Outbreak of deadly flesh-eating Ebola virus has now spread to three countries and already killed more than 70

A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus that has so far killed at least 70 people in Guinea has spread to neighbouring Liberia, the World Health Organisation confirmed on Sunday. In a statement, the WHO confirmed two samples of blood from Liberia tested positive for Ebola - a virus with a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent - and described the African outbreak as a 'rapidly changing situation'. In nearby Sierra Leone a further two recent deaths have been attributed to Ebola.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593035/2-cases-deadly-Ebola-virus-confirmed-Liberia.html

The chapel made from thousands of human BONES: Walls made from skeletons including one of a 'giant' and another riddled with syphilis

-The chapel, built by a local priest, is located in town of Czermna in Poland

-Priest placed skeletons in the walls and ceilings between 1776 and 1804

-Skeletons are of fallen soldiers and civilians killed in the Silesian Wars and the Thirty Years’ War as well as those devastated by plagues and cholera

-They are intended to be a reminder of mortality and human salvation

-On the altar is the skull of the local mayor as well as bullet-ridden skeletons

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2582563/The-chapel-thousands-human-BONES-Walls-skeletons-including-one-giant-riddled-syphilis.html

Father-of-one loses three limbs and half his face to flesh eating bacteria which started as a common cold just FOUR months ago

A young father-of-one who came down with a common cold in November has since lost three limbs and skin from his face after it developed into a horrific flesh-eating bug. Alex Lewis, 34, had to have both of his legs and his left arm amputated after his feet, fingertips, arms, lips, nose and part of his ears turned black. His major organs shut down and the keen golfer, who has a three-year-old boy called Sam, spent a week in a coma as the deadly bacteria wreaked havoc through his body.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2581574/Father-one-loses-three-limbs-half-face-flesh-eating-bacteria-started-common-cold-just-FOUR-months-ago.html

Bill Murray leads the tributes for Ghostbusters co-star Harold Ramis, as he dies age 69

Actor Bill Murray has paid tribute to Harold Ramis following news he has passed away at the age of 69 after a long illness. 

Speaking to Time Magazine Murray, who famously starred with Ramis in Ghostbusters, said: ‘Harold Ramis and I together did the National Lampoon Show together off Broadway, Meatballs, Stripes, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day.

He concluded his tribute to Ramis, who died from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, saying: ‘He earned his keep on this planet. God bless him.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2567355/Bill-Murray-leads-tributes-Ghostbusters-star-Harold-Ramis-dies-age-69.html

19 H7N9 deaths in China

BEIJING - H7N9 bird flu has killed 19 in China this year already, and the total number of human infections has reached 96, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-01/28/content_17261843.htm

20 children dead as season's H1N1 child death toll doubles in one week

-Anywhere from 3,000 to 49,000 people die every year from flu-related illnesses

-20 children have died so far in the U.S. this flu season

-That number has doubled from 10 since last week's report on the number of reported pediatric flu deaths

-The CDC says children and the elderly run the highest risk of death from the virus

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541666/Faces-flu-outbreak-20-children-dead-H1N1-U-S-storm.html

Retired gas fitter strangled his wife and bludgeoned their daughter with a hammer 'after having a bad reaction to cancer drugs'

A retired gas fitter dying from cancer strangled his wife and bludgeoned his daughter with a hammer after reacting badly to cancer treatment, a court heard. Peter Redfern, 70, had lived an exemplary and quiet family life with his wife Jean, 67, and Sarah, 33, at their bungalow home in Wath upon Dearne, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire. But after he was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer he was put on chemotherapy with a combination of drugs including corticosteroids which can lead to 'drug-induced adverse psychiatric events'. His barrister Mark George QC told Sheffield Crown Court: 'He was a man who would never have acted in the way he did had it not been for the reaction of the taking of these powerful drugs.'

Redfern admitted the manslaughter of his wife on the grounds of diminished responsibility and the murder of his daughter on July 22 last year. After killing his wife in the bedroom he lay in wait for his daughter as she came in from work and bludgeoned her to death with a hammer in the kitchen so she could not see her mother’s body. Redfern wept in the dock and held his head down in shame as the facts of the tragedy unfolded. Graham Reeds QC, prosecuting, said Redfern had been diagnosed with incurable cancer and it was recognised that using corticosteroids in a small number of cases could lead to 'drug-induced adverse psychiatric events' of which this was one. Medical experts had concluded that the pensioner fell into the one per cent of the population who would suffer adversely from such treatment and it was likely to have been reponsible for his behaviour on the day.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2539957/Retired-gas-fitter-strangled-wife-bludgeoned-daughter-hammer-having-bad-reaction-cancer-drugs.html

