The director of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases for the CDC is warning that the United States could see the worst outbreak of West Nile Virus in history.
The virus is responsible for 41 deaths in the US and over 1,100 people infected. The CDC states that increase is alarming considering that only 25 cases had been reported last month. The only states that do not have cases reported are Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont. Continue reading
Syrian government forces used heavy artillery and helicopter attacks on rebel positions to kill 41 people in attacks around Damascus throughout Wednesday. The military also shelled rebel areas of Aleppo but no death tolls have been reported for that city.
The battle in Aleppo has been raging for a month and human rights group Amnesty International have reported that civilians are facing a “horrific level” of violence in the city. Continue reading
Researchers are reporting that a new disease is affflicting many in Asia and some in the United States with AIDS-like symptoms despite the patients not being infected with HIV.
The researchers do not believe the disease is infectious but like AIDS leaves the patients with damaged immune systems that leave them vulnerable to germs that an ordinary immune system can fend off. Continue reading
Surveys of American agriculture released Tuesday showed higher than expected crop damage driving commodity prices to record highs.
Corn jumped 1.7% to $8.39 a bushel while soybeans finished up 2.8% at $17.30 a bushel. In the last three months, corn prices have jumped 68%. Soybeans have jumped 39%. Continue reading
President Mohammed Mursi took the opportunity to request a loan for the nation during a visit from the head of the International Monetary Fund.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde promised that the IMF would respond to the request quickly and Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil told the press he hoped to have the deal finished by the end of the year. Continue reading
A remote-controlled car bomb exploded in Gaziantep, Turkey Monday night killing nine people including four children. Almost 70 were injured in the terrorist attack.
Turkish newspaper Sabah said the children were 13, 11, 3 and 1. Continue reading
President Obama has told reporters that the use of chemical weapons by Syria would be a “red line” that would change his position about US military intervention in Syria’s civil war.
“There would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front,” the President said in a Tuesday press conference. “A red line for us is [if] we see a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus.” Continue reading
Over 10,000 people have been infected with cholera in Sierra Leone and the death toll has reached 176. Over 100 have died in the last month in the capital city, Freetown.
President Ernest Bai Koroma has declared a national emergency.
The Red Cross reports that cases have spiked since mid-July with 6,000 cases in the last five weeks. The rainy season increases the risks for contracting the disease and Amanda McClelland of the International Federation of the Red Cross says there is potential for “devastation” in the country. Continue reading
Cyber-terrorists have a new virus weapon aimed at destroying nationwide energy systems has been discovered by cyber-security teams.
The virus, “Shamoon,” has reported already caused problems for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco, the nation’s national oil company, had its network taken offline because of the virus spreading in their system. Continue reading
Greece, already under extreme financial pressure, is facing a major blow to several agricultural industries due to a major wildfire raging on the island of Chios.
The fire began on Saturday and has been driven by gale force winds. The out of control blaze has burned over 16,000 acres of forest and farmland. Residents of nine villages have been evacuated due to the blaze. Continue reading
