It may sometimes make sense for island nations like New Zealand to temporarily close their borders in extreme pandemic situations, a new study by Wellington researchers suggests. The study of costs and benefits of complete border closure in New Zealand in response to new pandemic threats has just been published in the international journal PLoS ONE.…

Washing hands after using compost could protect gardeners from contracting a common but dangerous strain of Legionnaire’s disease, new University of Otago research shows. The study results, recently published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, provide the first New Zealand confirmation of the link between compost or potting mix and contracting the form of pneumonia. Legionella longbeachae…