Health & Science

• Friday, February 28th 2025 - 10:06 UTC

  Brazil: Respiratory complications feared to mount during Carnival gatherings

  

  According to the latest issue of the Infogripe bulletin from the Rio de Janeiro-based Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), large crowds during the upcoming Carnival festivities may lead to increased transmission of respiratory viruses.

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• Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 16:23 UTC

  Price of eggs forces Trump to rehire fired bird flu experts; in NYC a dozen sells for over US$ 12

  

  US President Donald Trump's administration is attempting to rehire officials with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) who worked on the government response to bird flu before being fired over the weekend, US media report.

• Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 10:46 UTC

  São Paulo: Public health emergency decreed due to dengue fever

  

  The Brazilian State of São Paulo Wednesday declared a public emergency due to the persistence and worsening of the dengue epidemic, Health Secretary Eleuses Paiva announced from the Butantan Institute.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2025 - 08:42 UTC

  Uruguay on avian flu alert after detection in Argentina

  

  Uruguay's Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) declared a state of health alert due to an outbreak of avian influenza in Tres Isletas, in the Argentine province of Chaco, it was reported Tuesday in Montevideo. The measure seeks to protect public health and national poultry production as the malady poses risks to biodiversity, the poultry sector, and public health. It can cause sudden bird mortality, respiratory and neurological symptoms, hemorrhages, and diarrhea, it was also explained.

• Monday, February 17th 2025 - 09:24 UTC

  Paraguay's healthcare scenario shifting

  

  Paraguayan health authorities confirmed during the weekend that the newly implemented night shift had provided medical assistance to over 526,700 patients consultations, thus decompressing the demand for those services in the morning. They also pointed out that the number of Covid-19 cases was going down, although one death was reported.

• Saturday, February 15th 2025 - 10:49 UTC

  Brazil expands target population for dengue vax amid poor response

  

  Brazilian Health Authorities widened the age range of potential recipients of the dengue vaccine as many doses were approaching their expiration date. The move seeks that every dose purchased reaches the population, it was explained. In addition, some batches of the drug could also be delivered to locations previously not covered by the immunization Unified Health System (SUS) programs.

• Thursday, February 13th 2025 - 20:17 UTC

  Brazilian scientists find enzyme that can transform waste into biofuel

  

  Scientists at Brazil's National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have discovered a biocatalyst called CelOCE (Cellulose Oxidative Cleaving Enzyme) stemming from a soil bacteria, which can transform waste into biofuel. The enzyme, isolated from bacteria found in sugarcane bagasse, enhances the breakdown of cellulose, increasing glucose release by up to 21%. The study showing these findings was published Thursday in the journal Nature.

• Wednesday, February 12th 2025 - 22:08 UTC

  Falklands: consultation begins on Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty legislation

  

  The Falkland Islands Government is planning to introduce Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty legislation to the Falkland Islands. The Ordinance will introduce to the Falkland Islands a legal framework designed to protect and support people who may lack the ability to make a particular decision for themselves, at a particular time.

• Tuesday, February 11th 2025 - 10:11 UTC

  PAHO warns of outbrreak of dengue DENV-3 serotype

  

  The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Monday issued an epidemiological alert given the growing circulation of a different of dengue in the region. Cases of the DENV-3 serotype have been repported to be on the rise in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.

• Tuesday, February 11th 2025 - 08:32 UTC

  Uruguay’s President-elect Orsi appoints key figures for science, technology, and innovation agencies

  

  Uruguay’s incoming president, Yamandú Orsi, has announced the leadership of key agencies overseeing science, technology, and innovation. The move aims to strengthen coordination among institutions such as the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) and the National Meat Institute (INAC).