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Scientists Eradicate Rinderpest Virus; Second in History After Smallpox


The Rinderpest virus is the second virus to have been eliminated by humans, according to a BBC report. tT know more about Rinderpest virus please click on the following link or the above mentioned link i.e.  the word itself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinderpest)

A virus that affected cattle, domestic buffalo, and some species of wildlife, it was quite deadly, causing 80 percent of infected livestock to die. It’s also the first animal virus to be eliminated in the wild.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization called it the “Biggest Achievement of Veterinary History,” reports The Guardian. The first disease that humans eradicated was smallpox.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has 17 “neglected” tropical diseases in its sights.

In a report entitled, “Working to Overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases” are plans to control these tropical diseases by 2015, and possibly eliminate them with the help of pharmaceutical drug donations. (Note: One can click on the following the link or the link above to find the above mentioned report http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/EGUA-8A8LFJ/$file/WHO-NeglectedTropicalDiseases-2010.pdf?openelement)

“The evidence is now overwhelming. Existing interventions, including safe, simple and effective medicines, are having an impact,” said WHO director-general Margaret Chan in a statement. “By expanding coverage, we can actually prevent many of these diseases. This is a first-time opportunity for some very ancient diseases.”

Climate change and other factors have caused diseases like dengue fever to spread to areas that were previously thought to be disease-free. The changing conditions have provided optimal breeding conditions for the mosquitoes to bite in more areas throughout the world. One nation with an answer? Malaysia, which will be the first country in Asia to release genetically modified mosquitoes to combat dengue fever.

(Note: Some of the data and the picture in the above update has been taken from http://www.smartplanet.com)


About Mihir Nagarkar

Mihir Nagarkar
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