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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, November 21st 2024 - 11:02 UTC

Health & Science

  • Thursday, June 6th 2024 - 09:52 UTC

    First human death due to avian flu reported

    The Mexican case came after H5N1 cases appeared in recent weeks in dairy cows in the United States

    A 59-year-old man in Mexico was reported Wednesday to be the first person ever to die of avian flu A(H5N2), the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on its website about the patient who passed away on April 24. The source of exposure to the virus usually circulating in poultry remains unknown and the victim had no history of contact with these animals.

  • Tuesday, June 4th 2024 - 09:21 UTC

    Leptospirosis taking its toll on Rio Grande do Sul flood victims

    Twelve other deaths are still under investigation, Rio Grande do Sul's Health Ministry also said

    Health authorities in the Brazilian flood-hit State of Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul confirmed Monday that an eighth patient had died of leptospirosis, Agencia Brasil reported. The victim was a 31-year-old man from São Leopoldo who had prolonged exposure to contaminated water.

  • Monday, June 3rd 2024 - 19:43 UTC

    Young dead whale found in exclusive Argentine beach resort

    The causes of death are yet to be determined. In the meantime, people were advised not to get close to stranded animals given the risk of catching contagious illnesses

    A dead humpback whale was found by a group of bypassers on the beach shores of the exclusive Argentine resort of Pinamar The causes of the death of the young mammal weighing approximately 15 tons are yet to be determined by experts in the Province of Buenos Aires, it was reported.

  • Monday, June 3rd 2024 - 18:39 UTC

    Brazil tops list of dengue-hit countries in the region

    Brazil tops the list of suspected dengue cases in the region with 6.3 of them, followed by Argentina's 420,000, Paraguay's 257,000, and Peru's 200,000, Agencia Brasil reported Monday. In South America's largest country, more than 3 million of these notifications have yielded positive laboratory results.

  • Friday, May 31st 2024 - 19:00 UTC

    Milei rounds up Californian tour

    In his meeting with Zuckerberg (L), Milei underlined Argentina's lack of regulations regarding technological developments which could favor companies such as Meta

    Argentine President Javier Milei rounded up his Californian trip after a meeting with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and was headed for El Salvador for Nayib Bukele's new inauguration aboard the ARG-01 Boeing 757.

  • Monday, May 27th 2024 - 22:25 UTC

    Nothing wrong with flu and Covid-19 vax campaign in Chile, minister says

    Albagli said more vaccines than ever have been administered so far this year

    Chile's Acting Health Minister Andrea Albagli insisted Monday that there was no lagging in the government's flu vaccination campaign. She made those remarks after politicians from the Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI) tried to link an alleged shortcoming in this regard to five deaths due to that malady in the Ñuble region in the past few days and even hinted she should resign. “I don't know what failure they are talking about,” Albagli stressed.

  • Monday, May 27th 2024 - 19:18 UTC

    WHO Pandemic Agreement not achieved but Tedros still confident

    When there is a will there is a way, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said

    World leaders were urged Monday to keep working toward an unprecedented agreement among nations that would give the World Health Organization (WHO) a stronger voice in fighting the next pandemic. The announcements came after negotiators failed to produce a draft of the agreement by the May 24 deadline, although talks are still ongoing and some form of pact is said to be on the table.

  • Monday, May 27th 2024 - 06:37 UTC

    Outbreak of leptospirosis in Brazil's flooded areas; health authorities warning

    It is estimated flooding has affected 2,3 million of the 10 million population of Brazil's most southern state that has borders with Argentina and Uruguay.

    The first four deaths from the waterborne bacterial disease, leptospirosis, have been reported in the southern Brazil state of Rio Grande do Sul, where floodwaters following days of unprecedented rainfall have started to recede, but health authorities are warning of additional fatalities.

  • Friday, May 24th 2024 - 10:45 UTC

    Uruguay: Respiratory diseases on the rise amid low vaccination coverage

    The increase in the number of cases does not entail an increase in severity, it was explained

    Uruguayan physicians reported this week that respiratory infections and emergency room visits for this type of illness are on the rise. In addition, the Health Ministry has expressed concern about the low number of pregnant women who have received the flu vaccine this season.

  • Friday, May 24th 2024 - 10:15 UTC

    Mild avian flu cases among humans in Michigan and Texas

    Despite its name, avian flu virus is not limited to birds, and in recent months has been detected in cows in several states

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, are reporting a second human case of avian flu has been found as the outbreak spreads among birds and cattle in the country.