The Calgary locals knows what to expect come July.
For a week and a half, the city will transform. The cowboy culture comes alive and takes over the massive city. During this time, Calgary is filled to the brim with white cowboy hats.
That’s because the Calgary Stampede is without question the city’s biggest annual event. A mix of rodeo, state fair and block party, almost 1.5 million people come to the Stampede every year.
Diseases sometimes take time before wreaking havoc in humans.
They start off as tiny, mostly harmless germs. But, those germs start to grow and get stronger, looking for some creature to latch onto and cause damage.
Usually those infected creature are animals. Infecting pigs, rodents, insects and other creatures, a virus becomes stronger and harder to eliminate.
There was a warning sign for Brazil’s current yellow fever epidemic. That red flag could be found in the Amazon rainforest, where primates were dropping like flies.
Capuchins, marmosets and howler monkeys either came down with yellow fever or saw their numbers shrink.
The most alarming of these deaths: howler monkeys.
These primates earn that name. Howlers are the loudest of all monkeys, with a wail that can be heard miles away. The monkeys use their howl to warn other primates that they own an area. The whole species joins in this yell, usually doing so every day at dawn and dusk.
But, what happens when howler monkeys don’t make that noise?
Hawaii is a special breed of island tropic.
The eight different islands making up the state are filled with volcanoes, beaches and places to explore. Still, the Aloha State is far different than the Caribbean islands.
Hawaii boasts an area that’s full of volcanoes and is perfect for surfing. The Caribbean draws people in with a lively atmosphere and the music to match.
A part of the United States, Hawaii shares a lot of the same customs and American values. But, there’s no denying that the islands have their own loose feel that’s impossible to find on the mainland.
The name rVSV-ZEBOV may not mean much at the moment, but those letters could be lifesaving in a few months.
That’s because the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine is the world’s first for Ebola. The immunization proved 100 percent effective in testing and could be licensed for sale by the end of this year.
Many are excited about this breakthrough. The prospect of eradicating Ebola is a dream come true, especially after the worldwide outbreak in 2014.
But, it might be too early to start planning your end-of-Ebola party. In fact, current plans and critics of the vaccine show that it might not spell an immediate end for the virus.
Just before the calendar flipped to 2017, the world was gifted a breakthrough in virus-prevention.
Ebola virus, the worldwide outbreak from years ago, had a vaccine. And not just any vaccine, but one that was 100 percent effective in trial testing.
For many, Ebola may seem like old news.
The virus dominated the news cycle in 2014. An Ebola outbreak in western Africa spread to North America and Europe. The virus had spread throughout Africa for decades. But until 2014, had never made it’s way to the other continents. With every new case in the regions, Ebola-panic grew.
Canada is in the midst of an unprecedented mumps outbreak in 2017, as the number of infected in some regions has already surpassed expected cases for the whole year.
Clusters of mumps cases have been reported throughout areas of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. The outbreak appears to be hitting Manitoba worse than any other region, with 176 confirmed cases of mumps in the territory since Sept. 1.
The disease has been making a steady comeback over the last few years. With occasional surges in various areas, doctors expected outbreaks to stop due to public awareness and vaccines. But, cases of the disease are continuing to rise in Canada.
There are an average of four mumps cases per year in Toronto. City officials have reported 17 new cases of the disease since January. All of those infected are between the ages of 18-35 and most don’t have updated vaccination records.
When the world is short on a vaccine, there’s quite a few obstacles to overcome before solving that issue.
It’s not like a food shortage where you can grow more or a drought for blood banks that can campaign for more donors.
Very few companies in the world manufacture vaccines. Even if the process is cheap, companies may not produce the vaccine fast enough to combat an outbreak.
That nightmare scenario almost became a reality for Asia in 2016.
It was a simple pneumonia diagnosis.
While pneumonia is a serious illness, and it’s difficult to call any sign of it simple, this case seemed routine.
The man was sneezing, coughing and wheezing. He showed all the signs that would come with a 68-year-old suffering from pneumonia. The symptoms presented like an extreme cold or other respiratory virus.
But, this 68-year-old man did not have pneumonia.
The man contracted Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Unknowingly, he had started South Korea’s MERS outbreak of 2015.
It happens every year during peak flu season.
Many of your coworkers, friends or family members are battling the contagious virus.
You feel fine, showing no symptoms of the virus despite spending time with people that are sneezing and feverish. But, even though you don’t show any signs of the flu, it’s naive to think you escaped the virus.
As is the case for many people, you may be infected with the flu and just not know it. There could be some mild symptoms or even none at all.
But, despite never actually dealing with the illness, you are still contagious. Day-to-day you are unaware that you’re a carrier and take no precautions to stop its spread.
