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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, June 9th 2026 - 21:42 UTC

Health & Science

  • Friday, December 19th 2025 - 21:34 UTC

    Superflu makes it to Argentina and Brazil

    The primary concern for health officials remains low vaccination uptake

    Health authorities across South America are on high alert following the confirmed detection of the Influenza A (H3N2) “K subclade” in Argentina and Brazil. The variant, which has already triggered emergency protocols in Chile and Bolivia, is characterized by genetic mutations that may increase transmissibility, though experts emphasize it does not currently appear to be more lethal than standard flu strains.

  • Friday, December 19th 2025 - 08:36 UTC

    Argentina: National Bioethics Commission created

    The body -replacing previous entities with overlapping roles- will be chaired by Health Minister Mario Lugones

    The Argentine government has officially established the National Bioethics Commission through Decree 893/2025. Operating under the Ministry of Health, this new body will serve as the country's sole regulatory authority on health-related ethical evaluations and scientific research.

  • Friday, December 19th 2025 - 08:27 UTC

    Health alerts issued in Chile and Bolivia following superflu detections

    Health authorities in both countries insisted that current influenza vaccines remain the most effective defense against severe illness and death

    Health authorities in Chile and Bolivia have activated emergency epidemiological protocols following the confirmed arrival of a new, highly transmissible variant of Influenza A (H3N2), known as the K subclade (also referred to as “supereflu”).

  • Tuesday, December 16th 2025 - 10:08 UTC

    Peru confirms first 2 cases of H3N2 “variant K” flu

    Both cases have been discharged from their hospitals and reported to be out of danger

    Peru's Health Ministry (Minsa) officially confirmed on Monday the detection of the first two cases of the Influenza A (H3N2) subclade K variant in the country, just one day after issuing a national epidemiological alert to monitor the potential entry of respiratory diseases during the holiday season.

  • Tuesday, December 16th 2025 - 09:50 UTC

    US: Illicit fentanyl declared a weapon of mass destruction

    “No bomb can do what fentanyl does,” Trump asserted

    US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday formally designating illicit fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). The move shifts the federal government's approach to the opioid crisis from a strictly public health and law enforcement issue to a national security priority.

  • Monday, December 15th 2025 - 09:23 UTC

    Peru declares health alert over H3N2 and measles

    Travelers returning from Europe or the United States must be alert for respiratory symptoms, the Peruvian authorities highlighted

    Peru's Health Ministry (Minsa) has declared a nationwide Epidemiological Alert (No. 008-2025) as a preventative measure against the potential entry and spread of infectious diseases, including the seasonal Influenza A (H3N2) subclade K variant and measles.

  • Saturday, December 13th 2025 - 09:07 UTC

    Uruguayan President vaccinated against measles

    Orsi was among those who needed to complete their two-dose scheme

    Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi and several members of his cabinet received the measles vaccine at the Executive Tower on Friday, underscoring the government's push for immunization following a regional health alert and a small domestic outbreak.

  • Saturday, December 13th 2025 - 08:56 UTC

    First case of super flu K confirmed in Mexico

    This highly contagious variant exhibits clinical characteristics similar to common seasonal influenza

    Mexico's Health Ministry confirmed late Friday the country's first human case of the Influenza A H3N2 subclade K variant, a strain commonly referred to in the media as “super flu K.” The case was detected by the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER). The patient received antiviral treatment and has since recovered.

  • Wednesday, December 10th 2025 - 19:28 UTC

    Scientists to research life in extreme cold seeps of the Argentine coast with MV Falkor

    ROV SuBastian is being recovered in the Mar del Plata Underwater Canyon region from R/V Falkor (too). . CREDIT: Misha Vallejo Prut / Schmidt Ocean Institute

    A team from the US based Schmidt Ocean Institute and its research vessel MV Falkor together with scientists from Argentina will undertake the first and most comprehensive visually guided study of Argentina’s cold seeps, beginning 14th December until 10 January 2026.

  • Wednesday, December 10th 2025 - 10:08 UTC

    PAHO urges region to prepare for Northern Hemisphere respiratory virus surge

    Europe is facing unusually early and severe flu outbreaks

    The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an epidemiological alert, urging countries in the Americas to adjust their preparedness in anticipation of the upcoming winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. The alert highlights the imminent increased circulation of influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19).