Beware Of Zika – Your Guide To Know Everything

The United States health officials have started to sound its alarm bells. The Zika Virus, which till date, was confined to lower and middle South American countries like Brazil, have now begun to travel towards the north. Countries like Argentina and Peru are already on the list of countries showing incidences of the outbreak.

The WHO & the CDC have jointly issued statements regarding the symptoms and preventive measures that have to be employed to contain the Zika Virus. The world was already recovering from the pathetic images that have shown Zika infected babies, with their trademark tiny heads, and most countries were heaving huge sighs of relief as the cases were predominantly reported in Latin American nations. But, this reprieve has now been cut short as health officials warn of an increase in the chances of the illness spreading to other countries across the world, due to several factors like tourism, etc. The scientists at the CDC have also been speculating if the virus has mutated into a more contagious form.

The United States has already warned its citizens about the risks associated with going on trips in South American countries and have issued standard procedures that they will have to keep in mind before and after the visit. Some of the risk nations are Brazil, Costa Rica, Aruba, Argentina, Guatemala, Belize, etc. Even Cape Verde, a popular tourist destination in the African continent is now on the CDC’s list.

The CDC has strongly advised pregnant women to forego their intention to visit these and other places associated with the risk of Zika. It also recommends regular testing of body fluids for the presence of Zika virus, after coming home from holidaying in these countries. It also advises the use of insect repellent to ward off disease-carrying Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, covering your all visible parts of the body and choosing hotels that have insect screens.

Zoo Shoots Gorilla To Save Toddler

This weekend a major tragedy was averted when a 3-year old boy was saved after falling into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Zoo officials were forced to shoot Harambe- an extremely rare gorilla that is only found in the western lowlands that are close to mountains. This was a real shame because the poor creature had only been transferred to this zoo in 2014. Though the name Harambe is an African name which means group effort, the ape himself was born not in the jungles of Africa. Harambe was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas in 1999. The tragic killing comes after Harambe’s 17th birthday was celebrated the previous day.

Most of the blame has been heaped upon the parents of the boy. Many have questioned the level of care and caution that parent visiting the zoo with a toddler should have exercised. Visitors are reported to have heard the hyperactive and extremely unruly child to declare his intention to meet with the gorilla before he apparently fell into the moat surrounding Harambe’s enclosure. Even casual readers have questioned the amount of time and effort it would have taken the child to climb up the main walls that were bordering the gorilla enclosure.

Animal activists have condemned the killing deeming it as an unnecessary act perpetrated by the sheer hasty decisions of the zoo officials in charge of the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. They have petitioned the authorities to order an inquiry as to why a tranquilizer gun was not thought of as the best way to deal with such a grave situation as this. On viewing the video of the whole incident, famous primatologist Jane Goodall said it looked more like the ape was trying to protect the child, and not kill him.

Tamron Hall Misses Her Best Friend Prince

For music lovers all over the world, April 21 was the saddest day of this year. Prince, one of the greatest legends of the music industry, who wowed generations of his audience with his iconic music style and flamboyant and charismatic lifestyle, passed way that day after being found unconscious at his Paisley Park home-studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was only 57 years old- an age even Prince himself would have said was too young to die.

Many celebrities have come out and openly offered their condolences. Recently Tamron Hall of NBC News too came out with her out eulogy for Prince.

She said she would always remember him as one of her greatest friend. Prince, she said, was always an extremely private man and would go to great lengths to assure the privacy of his friends as well. Prince was like an angel in many people’s lives, an angel who brought them miracles even without their knowledge. But, the man was absolutely adamant, she recalls, of keeping such heroic tales private.

Tamron revealed the details of her last communication with her best friend. While sitting at a restaurant, she had heard a song of his being played. As usual she had texted him and he had texted back with, what she says, was his usual cryptic replies. Fighting back her tears, Tamron Hall said she had had no idea that he was ill. He just sounded his usual cheerful self, she said. She said that Prince had always been a great friend to her. The two people she could always count were her own mom and then it was Prince.

Tamron went to say how she felt Prince was not really gone from this world. His music has been so pervasive it would be impossible to truly forget such a legend of music.