Spring rains have brought disastrous flooding to the countries of Kenya and Somalia.

Rivers have overflowed their banks, and many small towns and villages have been wiped out. The flooding has also destroyed farmer’s crops, leaving the farmers and their families with nothing to come back to.

Even before the severe floods, local farmers dealt with difficult living conditions. Now, in the face of a natural disaster, the farmers cannot afford to simply “rebuild” those crops. Unfortunately, over 475,000 people are in makeshift shelters in refugee camps, and more than 100 have died as a result.

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Buruli ulcers have been reported across the globe in over 30 countries.

What do these dozens of countries have in common? They’re all home to tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates. Of those many countries, most of the reported cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa. But, it’s not Africa that has a long history with Buruli ulcers. From scientists to the local government, Australia has been dealing with this disease for years.

According to the WHO, the disease belongs to the same family of bacteria that causes tuberculosis and leprosy. The bacteria typically affects a person’s legs or arms. Caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, cases of Buruli ulcers are reaching an epidemic level in Australia right now.

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The recent E. coli outbreak, which recently spread across the United States, has brought up a lot of questions, both about this specific incident and others like it.

How many people are affected?

As of May 2, 2018, over 100 people are reported sick with the current total standing at 121. There has been one death and 52 hospitalizations so far.

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It’s pretty likely that you know a person with a peanut allergy.

About .5 to 1 percent of people are allergic to the food, making it one of the most common food allergies. To make things worse, those numbers appear to be growing. The number of individuals who are allergic to peanuts is increasing, especially in recent years. While it’s unfortunate that these people miss out on a beloved food, the allergy can be quite dangerous too. Peanuts and related products create one of the most severe reactions for food allergies.

Thankfully, research for a peanut allergy vaccine is underway.

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Nearly 2.8 million people from yellow fever endemic countries flew to the United States in 2016. Such a large amount of foreign visitors can create an issue if there’s no requirement for yellow fever vaccine certificates.

Many cities in the U.S. are now realizing this problem could be the source of future yellow fever outbreaks.

The mosquito-borne illness is normally found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America. The virus only reaches U.S. travelers in extremely rare cases. Out of roughly 200,000 yellow fever cases per year worldwide, 90 percent are in Africa.

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Venezuela is currently in the middle of a tremendous malaria crisis with case amounts five times higher than they were in 2013.

Numbers have been growing rapidly over the years. In 2017, the country had approximately 406,000 cases of malaria, which is up almost 70 percent from 2016. That year alone had a rise of approximately 76 percent of cases from 2015.

The spike’s cause cannot be traced to one sole factor, though officials cite falling malaria education and prevention efforts as a primary force.

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The severity of the recent flu season wasn’t lost on officials trying to stop the virus.

“We need to make the universal flu vaccine a higher priority than it has been,” said Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Fauci revealed this when speaking to The Scientist in January.

Why is the influenza virus so difficult to combat, and why do we need to change the vaccination every year?

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With the seasons changing, many people are dealing with their uncomfortable seasonal allergies. Common triggers for seasonal allergies include pollen, mold, dust and plants.

And with those annoying air particles comes the even worse symptoms. Allergies can cause disruptive symptoms such as a sore throat, inflamed sinuses and sneezing, which can ruin a vacation.

The stress of having seasonal allergies can rise when you’re traveling and unsure how they will affect your trip. If you struggle with pollen or other natural allergies that are more prevalent during certain seasons, here are some steps you can take to assure your vacation won’t be overshadowed by them:

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Since late summer 2016, hepatitis A has had an increased presence across the United States.

While San Diego’s hepatitis A outbreak caused headlines in 2017, the disease isn’t just contained to Southern California. So far in 2018, seven states reported cases of the food and water-borne disease. Among those states, Utah, Michigan and Kentucky reported the most cases.

Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the liver and causes jaundice. Once infected, the disease can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. It is extremely contagious and usually spread through unsanitary food and water. On rare occasions, hepatitis A can spread by sharing needles with an infected individual.

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Since the wet season began in late 2017, Malawi has seen a severe spike in cholera cases.

The Ministry of Health reported that the disease has caused 30 deaths and almost 900 cases this year throughout the African country.

Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe, is currently being hit the hardest by the outbreak. Cholera spread to 352 people in Lilongwe and caused 18 deaths, as of April 12.

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