Brown bat comeback
There has been a rise in the number of little brown bats in caves around Albany, New York, where the deadly white-nose syndrome was first identified. The increase is too large to be explained by reproduction, and probably reflects consolidation of a thinning population, says Ann Froschauer at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. But some bats have survived the infection, which has killed around 6 million of the species.
Faulty filler
“Lunchtime boob jobs” that involve injection of a filler called Macrolane will be discontinued in the UK this week. Macrolane’s manufacturer Q-Med said the fillers can interfere with . Some surgeons have raised concerns that such procedures may also .
Albino killer
An adult white killer whale (Orcinus orca) has been spotted off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia. The discovery comes as a surprise because albino whales often die young. The whale, nicknamed Iceberg, appears healthy.
One in the eye for NHS
Legal action by Novartis may force the UK National ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ Service to treat an eye condition with a drug that is 12 times more expensive than an alternative. The pharma company claims Lucentis is the only drug officially recommended in the UK for treating wet age-related macular degeneration, and wants doctors to stop offering cancer drug Avastin as an “off-label” alternative.
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Measles victory
Measles deaths worldwide fell by 74 per cent in the decade to 2010, according to data from the World ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ Organization. Sub-Saharan Africa showed the biggest drop, but Africa and India still comprised the majority of measles deaths in 2010 (, ).
