Edinburgh -
The digital age is making inroads into microbiology and epidemiology. Researchers have developed software to help track and to predict pathogenic infections around the world.
New York -
The Zika virus is causing a rash of birth defects in Brazil. Birth defects include microcephaly, infants born with small heads. Zika is so bad doctors are advising women to avoid pregnancy.
Dallas -
Contact tracing allows epidemiologists and others fighting the spread of dangerous diseases like the Ebola virus.Technological tools in surveillance and molecular diagnostics, information and communications, and geoinformatics make this tough job easier.
Washington -
A challenge has been laid down for scientists. The contest aims to identify models that accurately forecast outbreaks of the mosquito spread viral disease chikungunya.
San Francisco -
Californian state health department has reported a serious whooping cough (pertussis) outbreak. The incidences are said to be at "epidemic proportions".
The U.S. CDC, mixing education and entertainment, have launched an app based on a disease outbreak scenario. The game was inspired by calls to the CDC asking about the impending 'zombie apocalypse'.
Sydney -
Folklore is turning into fact. The suspicion that antibacterial agents are responsible for allergies now appears confirmed. A new finding also indicates that commensal bacteria are responsible for a healthy immune system.
Sydney -
There’s a very ugly conspiracy theory going around- Medical research is deliberately not finding cures for major diseases. Sound disgusting? It is, extremely. The trouble is that it may have some basis in fact.
Morgellons Disease is “controversial”, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo, however, doesn’t consider the condition trivial. The condition is very debilitating. Apparently also severely debilitated is the sleeping science of epidemiology.
Now here’s a first. Healthmap is able to produce a map of disease incidences, around the world, and track, in real time, about 95% of them. That’s a lot faster than existing systems, and could be a huge asset if there’s ever a global pandemic.
Hormone Replacement Therapy was touted as the magic bullet that would keep women young forever. Studies showed that it could ward off osteoporosis and heart attacks in older women. By 2001, 15 million women were taking estrogen. Then the other shoe fell.