Wife dies 'of a broken heart’ three weeks after her husband succumbed to cancer leaving their three children orphans

A grieving wife died 'from a broken heart' just three weeks after her beloved husband lost his battle with cancer. Devoted Carol West, 54, was devastated when her husband of 30 years Michael was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the oesophagus 18 months ago. She was inconsolable when he died aged 56 in December her health took a turn for the worse.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2536642/Wife-died-broken-heart-three-weeks-husband-succumbed-cancer-leaving-three-children-orphans.html

Throat cancer deaths up 50 per cent in 40 years: Obesity, smoking and drinking blamed for steep rise

Numbers of people dying from oesophageal cancer - cancer of the gullet or food pipe - have risen by almost 50 per cent in the last 40 years according to new figures. Around 7,600 people - 13 in every 100,000 - died from oesophageal cancer in 2011, compared to around 3,800 in 1971 (eight in every 100,000). For men, death rates have jumped by 65 per cent since the 1970s, say figures published today by Cancer Research UK charity. They show a smaller increase for women, going up nine per cent. The rise is linked to the growing number of people developing the disease, with the UK having the highest rate of oesophageal cancer in Europe. About 6.4 out of every 100,000 people develop oesophageal cancer in the UK every year - almost double the European average of 3.3, according to figures released last year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2534416/Throat-cancer-deaths-50-cent-40-years-Obesity-smoking-drinking-blamed-steep-rise.html

Flu pandemic spreads across HALF the U.S., killing at least six children and targeting young adults

Influenza activity has been recorded in all parts of the United States, with half of the country reporting widespread outbreaks attributed to H1N1, the virus that caused a worldwide pandemic in 2009-2010 and resulted in an estimated 284,000 people died. Thousands of people die every year from the flu, which peaks in the United States between October and March, hitting the hardest in January and February. Texas has been the most affected so far, with at least 25 people dying this season from the flu, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, while North Carolina has already reported 13 deaths, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services, and two people have died in Salt Lake City. Nationally six children have died, the latest report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2534136/Nothing-sniff-Flu-pandemic-quickly-spreads-United-States-killing-six-children-dozens-adults.html

Young chemistry whiz Graham Frederick: Young used his 'talents' to kill his stepmother and poison other family members

He seemed to be just an odd kid with a passion for science, but then Graham Frederick Young, 14, used his chemistry set to kill. The first victim was his stepmother, Molly Young, 37. Early in 1961 she began to complain of stomach cramps and pain. Before long, other members of the London family — Fred Young, Graham’s father, and Winifred, 22, his older sister — were suffering similar symptoms. Even after a schoolmate, Christopher Williams, another chemistry enthusiast, took ill, everyone chalked it up to some kind of stomach bug.

At least that was the theory until November, when Winifred became violently ill on the train to work. Doctors discovered that she had somehow taken belladonna, the ancient extract of deadly nightshade that was a favorite method for disposing of people in the Renaissance. Winifred suspected her brother, whose behavior was weird, even more so than the average teenager. He idolized Hitler and wore a swastika to school. He drew pictures of family and friends being hanged or dangling over vats of acid. He reveled in tales of famous poisoners like 19th century serial killer Dr. William Palmer. One of his chemistry experiments blew up the family kitchen.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/kid-pure-poi-son-article-1.1560398

1,000 dolphins dead following epidemic break out

ORLANDO - More than 1,000 migratory bottlenose dolphins have died from a measles-like virus along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard in 2013 and the epidemic shows no sign of abating, a marine biologist said on Monday. The death toll exceeds the 740 dolphins killed during the last big outbreak of the then-unknown virus in 1987-88.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/23/1000-dolphins-dead-following-epidemic-break-out

Wife, 62, died of head injuries after being attacked by dementia-suffering husband who didn't know what he was doing

A woman died after she was attacked by her husband who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, an inquest has heard. Christine Williamson, 62, had repeatedly told authorities that she was being assaulted by her mentally ill husband James. A coroner ruled today that her death could have been prevented if the officials had shared information about the threats that she faced. Doctors said that Mr Williamson 'would not have known what he was doing' when he struck his wife a fatal blow, due to his advanced dementia.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2525229/Wife-died-head-injuries-attacked-dementia-suffering-husband.html

20 people die in a WEEK after bubonic plague hits Madagascan village

The outbreak of bubonic plague has been confirmed in a Madagascan village after at least 20 people died in a week. The deaths occurred in a village near the north-western town of Mandritsara, and today medical experts on the island confirmed the outbreak. Last year, 60 people in Madagascar died from bubonic plague, more than in any other country in the world.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521894/Bubonic-plague-outbreak-confirmed-Madagascan-village.html

