerable communities through resource extraction, hazardous waste, and exploitative labor. Dropping vaccination rates are enabling measles outbreaks in North America and Europe; vaccination remains highly effective and typically produces mild symptoms in rare breakthrough cases, while unvaccinated people—especially young children—face severe illness. Physicians may advise an extra early MMR dose for infants aged 6–11 months without additional side effects. The beetle Sceptobius lativentris must groom velvety tree ants to harvest cuticular hydrocarbons for camouflage and hydration, creating an obligate symbiosis. Proposed reforms to the UK’s largest funding agency aim to align research with economic and job outcomes.
Read at Nature
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