■ United States
Fever feared
As if West Nile virus weren't bad enough, now US health officials are on the lookout for another mosquito-borne disease, fearing it could become a permanent part of the US landscape if it entered the country. Rift Valley fever, which originated in Africa, is the only disease at the top of both US human health and agriculture lists of dangerous diseases. The virus can kill people, with nearly a 1 percent mortality rate, making it deadlier than West Nile. But Rift Valley poses a greater threat to cattle and sheep. It kills up to 30 percent of the livestock it infects -- and if it were found in animals in the US, it would probably prompt livestock bans by other countries.
■ United States
Weather monitoring urged
A global observation system is needed to help predict long-term climate patterns which can affect everything from crops in India to hydroelectric power production in Brazil, researchers said. "We don't have a climate observing system, and because we don't have a climate observing system, this problem is very difficult," Ed Sarachik, an atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Washington said Tuesday during a panel discussion on extreme precipitation, such as hurricanes, and weather change over decades. Sarachik spoke at the first international science conference for CLIVAR, a climate variability research program that is part of the World Climate Research Program.
■ United States
Low-carb diets panned
Popular low-carbohydrate diets are leading Americans to poor health and spawning a rip-off industry of low-carb products, some health experts and consumer advocates said on Tuesday. They announced a new group, called the Partnership for Essential Nutrition, to help educate Americans about the need for healthy carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains. "When unproven science becomes a sales pitch, some people get rich and the rest of us get ripped off," Jeffrey Prince of the American Institute for Cancer Research said.
■ United Nations
DR Congo support asked
The UN Security Council urged all Congolese parties and neighboring Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi to work together to support Congo's transitional government and reduce escalating tensions. Congo and Rwanda -- enemies in the devastating 1998-2002 Congo war involving six African nations -- have accused each other of massing troops along their border to prepare for an attack.
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