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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, September 21st 2024 - 09:02 UTC

Health & Science

  • Tuesday, August 27th 2024 - 08:54 UTC

    Latin America on alert over oropuche spread

    Before the July 25, 2024, report from Brazilian authorities, there was no record of oropouche being deadly

    With two confirmed deaths caused by oropouche, health authorities in Brazil, Cuba and Colombia are concerned about the recent outbreak of the malady in the region. Other countries do not even keep track of the number of patients who might have contracted the disease and are therefore doing little to nothing to prevent it from spreading, not even after the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) alert last month.

  • Monday, August 26th 2024 - 07:45 UTC

    Brazil launches local production of drugs to fight obesity and diabetes

    The new development will reduce Brazil's dependence on foreign inputs, Trinidade explained

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Health Minister Nísia Trindade participated last Friday in the opening ceremony of a laboratory in Hortolândia (Sao Paulo State) to produce drugs against diabetes and obesity, including Ozempic's active ingredient, Agência Brasil reported.

  • Saturday, August 24th 2024 - 10:24 UTC

    Life expectancy reaches 76.4 years in Brazil

    Life expectancy had fallen after the Covid-19 pandemic but is slowly growing back

    A study released this week by Brazil’s Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) showed that life expectancy at birth in South America's largest country reached 76.4 years. Those born in 2023 can easily hope to live until the age of 79.7 years in the case of women while men would live until 73.1 years on average, Agencia Brasil reported. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the overall projection stood at 76.2 years.

  • Thursday, August 22nd 2024 - 11:12 UTC

    Sydney Aquarium mourns death of partner of famous 'same-sex' Gentoo penguin couple

    Sea Life Aquarium said Sphen, who was the older partner in the “same-sex” penguin pair, died just shy of turning 12, considered a long life in captivity.

    A penguin which became famous for being in a same-sex male relationship, has died at the age of 11, the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium has announced. “Staff at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium are heartbroken to share the news that Sphen, one-half of the world's most famous and loved gentoo penguin couples, has sadly passed away,” the aquarium said in a statement.

  • Thursday, August 22nd 2024 - 08:46 UTC

    Sailor tests negative for mpox but positive for chickenpox in Argentina

    A diagnosis of mpox cannot be made just out of looks, the WHO admitted

    Authorities in the Argentine province of Santa Fe confirmed Wednesday that the crew member of the INA LOTTE cereal freighter ship with symptoms compatible with monkeypox tested negative for the malady the World Health Organization declared last week to be a PHEIC (public health emergency of international concern). However, the man did have chickenpox.

  • Wednesday, August 21st 2024 - 17:09 UTC

    Brazil eager to develop large-scale production of mpox vax

    The Brazilian vaccine is made up of an attenuated version of a virus similar to the one causing mpox

    Brazil's newly-formed monkeypox emergency committee underlined this week that one of its main goals was to develop a vaccine as one of its leading strategies with which to fight the malady the World Health Organization (WHO) last week deemed a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), Agencia Brasil reported.

  • Wednesday, August 21st 2024 - 10:45 UTC

    Freighter isolated off Argentine port due to suspected mpox case

    he Liberian-flagged INA-LOTTE was isolated pending a decision from sanitary border experts

    A Liberian-flagged cereal freighter was isolated off the Argentine port of San Lorenzo, north of Rosario on the Parana River, after a crewmember was reported to have monkeypox symptoms. The vessel stemmed from Spain.

  • Wednesday, August 21st 2024 - 08:46 UTC

    Mpox not the new Covid-19, WHO official explains

    “Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men,” Kluge pointed out

    Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for Europe, admitted Tuesday that mpox would not lead to a “cycle of panic” and lockdowns like Covid-19 did, despite the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) declaration.

  • Wednesday, August 21st 2024 - 08:12 UTC

    World's oldest person passes away aged 117

    “I have lived longer than I should have and death is an expected visit,” the joyful Branyas once said

    María Branyas Morera, a US-born Spanish woman who was believed to be the world's longest-lived person following the passing of French nun Lucile Randon in January last year, died at the age of 117, her family announced on social media Tuesday. In her X account, she described herself as “very old, but not an idiot.” Branyas was living in a home for the elderly in Olot, Girona. Her family planned a strictly private memorial.

  • Wednesday, August 21st 2024 - 06:59 UTC

    BAS publishes carbon emissions for 2023/24, striving to reach net zero

    Infographic explaining BAS Carbon Emissions

    For the first time, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are publishing their carbon footprint data on their website to increase transparency and help other organizations reduce their carbon emissions.