Health & Science

• Monday, March 31st 2025 - 08:53 UTC

  Musk launches daring AI merger involving X

  

  Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has acquired his social media platform, X, in an all-stock deal valuing the latter at US$ 33 billion, the South African-born tycoon announced. The acquisition merges two of Musk’s prominent ventures, combining xAI’s AI expertise—bolstered by its chatbot Grok and a massive GPU supercomputer—with X’s vast user reach.

  Add your comment!
• Saturday, March 29th 2025 - 09:05 UTC

  Covid-19 cases on the rise in Chile

  

  Chilean health authorities recorded 98 casualties attributable to Covid-19 between Jan. 1 and March 22, 2025, with a total of 5,191 confirmed cases. The fatalities were 76.5 years old on average with an almost equal distribution between genders, while patients with chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes were affected the most.

  Add your comment!
• Thursday, March 27th 2025 - 15:38 UTC

  Influenza of avian origin (H5N1) confirmed in a single sheep in Yorkshire

  

  The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed a case of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep in Yorkshire following repeat positive milk testing. The case was identified following routine surveillance of co-located livestock on premises where avian influenza had been confirmed in captive birds. Defra has introduced livestock surveillance on infected premises following the outbreak of avian influenza in dairy cows in the US. 

  Add your comment!
• Wednesday, March 26th 2025 - 20:55 UTC

  PAHO warns of NCDs spreading in the region

  

  The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an urgent call to address the primary factors contributing to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which claim approximately 6 million lives annually in the Americas. At the Regional Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases held in Brasilia, PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa highlighted that over 240 million people in the region live with NCDs, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, requiring continuous treatment. However, many lack adequate care due to poor management and control.

  Add your comment!
• Monday, March 24th 2025 - 20:12 UTC

  Uruguay reports first autochthonous case of dengue

  

  Uruguayan health authorities Monday confirmed the first autochthonous case of dengue this year. It was a patient in Montevideo, whose appearance triggered a full-scale deployment of epidemiology teams to track down the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the disease's vector. Montevideo City Hall teams also tested neighbors of the affected person in a move to curtail spreading.

• Monday, March 24th 2025 - 08:53 UTC

  Unexpected forms of life found under loose Antarctica iceberg

  

  Researchers found unimagined forms of life under the A-84 iceberg nearly 30 kilometers long and 510 square kilometers in area, which broke off from the George VI Ice Shelf in Antarctica earlier this year, exposing a previously hidden stretch of ocean unseen for decades, it was announced last week.

• Friday, March 21st 2025 - 18:49 UTC

  Argentine province of Santa Fe on alert as number of dengue cases soars

  

  The Argentine province of Santa Fe Friday reported a significant rise in dengue cases, with 598 confirmed, including 563 autochthonous, 25 imported (with patients having a travel history to places such as India, Maldives, Colombia, Brazil, and other provinces of Argentina), and 10 under investigation.

• Friday, March 21st 2025 - 08:57 UTC

  Brazil: STJ upholds fine against parents not vaccinating child against Covid-19

  

  Brazil's Superior Court of Justice's (STJ) Third Panel (Turma) unanimously ruled Thursday that parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against Covid-19 can be fined, upholding a decision by the Paraná state court. The court's rationale hinged around the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA), which mandates child immunization.

• Wednesday, March 19th 2025 - 23:52 UTC

  Picardo reflects on Gibraltar's response to the Covid-19 crisis

  

  Chief Minister Fabian Picardo of Gibraltar reflected on the Covid-19 pandemic, five years after the first lockdown, calling it a “turning point in history.” Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, he described the severe challenges faced during the crisis, including the potential for thousands of deaths and the need to expand mortuary capacity.

• Tuesday, March 18th 2025 - 18:37 UTC

  Buenos Aires City and Province measles cases trigger joint gov't response

  

  Following the confirmation of 11 measles cases, 7 in Buenos Aires City and 4 in Buenos Aires province, Argentina's Health Ministry launched a “focused vaccination strategy” targeting high-risk areas, particularly the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA). Measles, a highly contagious and potentially deadly viral disease, primarily affects young children and immunocompromised individuals, with vaccination as the only prevention method.