Europe’s 14th-Century Plague Origin Traced To Lake In Central Asia
Scientists have unraveled where the historic and devastating plague began: Near a lake in what is now Kyrgyzstan, countering earlier theories of a Chinese origin. Same-sex partnerships in Tokyo, marijuana in Thailand, and more are also global health news.
AP:
Black Death's Ancient Origins Traced To Lake In Central Asia
Scientists in Europe say they have pinpointed the origins of the Black Death, a bacterial plague that wiped out half of the continent’s population in the 14th century. The findings counter other theories that the disease — which caused repeated outbreaks into the early 19th century and also left its mark across the Middle East and North Africa — might have first emerged in China. (6/15)
CNN:
Black Death: DNA Analysis Reveals Source Of Plague
Tombstones in what's now Kyrgyzstan have revealed tantalizing details about the origins of the Black Death, the world's most devastating plague outbreak that is estimated to have killed half of Europe's population in the space of seven years during the Middle Ages. The source of that pandemic has been debated by historians for centuries, but the inscribed tombstones -- some of which referred to a mysterious pestilence -- and genetic material from bodies exhumed from two grave sites that date back to the 13th century have provided some concrete answers to this long-standing question. (Hunt, 6/15)
In other global news —
The Washington Post:
Tokyo Recognizes Same-Sex Partnerships, But Gay Marriage Is Not Yet Legalized In Japan
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday adopted legislation recognizing same-sex partnerships, which will extend some rights that apply to married heterosexual couples but falls short of allowing same-sex unions as legal marriages. (Lee and Inuma, 6/15)
Bloomberg:
Cannabis Legalization: Thailand To Limit Marijuana, Hemp Use After Complaints
Thailand’s government will issue rules to limit marijuana and hemp access to people at least 20 years of age, after the decriminalization of cannabis since June 9 sparked many complaints. Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he will sign the regulations on Thursday to designate marijuana and hemp as controlled plants. Those under the age of 20 won’t be to own and use them unless they have permission from doctors, he said. (Yuvejwattana, 6/16)
Bloomberg:
England To Roll Out Antibiotics From Pfizer, Shionogi To Fight Superbugs
England is rolling out a pair of antibiotics from Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi & Co. as part of a pioneering program aimed at stimulating a broken market and taking on the rising threat of superbugs. Under the deal announced Wednesday by the National Health Service, the drug companies will receive a fixed annual fee for their antibiotics. The payments in the program, the first of its kind, will be as much as £10 million ($12 million) a year for up to 10 years. (Paton, 6/15)
Bloomberg:
UK, Norway To Look At Easing Health Rule Burden For Fish Trade
The UK and Norway agreed that they will work to reduce the burden that may result from the introduction of health certificates for seafood imported into the UK. The UK has warned it will require health certificates for seafood imported from European Economic Area countries, a move that may lead to more administrative work, logistics challenges and increased costs for Norwegian exporters, the Scandinavian country’s fisheries ministry said in a statement. (Treloar, 6/15)
