THE CARIBBEAN

The Caribbean region has been warned by a dengue fever alert issued by the Pan American Health Organisation. Although dengue fever is endemic to the region, so far the periodic outbreaks have been caused only by dengue viruses of the 1, 2 and 4 strains. However, experts fear the worst is yet to come, since the fatal dengue virus 3 has been discovered in Nicaragua and Panama. "A serious outbreak of dengue fever in the region could have adverse economic as well as human consequences," warns World Health Organisation epidemiologist Keith Carter. Barbados has been quick

Viral fatigue

A British medical team has found evidence linking chronic fatigue to viral illness (The Lancet, Vol 344, No 8926). Anthony David and his colleagues at the Institute' of Psychiatry, London,

Epidemic resurfaces

MORE THAN 40 people have died of kala-azar and 120-odd people have been infected in Mahottari district of Nepal, close to the Indo-Nepal border, reports Jan Sarma for Panos Features. A shortage of insecticides has made it difficult to keep the virus at bay. In fact, in 1992-93, supplies were only half the required amount. The epidemic may have its roots in lingering infections from the previous summer, say doctors, because the disease is usually not transmitted in winter.

Vaccine to prevent viral infection in hens

INDIAN veterinarians have developed a vaccine against a viral disease, called Ranikhet disease, which causes haemorrhagic diarrhoea in poultry, especially hens. Though about 10 per cent of the infected hens die, farmers find more worrisome the drop of upto 40 per cent in egg production by the infected birds.

Biotech wine

CHEERS! But be warned, the champagne in your glass may actually be a genetically engineered brew. A team of French researchers at a research centre run by champagne manufacturers Moet-Hennessy-Louis Vuitton in Colombes, near Paris, has genetically engineered grapes and implanted their cells with genes that protect them against the notorious grape fan leaf virus (Science, Vol 260, No 5104).

Sponging away pain

THOUGH only about 10 per cent of rainforest plants -- far less diverse than ocean life -- have been screened, these have still yielded a number of anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Research on marine natural products which are far more diverse did not begin until 1973, but according to a report in Nature (Vol 358 No 6387), there has been a flurry of activity since and exciting results are beginning to emerge.