Health & Science

• Thursday, February 9th 2023 - 09:41 UTC

  Chikungunya kills 14 in Paraguay

  

  Paraguayan health authorities Wednesday said 14 people had died of Chikungunya while over 18,000 cases of the malady had been confirmed in the most recent outbreak which lead the Municipality of Asunción to declare an environmental emergency for 90 days as healthcare facilities were crammed.

• Wednesday, February 8th 2023 - 09:45 UTC

  UN warns 4.3 million girls at risk of genital mutilation

  

  United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Tuesday warned that some 4.3 million girls worldwide were at risk of being subjected to a Female Genital Mutilation procedure and insisted that eliminating such a practice should be likened to other goals mankind needs to attain by 2030.

• Tuesday, February 7th 2023 - 10:22 UTC

  Emergency in Brazil as avian flu outbreak reported in neighboring Bolivia; poultry exports total US$ 9,7billion

  

  After two decades, the highly pathogenic (when almost all infected animals show symptoms of the disease) avian flu has become a real threat to Brazilian flocks and production. Nine countries in Central and South America have confirmed 75 outbreaks of the disease in recent months and have already had to sacrifice 1.2 million birds.

• Monday, February 6th 2023 - 10:30 UTC

  BAS investing to predict future sea-level rise in Antarctica

  

  Researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will develop new and ambitious ideas to tackle critical global environmental challenges, such as global sea-level rise from Antarctica, thanks to new funding.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2023 - 10:57 UTC

  Falklands Veterinary Officers report on Gentoo rookery Penguin pox

  

  On Tuesday 24 January, Veterinary Officers and Falkland Landholdings representatives visited Berthas Beach following reports of several juvenile Gentoo penguin deaths. The unwell and dead penguins that were reported displayed severe penguin pox lesions.

• Wednesday, February 1st 2023 - 10:07 UTC

  RRS Sir David Attenborough begins its polar science trials in Antarctica

  

  Falklands flagged UK’s new polar ship RRS Sir David Attenborough begins its polar science trials in Antarctica this week. A team of 30 national and international scientists, engineers and technical staff departed the Falkland Islands on Tuesday for almost two months of science capability trials – the first to test the ship’s science capabilities in deep polar waters.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2023 - 18:43 UTC

  WHO, US extend Covid-19 emergency

  

  The US Government announced Monday that the Covid-19 emergency is to be extended until May. The decision came after a World Health Organization (WHO) panel issued a recommendation not to change the current sanitary status given that SARS-CoV- 2 remains a “permanently established pathogen” in humans and animals.

• Friday, January 27th 2023 - 09:54 UTC

  WHO Committee to declare end of Covid-19 emergency?

  

  An Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization convening Friday might decide to declare the end of the “public health emergency” stemming from Covid-19. The committee's decision is to be announced on Jan. 30.

• Thursday, January 26th 2023 - 10:06 UTC

  Falklands Veterinary Service reports Avian pox amongst Gentoo penguins

  

  The Veterinary Service section from the Falkland Islands Department of Agriculture has announced that it has received a reported outbreak of avian pox amongst Gentoo penguins in the Falklands.

• Thursday, January 26th 2023 - 09:51 UTC

  Argentina keeping an eye on Antarctica's new iceberg

  

  The Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA) warned that the iceberg that calved off the Brunt Ice Shelf into the Wedell Sea is such a large structure that any vessel coming its way would have to take evasive action. Hence, it is being monitored to make sure it does not affect the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar's route from Ushuaia to the Argentine bases in the region.