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How an Obscure Disease Became a Global Health Emergency
In early February 2015, doctors in the impoverished northeastern part of Brazil noticed a surge in the number of people complaining about a mild illness, with and without fever, characterized by rash, fatigue, joint pains, and red eyes. The illness was brief and recovery was spontaneous. A mild form of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease hyperendemic throughout the country, was initially suspected, but tests were negative in the vast majority of samples. Chikungunya, another mosquito-borne disease first detected in Africa in 1952, had hopped to Brazil in September 2014 and was likewise suspected. Again, tests results were negative.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Latin America
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Panel rejects Sanofi’s waiver plea for dengue vaccine
French drug and vaccines giant Sanofi suffered a setback in introducing its much-awaited dengue vaccine Dengvaxia in India after a top health ministry committee rejected its request to waive additional clinical studies.
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- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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#WorldMalariaDay Opinion: We can beat malaria if we move faster
Vector control has been an important weapon in the fight against malaria. Indoor residual sprays and treated bed nets are now in use widely across Africa and Asia to kill mosquitoes and protect people. However, the Anopheles mosquito, the vector that transmits malaria to humans, is becoming increasingly resistant to pyrethroids, one of the most commonly used insecticides.
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- Health Care
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Malaria Resistance ‘Unable to Spread’
The first case of the malaria parasite being unable to spread its resistance to drugs has been discovered by scientists in Australia.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Brazilian Doctor Crafts System Hailed As ‘Way Forward’ for Combating Zika
In Brazil, one of the biggest challenges to dealing with the Zika crisis is logistics.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Latin America
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Zika Mosquitoes Caught in Recycled Tire Trap
A Canadian-led research team has taken a form of trash that promotes the spread of mosquitoes and turned it into a potential weapon against the disease-carrying insects.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Latin America
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More Giant Rats On the Way. And That’s a Good Thing.
APOPO trains African giant pouched rats to sniff out tuberculosis (TB), a top infectious disease killer worldwide even though it’s curable and preventable. The program has proven successful in screening for TB in crowded prisons in Tanzania and Mozambique, and APOPO hopes to roll it out in at least six countries by 2020.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise
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High Global Vaccine Prices Could Worsen Angola’s Deadly Yellow Fever Outbreak
Angola is experiencing its worst yellow fever outbreak in 30 years, says the World Health Organization. The mosquito-borne disease was first reported in the capital Luanda in December last year. The disease has now infected more than 490 people and killed 198, says WHO.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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