Aim: After environmental disasters, species with large population losses may need urgent protection to prevent extinction and support recovery. Following the 2019-2020 Australian megafires, we estimated population losses and recovery in fire-affected fauna, to inform conservation status assessments and management.Location: Temperate and subtropical Australia. Time period: 2019-2030 and beyond.Major taxa: Australian terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates; one invertebrate group. Methods:From > 1,050 fire-affected taxa, we selected 173 whose distributions substantially overlapped the fire extent. We estimated the proportion of each taxon's distribution affected by fires, using fire severity and aquatic impact mapping, and new distribution mapping. Using expert elicitation informed by evidence of responses to previous wildfires, we estimated local population responses to fires of varying severity. We combined the spatial and elicitation data to estimate overall population loss and recovery trajectories, and thus indicate potential eligibility for listing as threatened, or uplisting, under Australian legislation. Results:We estimate that the 2019-2020 Australian megafires caused, or contributed to, population declines that make 70-82 taxa eligible for listing as threatened;

Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently caused a large epidemic in the Americas associated with birth defects. Although ZIKV is primarily transmitted by Aedes spp. mosquitoes, ZIKV RNA is detectable in blood and semen of infected individuals for weeks or months, during which time sexual and other modes of transmission are possible. However, viral RNA is usually detectable for longer than infectious virus is present. We determined the frequency of isolation of infectious virus from semen and serum samples prospectively obtained from a cohort of patients in Puerto Rico. We confirmed positive isolation by tissue culture cytopathic effect, increase in virus genome copy equivalents (GCE), immunofluorescence, and quantitation of infected cells by flow cytometry. These criteria confirmed infectious virus in semen from 8 of 97 patients for up to 38 days after initial detection when virus loads are higher than 1.4x106 GCE/mL. Two serum isolates were obtained from 296 patients. These findings can help guide important prevention guidelines for persons that may potentially be infectious and transmit ZIKV sexually.

The consequences of the 2019–2020 bushfires in Australia were also devastating for the aquatic biota. Following abnormal rainfall events in burnt areas, widespread mortality events including fish and invertebrates were recorded in estuarine and freshwater systems. Such negative impacts on aquatic resources highlight the need to include these ecosystems in bushfire recovery plans. Management should prioritise catchments at higher risks of further negative impacts and research must be conducted to understand the efficacy of actions post‐fire.

PurposeMore than 1 million new occurrences of cancer are diagnosed in India annually. Among patients with cancer, pain is a common and persistent symptom of the disease and its treatment. However, few studies to date have evaluated the prevalence of pain and the adequacy of pain management in Indian hospitals. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic patterns of cancer pain and pain management among a sample of inpatients and newly registered outpatients at four large regional cancer centers in India.MethodsA sample of 1,600 patients with cancer who were current inpatients or newly registered outpatients were recruited and administered a questionnaire that was based on the Brief Pain Inventory. The survey tool included questions on demographics, medical history, and extent of clinical pain experienced. In addition, a pain management index score was created to link the severity of cancer pain with medication prescribed to treat it.ResultsA total of 88% of patients reported pain in the past 7 days, and approximately 60% reported that their worst pain was severe. Several demographic and medical characteristics of the study population predicted severe pain, including the following: lower educational level, outpatient status, and debt incurred as a result of illness. A total of 67% of patients were inadequately treated with analgesics. Inadequate pain management was associated with both treatment hospital and patient type, and patients who reported debt as a result of their illness were more likely to have inadequate pain management.ConclusionA majority of Indian patients with cancer experience significant pain and receive inadequate pain management. Improvement of pain management for Indian patients with cancer is needed urgently.