The Zika virus has the potential to reach epidemic proportions - possibly around the globe. Understanding the causes of the outbreak is vital to curbing it. The World Health Organization announced it will convene an Emergency Committee under International Health Regulations on Monday, February 1, concerning the Zika virus ‘explosive’ spread throughout the Americas. As the … [Read more...]
Ebola: What are we waiting for?
The world waited too long to respond to Ebola, which is now devastating parts of West Africa. And every day we continue to wait – for funding to reach the ground, for nurses and doctors to be deployed, for the shattered medical services to be rebuilt – more people die. Nearly 5,000 people have died from Ebola in Africa, which the organization claims is a result of leaders … [Read more...]
Catching ‘cereal killers’ in the quest for safer food
Detecting infected maize early can help prevent contaminated crops from entering the food chain, and also reduce the risk of throat cancer linked to the consumption of infected maize products. In a recent study a specialised camera was used to produce chemical images of maize kernels infected with fungi that pose a threat to human and animal health. Through a process called … [Read more...]
