Disease

Measles - South Africa

The South Africa National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) reports since the first week in October 2022, 727 confirmed measles cases have been detected. A measles outbreak has now been declared in all the provinces in South Africa except for the Eastern Cape. Members of the public are urged to ensure their children are vaccinated against measles.

Plastic Disease

The first disease linked exclusively to exposure to plastics has been identified by experts from the United Kingdom and Australia, who have called it plasticosis.

Writing in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, they say the disease affects seabirds who have ingested plastic debris, inflaming their digestive systems and breaking down their ability to fight infections and parasites, along with harming their ability to digest food. The study authors say it is possible the new disease is also affecting other species, including humans.