Health & Science

Saturday, July 6th 2013 - 07:01 UTC
H1N1 influenza virus outbreak in north Chile; government considering decreeing ‘health alert’

Eleven people have died from the H1N1 influenza virus in northern Chile in an outbreak that the health minister raised the possibility of decreeing a health alert to restrict people's mobility.
Wednesday, June 26th 2013 - 18:11 UTC
UN warns about the rise of legal ‘designer drugs’ which entice young consumers

A sharp rise in the variety of legal “designer drugs” with names that entice young people into thinking they pose no risk is alarming from a public health standpoint, the United Nations drugs agency said.
Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 05:56 UTC
Deadly swine virus spreading among hog farms in the US Mid west

A swine virus deadly to young pigs, one never before seen in North America, is spreading rapidly across the United States and proving harder to control than previously believed.
Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 05:49 UTC
US OK’s new non-eggs flu vaccine for adults with severe allergies

People with serious egg allergies may no longer have to worry about flu shots. A United States government advisory panel said a new vaccine that's made without eggs is an option for adults with severe allergies. Current flu shots are made from viruses grown in eggs and could trigger allergic reactions in some cases.
Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 02:00 UTC
Lead case in Uruguay: Herbicide-spraying company forced to pay compensation for fumigating school

A Uruguayan rural school teacher who suffered the consequences of agro-toxics spraying from neighbouring soybean crops has won a civil court demand against the fumigation company. The court ruled that Agronegocios del Plata, ADP, must compensate Silvia Nobelasco the equivalent to 6.800 dollars.
Tuesday, June 18th 2013 - 02:49 UTC
SaltSmart plan to reduce dietary salt consumption in the Americas by half by 2020

To promote the prevention of cardiovascular disease, a multi-sector consortium convened by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) endorsed a plan to reduce dietary salt consumption in the Americas by half by the year 2020. Currently, average salt consumption in most of the region’s countries is twice the recommended level of 5 grams per person per day.
Sunday, June 16th 2013 - 17:07 UTC
Venezuelan government turns breast feeding into national controversy

Venezuela's Congress will discuss legislation this week that would prohibit bottle feeding of infants to try to encourage breast feeding and reduce the use of baby formula, said a lawmaker of the ruling Socialist Party.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 10:51 UTC
US Supreme Court rules DNA is not patentable, but synthetically created yes

The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 00:05 UTC
NASA investing in 3D ‘pizza printer’ for astronauts long space missions

With concerns about our ability to feed 12 billion people by the end of the century, one engineer is looking to replace conventional food with something produced by a 3D printer, and he’s getting a grant from NASA to create a prototype.
Wednesday, June 12th 2013 - 07:29 UTC
Argentine health authorities insist influenza cases are normal for the year

Argentina’s influenza death toll has risen to 11 across the country. Three people have been reported dead in the past hours in the province of Córdoba where the number of total H1NI virus casualties has now reached four.