Researchers at Temple University recently discovered that an HIV drug may help to suppress the Zika virus, which could lead to treatment of the virus worldwide.
Up until now, there have been no known vaccines or cures for the Zika virus. Current outbreaks and case numbers may not reach the levels we saw in 2016, but any help against Zika could be a breakthrough.
In the 56 years since the measles vaccine was created, we’ve made significant strides in fighting the virus. Even in this century alone, deaths due to measles have dropped significantly.
According to the World Health Organization, measles caused 110,000 deaths worldwide in 2017. That may still be an alarming amount, but it’s 80% less than the 545,000 deaths in 2000.
But, as we’ve seen around the world this year, vaccine hesitancy has caused a resurgence in cases and outbreaks.
Even in the cases where measles isn’t deadly, those who survive the infection have an increased morbidity and mortality. Up until recently, the reasons behind the increased morbidity and mortality were poorly understood. A new study shows that there are dangerous effects even for those who catch and are cured of measles.
We’ve seen a variety of methods to keep mosquitoes who spread diseases at bay. Despite years of efforts, we still lack a vaccine for many of the most dangerous illnesses. For many people, the best method to stay safe is to simply avoid the insects altogether.
But, that doesn’t mean scientists have stopped trying to fight the diseases. A new technique could help slow down the spread of many mosquito-borne illnesses.
Scientists are currently working on a new method that will use radiation to sterilize male mosquitoes. The technique involves the World Health Organization and the UN, and is also environmentally friendly.
This August, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared their 10th Ebola outbreak. The DRC has had nine other Ebola virus outbreaks over the course of 40 years. From August to November of this year, there have been 2,194 deaths in the DRC due to Ebola.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said in October that cases are decreasing, but that doesn’t mean the outbreak is finished.
The situation is still an official emergency in the DRC because outbreaks continue to pop up in the northeast of the country. It’s this area that is still being affected the worst by Ebola. The outbreak has also put nearby countries at risk, spreading to Uganda in July.
Throughout August, there was anywhere between 75 and 100 new cases of Ebola each week in DRC, although, the numbers started dropping as the year continued. The region started to see just under 50 new cases a week in November.
Last week, two people were hospitalized in Beijing, China due to confirmed cases of the plague. One patient is in stable condition while the other remains in critical condition. A third person in the Mongolia province was diagnosed with a different form the virus over the weekend.
Since 2014, five people have died from the plague in China.
The two earlier cases in China were diagnosed as plague in the pneumonic form and not the bubonic (also known as the “Black Death”), or septicemic forms. The third patient was confirmed to have the bubonic plague after catching and eating wild rabbit.