Husband killed himself six months after watching his wife die from an overdose because she got Lyme disease from a tick bite

A husband killed himself six months after watching his wife commit suicide because she had caught Lyme disease from a tick bite, an inquest heard today. Lisa Hole, from Oxford, was infected with the serious and debilitating disease after being bitten by a tick while out walking. Her health deteriorated rapidly - leaving her wheelchair-bound and almost entirely dependent on her husband John Mladenovich.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2517602/Husband-killed-Lyme-disease-suffering-wifes-suicide.html

Man kills mistress after she admits to being HIV positive

Larry Dunn admits to police he killed his mistress to get revenge. "I wanted to make her pay," Dunn said in a recorded interview with police according to the Dallas Morning News. "Killing her wasn't on the menu. That's just how it ended up." Dunn, 37, was cheating on his wife with a woman named Cicely Lee Bolden — who in September 2012 told Dunn she was HIV positive. A week later Dunn went to her home in Dallas to exact revenge, but not before having unprotected sex one last time, the Morning News reported from his murder trial this week. As Bolden was lying in her bed, Dunn went to the kitchen and grabbed a steak knife. He then went into the bedroom and stabbed her in the chest, according to a confession the Morning News reported was played at his murder trial this week. "In my mind, I'm already dead," Dunn said in the video. "She killed me, so I killed her."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-kills-hiv-positive-lover-article-1.1504473

Salt water bacteria kills 10 people in Florida, infects 31

The victims contracted vibrio vulnificus after eating raw, tainted shellfish or when the bacteria entered an open wound. Florida officials say that the vibrio bacteria only affects people with compromised immune systems.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/salt-water-bacteria-kills-10-florida-infects-31-article-1.1482964

Two die of Mers virus in Saudi ahead of Hajj

Two more Saudi Arabian citizens have died after contracting the Mers virus, the authorities announced, just days before an estimate two million people are expected to travel to the country for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The two men, aged 78 and 55, had also suffered from other chronic diseases, the Saudi ministry of health said on its website. But their deaths, which take the total number of victims to 58 worldwide, will do little to assuage fears that the huge gathering could increase the spread of the disease. The vast majority of cases of Mers have been in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/10369437/Two-die-of-Mers-virus-in-Saudi-ahead-of-Hajj.html

Chinese villager amputates own leg with fruit knife and saw

A Chinese villager with no medical background reportedly amputated his own leg using nothing but a fruit knife, a hacksaw and a wooden back scratcher after a mysterious infection took hold of one of his limbs and doctors gave him just a month to live. Until last year, Zheng Yanliang, 47 from a village in the northern province of Hebei, was known as the local “tough guy”, according to a report in the Shijiazhuang Daily newspaper. But early one morning in January 2012, Mr Zheng woke at his home in Dongzang to sharp pains in his belly and legs. He headed straight to the local surgery where GPs puzzled over his condition and administered a painkilling injection. Baffled by Mr Zheng’s complaint, they packed him off on a lonely and ultimately futile traipse through China’s chronically underfunded healthcare system, first in the nearby city of Baoding and then in Beijing. In the Chinese capital, hospital doctors diagnosed him with a rare and apparently incurable disease that had taken hold of his lower limbs for “an unknown reason,” the newspaper claimed.

They concluded Mr Zheng would be dead within the month, handed his family a hefty medical bill and sent the now penniless farmer back home to die. Three months on, however, and Mr Zheng was still very much alive albeit unable to sleep and surviving on a diet of prescription drugs. At night his ghoulish howls kept Dongzang awake, the newspaper claimed, and soon his condition deteriorated further: purple spots began to appear on his right leg and the skin turned black. Mr Zheng's impoverished family had no money to pay for surgery and when he implored the village doctor to amputate the limb he was rebuffed. “The doctor dared not do so,” his wife, Shen Zhonghong, told the Shijiazhuang Daily. It was then that a desperate Mr Zheng decided to take his fate, quite literally, into his own hands.

Read on! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10369723/Chinese-villager-amputates-own-leg-with-fruit-knife-and-saw.html

Baby dying of rabies infects dad and brother by biting them

A baby dying of rabies infected his dad and brother after biting them, it has emerged. The youngster contracted the deadly disease during an outbreak which struck 154 other people in the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo. He then spread the virus to his 7-year-old sibling and 27-year-old father after sinking his teeth into their flesh. Both the father and brother recovered after being treated by Doctors Without Borders. But the baby boy died, along with at least 10 others who were also hit by the outbreak. Experts said it is extremely rare for the disease to be spread via humans and that people normally contract it after being bitten by affected dogs.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/baby-dying-rabies-infects-dad-brother-article-1.1480394