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By Region: North America

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update

(WHO) WHO has been informed of an additional 18 new laboratory-confirmed cases including three deaths with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in Saudi Arabia. The patients are reported from Hafar Al-Batin, Medina and Riyadh. Their ages ranging from three to 75 years old. These cases were announced by the Ministry of Health in Read More »

September 19, 2013
| Filed under Europe, Middle East, North America, and International
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Commentary: Syria’s Real Threat: Biological Weapons

(TheNationalInterest) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has made the fierce debate on intervention in Syria irrelevant with an apparent gaffe suggesting that in order to avoid a strike, Syrian president Bashar al Assad must simply turn over his chemical weapons within a week. Russia, Syria and the United Nations all jumped on this diplomatic Read More »

September 19, 2013
| Filed under Europe, Middle East, North America, Biological Weapons, and Bioterrorism
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Decreasing human cases of infection by vaccinating cattle against E. coli

(MedicalNewsToday) Vaccinating cattle against the E. coli O157 bacterium could cut the number of human cases of the disease by 85%, according to scientists. The bacteria, which cause severe gastrointestinal illness and even death in humans, are spread by consuming contaminated food and water, or by contact with livestock faeces in the environment. Cattle are Read More »

September 18, 2013
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agriculture, and International
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Bird flu viruses could re-emerge in upcoming flu season

(FAO) FAO has issued a new warning to the international community that the H7N9 and H5N1 avian influenza viruses continue to pose serious threats to human and animal health, especially in view of the upcoming flu season. “The world is more prepared than ever before to respond to bird flu viruses in light of a Read More »

September 16, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, International, and Public Health
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The Survival of Humanity

(ScientificAmerican) An existential catastrophe would obliterate or severely limit the existence of all future humanity. As defined by Nick Bostrom at Oxford University, an existential catastrophe is one which extinguishes Earth-originating intelligent life or permanently destroys a substantial part of its potential. As such it must be considered a harm of unfathomable magnitude, far beyond Read More »