Developing countries are the most ravaged, and just six illnesses are by far the main killers. Not only can killer infections spread globally with a simple airplane ride, but developing countries won't grow economically unless their citizens are healthy. College freshmen have higher risks for meningitis infection . College freshmen, especially those who live in dormitories, face a higher risk of a potentially fatal bacterial infection than others in their age group, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates. As CDC and college health officials conduct further research to look for the reasons, they recommend students consider getting vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis.
Some terrestrial bacteria can grow in simulated Martian environment .
Kral said he and a colleague, Curtis Bekkum, created an environment in culture dishes that closely mimics the environment of Mars. The dishes contained no oxygen, but were bathed in carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases. The soil in the experiment resembles what is known about Martian dirt, with no organic nutrients. Four New Mexicans have died this year of hantavirus and experts are worried this could be the beginning of an especially bad year for the mouse-borne disease. In all of last year, the state had a total of six cases, compared with two cases in 1997 and one in 1996.