Disease

Syphilis - Brazil

Health authorities in Brazil are reporting 158,000 cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis syphilis this year, or 75.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is the highest number of cases since 2010.

Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever - Pakistan

The Pakistan Observer reports the 20th fatality due to Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Karachi Monday. Health officials issued a health alert due to CCHF this past July.

Plague - China

Two people in China are being treated for plague, authorities said Tuesday. It's the second time the disease, the same one that caused the Black Death, one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, has been detected in the region -- in May, a Mongolian couple died from bubonic plague after eating the raw kidney of a marmot, a local folk health remedy.

Florida, USA Citrus in Danger

Bacteria is killing the second leading industry in Florida agriculture, specifically, our oranges. Florida’s orange production has been on decline for many years, in fact there are only a handful of citrus farms left in the state. Hurricanes and storms affect orange production, but a small insect, a psyllid, plays a part as well.

The insect originated in Asia and was spotted in South Florida around 2005. Although the insect does not produce the bacteria, it does spread it with ease, starting in the tree’s root and making its way up the leaves. Once infected the oranges are not orange, they are green, hence the name citrus greening. This disease is considered one of the most critical plant diseases in the planet, and there is no turning back once a tree is infected. “Ghost” orange groves in Florida are becoming more numerous as growers simply abandon their trees.