Local
Farmers affected by flooding are eligible for zero interest loans
The Minnesota Rural Finance Authority (RFA) offers a 0% interest Disaster Loan Program for agricultural workers affected by natural disasters.
Beginning on June 9, 2018, severe summer storms struck Minnesota and caused severe flooding and damage to agricultural land in 36 counties and Red Lake Nation.
Agricultural workers affected by those storms can use RFA loans to clean up farm operations, repair or replace farm structures, and replace seed, other crop inputs, feed, and livestock as well as to repair and restore farm real estate.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
National
More cases confirmed in Del Monte outbreak
Recent lab tests confirmed that more than 12 additional people have been infected with Cyclospora parasites after consuming Del Monte pre-cut vegetable trays.
On June 8, Del Monte recalled 6-ounce and 12-ounce pre-cut vegetable trays. Del Monte later recalled 28-ounce trays on June 15.
The first person known to be infected occurred on May 14. Since then, as many as 212 people ranging in age between 13 to 79 years-old have become ill across four states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa.
International
DNA findings conclude European colonists replaced native American dogs
A team of international researchers have found overwhelming DNA evidence that native American dogs, also called pre-contact dogs, disappeared after the European colonization of North and South America.
The study found no more than 4% of pre-contact dog DNA in any sample. With such a negligible amount of DNA present throughout the sample population, overall results could be interpreted as 0.
The closest living DNA match to pre-contact dogs was found to be a cancerous tumor known as Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT). TVT is thought to have originated thousands of years ago from a single dog in East Asia, however, TVT is now found in many areas of the world.
Jonathan Chapman
Jonathan was a VPHPM resident from 2016-2018. He is a licensed veterinarian with a career focus on veterinary public health, epidemiology, zoonotic disease, and One Health. He has been involved in a broad range of activities ranging from small animal general practice and emergency medicine to disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Jonathan hopes to continue to promote medicine, public health, education, and local and international community collaboration around the world. Jonathan is originally from Chicago, Illinois and he has spent time living in St. Kitts, West Indies and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has 2 Golden Retrievers named Bauer and Nikki and 3 cats named Sienna, Simon, and Conchita.