Get our news on your inbox! x

Remember me Forgot password

MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, January 29th 2026 - 01:28 UTC

Health & Science

  • Monday, March 24th 2025 - 20:12 UTC

    Uruguay reports first autochthonous case of dengue

    Tuberculosis prevails in overcrowded surroundings, Lustemberg stressed

    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 were skeptical about any major discoveries so their findings came “by chance”

    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

    Dengue cases are evenly recorded all across Rosario

    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

    Parental authority has a different meaning since the Constitution of 1988, the STJ ruled

    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

    The pandemic was a turning point, Picardo stressed

    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

    “We must raise our guard and vaccinate all the people who should be vaccinated,” Quirós said

    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.

  • Tuesday, March 18th 2025 - 10:37 UTC

    Avian Influenza, new ten-year strategy coordinated by FAO and Animal Health Organization

    The new strategy seeks to protect domestic animals, wildlife, the environment, and human health.

    In response to the evolving global ecological and epidemiological landscape, FAO and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) have unveiled a new ten-year strategy aimed at preventing and controlling High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI).

  • Monday, March 17th 2025 - 08:54 UTC

    WHO: Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest diseases worldwide

    Tuberculosis and Covid-19 are both respiratory diseases with similar symptoms

    The World Health Organization (WHO) insisted as the March 24 Tuberculosis (TB) Day looms over that the disease remains one of the deadliest infectious maladies globally, causing 1.25 million deaths and 10.8 million cases in 2023, with significant impacts on vulnerable populations, including HIV positive patients.

  • Monday, March 17th 2025 - 08:48 UTC

    Uruguay's Health Ministry launches vax campaign

    The Uruguayan authorities further underlined the importance of vaccines in general

    Uruguay's Public Health Ministry (MSP) launched its 2025 vaccination campaign, focusing on influenza, measles, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to address seasonal and emerging health challenges, it was announced in Montevideo.

  • Friday, March 14th 2025 - 10:04 UTC

    New euthanasia bill submitted before Uruguayan Congress

    We cannot force people to suffer, argued Preve

    Uruguayan lawmakers submitted a new euthanasia bill before the Lower House, reviving a proposal already passed there in 2022 but stalled in the Senate. The bill, introduced by deputies from the Colorado Party (PC) and the ruling Brooad Front (Frente Amplio - FA), is supported by a multiparty coalition including members of the Partido Nacional and Partido Independiente. The initiative seeks to allow assisted death for individuals with terminal, incurable, and irreversible diseases.