The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the official name of the South American country, Venezuela. The nation is vast, bordering the Caribbean Ocean, as well as the nations of Brazil, Colombia, and Guyana. Its terrain ranges from the relaxing sandy beaches along the coast, to the treacherous ridges of the Andes Mountains. It even boasts wonders like to the Amazon Jungle and Guiana Highlands.

You wouldn’t know that Venezuela is in such turmoil from looking at its topography and pictures of the glorious scenery.

But, Venezuela’s government is in shambles. The economy has also dwindled to near non-existence. Citizens are now fleeing to neighboring countries in epic numbers, to the tune of over 5,500 people each day.

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There are a few types of influenza and thousands of virus strains, which is why scientists develop the new flu shot each year.

The flu has different carriers too. Flu viruses can spread from animals to humans. This process is referred to as zoonotic transmission and has led to global outbreaks and pandemics. In recent years, you’ve likely heard of those worldwide flu epidemics courtesy of animals. Pigs, chickens and other birds can carry the virus.

And now, bats join the list as animals that might spread the flu.

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A Chinese scientist made headlines this week after announcing that the parasite behind malaria may be a cure for cancer.

We’ve seen studies in the past that show respiratory viruses could be used to fight cancer. Will the plasmodium parasite be next?

According to drug researcher Chen Xiaoping, maybe so.

Chen, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, spoke about the study at a forum in February. He stated that the parasite showed promising results in a trial of 10 cancer patients. The patients were observed within the past year after being injected with a controlled amount of malaria parasites.

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Ever since initial cases were reported in recent weeks, Zombie Deer Virus has gained worldwide attention. Who can be surprised with a virus that sounds like it comes from a horror movie?

Zombie Deer Virus actually has a much more mundane name though: chronic wasting disease. The disease was initially discovered in the 1960s in Colorado.

Why is it Called Zombie Deer Virus?

Zombie Deer Virus is a close cousin to mad cow disease. Although it hasn’t been in the news for a while, mad cow disease caused a similar uproar. It was in international headlines for months and affected cattle throughout Great Britain.

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The WHO recently reported that a man from the Netherlands returned home due to an illness. After returning home, the man found at he had come down with yellow fever.

According to Reuters, the young man traveled to West Africa in mid-November last year. He visited the nations of Gambia and Senegal. They are neighboring countries and are positioned in such a way that Gambia is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. The countries share the north Atlantic Ocean along the shores of West Africa.

For many countries, a yellow fever infection is a dangerous, but fairly regular occurrence. But some countries, like the Netherlands, have almost no experience with the virus.

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