Antibiotics were once the wonder drug. Now, however, an increasing number of highly resistant — and deadly — bacteria are spreading around the world. The killer bugs often originate in factory farms, where animals are treated whether they are sick or not. By SPIEGEL Staff The pathogens thrive in warm, moist environments. They feel comfortable in […]
Tag Archives | disease
Chaos in the Doctor’s Office: Panic in Germany as Swine Flu Spreads
Fear of swine flu is running rampant in Germany as the number of reported cases — and deaths — continues to grow. Doctors’ offices are inundated by people wanting to get the vaccine, which is in short supply. But health professionals are divided over how dangerous the virus really is. Death from swine flu comes […]
Germany’s Mystery Cow Disease: ‘Holy Mary, Help Us in Our Hour of Need!’
A mysterious illness is causing calves to bleed to death on German farms. Veterinarians are stumped over what is causing the deaths: vaccines, genetically modified feed or perhaps even the first mother’s milk? What can a cattle farmer do when he sees blood running from his calves like water, when they become lethargic and febrile […]
‘Little Princess’ and the Bird Flu Mysteries: Tracking the Spread of Avian Influenza
When bird flu reached Turkey, experts thought it was carried from Russia by migrating geese or ducks. So when wild birds migrate to Germany this spring, will they bring the disease with them? Not necessarily, say scientists. Michael Kaatz, who works for a stork reserve in the eastern German city of Loburg, can see the headlines now: “Little Princess Brings Bird […]
Mad Cow Disease: British Pair Believe Cows got Sick By Eating Human Corpses
Did humans transmit Mad Cow Disease, or BSE, to cows? According to a new theory, diseased human body parts from India may have been fed to British cows. In traditional Hindu culture, after a person dies, the body gets ritually bathed, the corpse gets burned on a pyre and the head of the dead person […]