Human monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease that occurs primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa in proximity to tropical rainforests where there is more frequent contact with infected animals. Monkeypox is usually transmitted to humans from rodents, pets, and primates through contact with the animal's blood or through a bite. Source
Bacteria inhabited our planet for more than 4 billion years before humans showed up, and they'll probably outlive us by as many eons more. That suggests they may have something to teach us. New research from Tel Aviv University bacteria expert Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, grounded in the study of bacteria, presents compelling evidence to suggest there may be good reasons why most people should not automatically opt for the swine flu H1N1 shot. Read more
The swine flu vaccination programme will be extended to healthy children, it was announced yesterday. ...it emerged last night that two patients being treated in hospital have developed resistance to the antiviral Tamiflu, which has been used to treat the H1N1 virus. Read more
An increasing number of countries, including some in Asia, are now reporting Tamiflu resistant H1N1 virus. The worrying development, according to WHO, has seen 12 countries including China and Singapore. India has not reported the mutation in the virus so far.
Seeing Life in Viruses We all try to avoid viruses due to the havoc they can wage on our health. Some viruses do more than create temporary discomfort: it is estimated the influenza virus of 1918 killed somewhere between 50 to 100 million people around the world. We might think differently about viruses, however, if we discovered that rather than just being dangerous to life, they could be the basis for life itself.