Travelers often have a hard time predicting when a food or drink will infect them with typhoid fever. The Salmonella typhi bacteria just needs to get into a some fresh fruit or a glass of water while at a restaurant, and the traveler catches the disease.

Once they’re infected, the real problems can start. The disease can cause mild symptoms like headaches, loss of appetite, and fatigue. In some cases, it progresses to much more dangerous levels, like stomach pains and a high fever. According to the CDC, typhoid fever can “kill up to 30 percent of people who get it” and go untreated.

Those eye-opening numbers make the typhoid vaccine that much more important for travelers.

But, researchers from the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine wanted to know if the vaccine could do more. Does the the immunization help against other diseases?

[Read more…]

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the official name of the South American country, Venezuela. The nation is vast, bordering the Caribbean Ocean, as well as the nations of Brazil, Colombia, and Guyana. Its terrain ranges from the relaxing sandy beaches along the coast, to the treacherous ridges of the Andes Mountains. It even boasts wonders like to the Amazon Jungle and Guiana Highlands.

You wouldn’t know that Venezuela is in such turmoil from looking at its topography and pictures of the glorious scenery.

But, Venezuela’s government is in shambles. The economy has also dwindled to near non-existence. Citizens are now fleeing to neighboring countries in epic numbers, to the tune of over 5,500 people each day.

[Read more…]

There are a few types of influenza and thousands of virus strains, which is why scientists develop the new flu shot each year.

The flu has different carriers too. Flu viruses can spread from animals to humans. This process is referred to as zoonotic transmission and has led to global outbreaks and pandemics. In recent years, you’ve likely heard of those worldwide flu epidemics courtesy of animals. Pigs, chickens and other birds can carry the virus.

And now, bats join the list as animals that might spread the flu.

[Read more…]

A Chinese scientist made headlines this week after announcing that the parasite behind malaria may be a cure for cancer.

We’ve seen studies in the past that show respiratory viruses could be used to fight cancer. Will the plasmodium parasite be next?

According to drug researcher Chen Xiaoping, maybe so.

Chen, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, spoke about the study at a forum in February. He stated that the parasite showed promising results in a trial of 10 cancer patients. The patients were observed within the past year after being injected with a controlled amount of malaria parasites.

[Read more…]

Ever since initial cases were reported in recent weeks, Zombie Deer Virus has gained worldwide attention. Who can be surprised with a virus that sounds like it comes from a horror movie?

Zombie Deer Virus actually has a much more mundane name though: chronic wasting disease. The disease was initially discovered in the 1960s in Colorado.

Why is it Called Zombie Deer Virus?

Zombie Deer Virus is a close cousin to mad cow disease. Although it hasn’t been in the news for a while, mad cow disease caused a similar uproar. It was in international headlines for months and affected cattle throughout Great Britain.

[Read more…]

The WHO recently reported that a man from the Netherlands returned home due to an illness. After returning home, the man found at he had come down with yellow fever.

According to Reuters, the young man traveled to West Africa in mid-November last year. He visited the nations of Gambia and Senegal. They are neighboring countries and are positioned in such a way that Gambia is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. The countries share the north Atlantic Ocean along the shores of West Africa.

For many countries, a yellow fever infection is a dangerous, but fairly regular occurrence. But some countries, like the Netherlands, have almost no experience with the virus.

[Read more…]

There’s much more to pneumonia than meets the eye (or in this case, lung).

Millions of people in the United States come down with atypical pneumonia every year. That doesn’t mean they all have the same experiences with the infection. Each bout with atypical pneumonia may be vastly different depending on the type of bacteria they are infected with.

There are four common types of atypical pneumonia and today we’re here to help you understand them all.

[Read more…]

There are some textbook factors that we imagine cause heart problems in women. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, poor diet choices and many others could cause those issues. Although, it’s still important to study any and all other potential factors for heart problems in women.

One that most people might not consider is HPV.

The human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted disease that affects people worldwide. It’s so common in fact, that according to the CDC, nearly 80 million Americans are infected with the virus.

[Read more…]

Modern transportation makes visiting another country more accessible than ever before. There’s no doubt about it; people love to travel and explore new lands, from the Taj Mahal to the ancient Inca ruins in Peru.

Some have gravitated toward the quiet destinations, like the open lands for an African safari. Others look for a lively city like Paris and Venice. Only a push of a button or click of a mouse from that trip, we’ve truly embraced the freedom of travel.

Going to different places is a great way to experience different cultures, as well as learn about history. Millions of people travel to different countries every year. Many of these nations depend on the income of tourism as part of their economy.

But, some officials realize that the tourist cause additional “wear and tear” on those destinations. The historic sites and old cities, popular for tourists, are seeing the effects of those travelers. As a result, authorities worry that eventually, the sites that have endured for centuries will fall into disrepair.

[Read more…]

When you think of mosquitoes you may just think of them as an annoyance. Come summertime when you’re spending more time outside, the mosquitoes show.

But, the insects are actually one of the deadliest pests on the planet. They spread diseases such as the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria among others. More than one million people are killed by mosquito-borne diseases each year. The worst of those diseases is malaria, which caused 438,000 deaths in just 2015, according to the WHO.

Not every mosquito-borne disease has a vaccine or a way to treat it once contracted.

[Read more…]