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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, December 29th 2025 - 02:34 UTC

Health & Science

  • Tuesday, July 22nd 2025 - 10:00 UTC

    Brazilian scientists launch mosquito factory to fight dengue

    Scientists breed Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia strains, resulting in a kind less able to spread diseases to humans after mating with the regular population

    Brazilian researchers launched the world's largest mosquito biofactory to target the kind that spreads dengue fever and other maladies. The Paraná Institute of Molecular Biology (IBMP) and the World Mosquito Program (WMP) inaugurated Wolbito do Brasil in breeding Aedes aegypti mosquitoes inoculated with Wolbachia bacteria, which prevents the development of viruses that cause diseases.

  • Monday, July 21st 2025 - 10:13 UTC

    Bolivia stepping up efforts to tackle measles

    The exercise simulated the arrival of a flight from abroad with suspected measles cases

    Bolivia is stepping up its efforts to combat a potential measles outbreak, with the Health Ministry conducting an international health emergency drill at El Alto International Airport and the Education Ministry implementing mandatory vaccination checks for students.

  • Monday, July 21st 2025 - 09:28 UTC

    Chickenpox cases in Uruguay up 71.5%

    Chickenpox, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, is highly contagious

    Chickenpox cases in Uruguay nearly doubled this year, with 327 detections reported by July 5 (up from 187 in 2024), a 71.5% increase. The incidence rate rose from 5.23 to 9.11 per 100,000 inhabitants. The 20-29 age group saw the largest spike (20-24: 15 to 56 cases; 25-29: 10 to 49 cases), followed by those aged 10-19 and under 5.

  • Saturday, July 19th 2025 - 10:51 UTC

    New Covid-19 variant detected in Brazil

    Frankenstein has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “variant under monitoring”

    A new Covid-19 variant, Stratus (XFG or XFG.3), also known as “Frankenstein” due to its recombinant nature, has been identified in Brazil and is under international surveillance by the World Health Organization (WHO).

  • Monday, July 14th 2025 - 11:03 UTC

    Bolivia ups measles vaccination with Brazilian donation

    “This week, all departments will have the vaccines,” Minister Castro said

    Bolivian health authorities expanded the age target for the nationwide measles vaccination campaign following an outbreak of the disease and the receipt of some 600,000 doses donated by the Brazilian Government. Ambassador Américo Dyott Fontenelle highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation in this initiative.

  • Monday, July 14th 2025 - 06:53 UTC

    Falklands Hospital, KEMH, is having a new X-ray equipment installed

    The KEMH, the main hospital facility in the Falkland Islands

    The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) has informed the Falkland Island community that works to install new X-ray equipment for KEMH commenced last week

  • Saturday, July 12th 2025 - 10:21 UTC

    Brazil resuming local production of insulin after 20 years

    “This is BRICS in action,” said Padilha in reference to the agreement with an Indian pharmaceutical company providing the technology

    Brazil's Health Ministry took delivery on Friday of the first batch of insulin produced through the Partnerships for Productive Development (PDP) program. The initiative is part of the National Strategy for the Development of the Health Economic-Industrial Complex and aims to resume manufacturing the drug entirely in the country.

  • Friday, July 11th 2025 - 19:37 UTC

    Brazil maneuvering to resume chicken exports to Europe

    Brazil reportedly stopped exporting about 123,000 tons of chicken due to the avian flu detection

    Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro held a videoconference with EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, this week to discuss lifting restrictions on the Brazilian chicken meat exports imposed after an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) at a commercial farm in Montenegro, Río Grande do Sul, in May.

  • Friday, July 11th 2025 - 19:17 UTC

    Bolivia deploys door-to-door measles vaccination teams

    Brigades go door to door to stop the measles outbreak before classes restart

    Bolivian authorities, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), launched a door-to-door vaccination campaign this week to curb the measles outbreak, of which so far 98 cases have been confirmed.

  • Tuesday, July 8th 2025 - 06:48 UTC

    Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust Unveils World-First Shipwreck Experience at Goodwood Festival of Speed

    An interactive 3D digital model, allowing visitors to rotate, zoom and uncover artefacts

    The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) is proud to bring one of the most extraordinary deep-sea discoveries of our time to the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed. As part of the prestigious Future Labs installation, FMHT will showcase the pioneering technology behind the historic mission that located Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary ship, Endurance, beneath Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea.