Health & Science

• Sunday, April 26th 2009 - 08:45 UTC

  Mexico swine flu spreads overseas - Alert in airports

  

  Mexico has raised the probable death toll from an outbreak of swine flu to 81, including 20 already confirmed.

• Saturday, April 25th 2009 - 07:16 UTC

  Swine flu outbreak in Mexico kills 68, infects hundreds; schools closed

  

  At least 68 people have died and hundreds of others have been infected in a viral outbreak in Mexico suspected to have been caused by a strain of swine flu. The World Health Organization thinks the virus may be behind the deaths in Mexico since mid-March.

• Friday, April 24th 2009 - 10:21 UTC

  Earth like planet, Exoplanet E, discovered by Chile Observatory

  

  The lightest and most earth-like planet ever discovered outside our solar system was identified this week using data from Chile’s La Silla observatory, said the European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO).

• Friday, April 24th 2009 - 09:50 UTC

  “Incorrect” dosage killed the 21 polo ponies admits pharmacy

  

  A Florida state veterinary pharmacy has revealed that the dosage of the medication it prepared for 21 polo ponies that died last weekend minutes before an international competition was “incorrect”. Franck's Pharmacy said the horses' medication was prepared “on an order from a veterinarian”.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 12:24 UTC

  Three cases of rare newly-born with dengue in north Argentina

  

  Two children were born with dengue in the northern Argentine province of Salta, more precisely in the town of Orán after their mothers caught the mosquito transmitted disease in the last week of pregnancy, according to what was reported.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 01:58 UTC

  Dengue infested Paraguay admits “isolated” cholera cases

  

  Health authorities in Paraguay acknowledged this week the existence of an outbreak of cholera in an isolated Indian settlement in the western region of Chaco. Paraguay, as well as neighbouring Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina are also suffering a serious outbreak of the mosquito transmitted dengue

• Tuesday, April 21st 2009 - 08:32 UTC

  Keep slim, help fight climate change, says Epidemiology Journal

  

  Getting back to the relatively slim, trim days of the 1970s would help to tackle climate change, researchers say. The rising numbers of people who are overweight and obese in the UK means the nation uses 19% more food than 40 years ago, a study suggests.

• Sunday, April 19th 2009 - 05:03 UTC

  Brazilian agriculture, world’s top consumers of pesticides

  

  Brazil became in 2008 the world's top consumer of agriculture pesticides (ahead of the US), and continues to use a range of dangerous pesticides banned in other countries, according to a study released Friday.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2009 - 05:08 UTC

  Germany bans GM maize; “scientific and not political” decision

  

  Germany is to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) maize - the only GM crop widely grown in Europe. The decision, announced on Tuesday by German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner, is a blow to the US biotech firm Monsanto, which markets the maize.

• Monday, April 13th 2009 - 07:35 UTC

  Dengue in northeast Brazil has epidemic proportions

  

  The mosquito transmitted dengue disease which has ravaged Bolivia, Paraguay, North Argentina (and now threatens Buenos Aires) has also severely punished the Brazilian north-eastern state of Bahía where in the first quarter of this year, 40.000 cases have been confirmed and 32 deaths.