Several cases of bubonic plague have been reported in recent days in China.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed that the situation does not pose a high threat. "At the moment we do not consider this to be a high risk, but we are monitoring  the situation  carefully  , in partnership with the Chinese and Mongolian authorities, said a spokesperson for the WHO, Margaret Harris, at a press conference in Geneva. Several cases of bubonic  plague have been reported in recent days in China. Authorities in the city of Bayannur, located in Inner Mongolia in northern China, have announced an arsenal of measures after the discovery this weekend of a case of bubonic plague. The man, a shepherd, is in stable condition in a hospital in Bayannur, the city health commission said in a statement on Sunday Prohibition to consume animals likely to transmit the plague The commission banned the hunting and consumption of animals that could transmit the plague - especiall...

Image: AEFE Q:What is Coronavirus? A:  Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans.  In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19. Q: Signs and Symptoms of CoVid-19? A:  The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, ...

China - The WHO is to decide on Wednesday whether the new coronavirus discovered in China should be declared a "public health emergency of international concern", a measure which has only been launched five times to date.  The World Health Organization (WHO) was scheduled to meet this Wednesday to determine whether to declare the  new coronavirus, which has killed 17  and infected hundreds of people in China, "a public health emergency of international concern" (PHEICs).  WHO has so far used this qualification, introduced after SARS (2003) only relatively rarely, for the most serious epidemics.  Point.  What criteria, what measures? According to the WHO definition, a public health emergency of international concern corresponds to "an extraordinary event which has been determined to constitute a risk to public health in other States due to the risk of international spread of disease and that it may require coordinated international action ...

HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - A mysterious pneumonia outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in China has prompted airports in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan to introduce fever screening, as scientists search for the infectious source. From Friday (Jan 3) evening, temperature screening will be implemented at Changi Airport for all travellers arriving from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, Singapore's Ministry of Health said. In Hong Kong, thermal imaging systems will be deployed as part of increased fever surveillance at boundary checkpoints, authorities said. Taiwan has implemented similar measures, its Centre for Disease Control said Tuesday. Several clinics and hospitals in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, received patients suffering from pneumonia, officials announced on New Year's Eve. Twenty-seven people associated with a fresh seafood and produce market fell ill with symptoms, including fever and shortness of breath. Seven were in serious condition a...

Nigeria - Zobo (hibiscus) and kunu drinks mean different things to many Nigerians depending on where they belong in the social strata in the society. While the rich may consume the popular drinks for pleasure or because of their natural medical benefits, they serve as alternatives to expensive meals for poor Nigerians - most of whom survive on less than a dollar per day. This report follows an alarm raised by a concerned Nigerian, Vivian Nuhu who narrated her experience to Vanguard about an incident she witnessed when she paid a visit to a sick friend in one of Nigeria's hospitals. Ms. Nuhu told Vanguard how she had visited a friend (name withheld) with tuberculosis to sympathize with him when he handed her a plastic bottle filled with bodily fluid which apparently was a mixture of saliva and blood to dispose off at the hospital's dumpsite. She said, after she had disposed of the bottle, to her amazement, as she turned around to go back to the ward where her s...