Disease

Zika Virus - Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico announced Friday that it has recorded the first Zika-related U.S. death amid an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. territory.

Officials said the unidentified man recovered from initial Zika symptoms, but then developed a condition in which antibodies that formed in reaction to the Zika infection started attacking blood platelet cells. He died after suffering internal bleeding in less than 24 hours after seeking help at a health centre.

Bovine Disease - India

Outbreak of Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS), an acute, fatal, septicaemic disease of cattle and water buffaloes in the districts of Peren and Dimapur is under control, according to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department. At least 90 % of the disease outbreak among the buffaloes has been brought under control.

The disease had affected six villages under Peren district namely Punglwa, Gaili, Ngwalwa, Heninkunglwa, Dunki-Lamhai and Saijang. An estimate of 314 buffaloes succumbed to the disease within a span of one month.

Farmers in the said areas are fully dependent on the buffaloes for ploughing the rice fields. There more than 1500 buffaloes owned by the six villages. With the outbreak of HS, around 20% of the buffaloes have already died.