Britain: Officials not sure why West Nile virus on the rise

As the number of those infected with West Nile virus in Nassau and Suffolk hits record highs, health officials say the reason remains somewhat of a mystery. Some theories, however, point to dry weather and the vulnerability of birds, the disease's host, experts said. "We can't say exactly why this is happening," Suffolk Health Commissioner James Tomarken said Friday.


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DW: An aggressive mosquito is spreading in Switzerland and Germany capable of spreading West Nile Virus

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An aggressive mosquito is spreading in Switzerland and Germany capable of spreading West Nile Virus - by Andreas Illmer

Swiss scientists say a mosquito capable of spreading the deadly West Nile virus has been detected in central Europe for the first time. Researchers at Zurich University say the Asian rock pool mosquito, aedes japonicus, has colonized an area of more than 1,400 square kilometers in central and northern Switzerland and parts of southern Germany. A parasite carried by the mosquito is responsible for West Nile virus, which can infect humans and farm animals with encephalitis, an acute inflammation of the brain that can be fatal.

Bloomberg: Opel Workers to Fight to End GM Control, Schild Says

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Opel workers plan to pressure General Motors Co. into accepting an offer to sell a majority stake to a group led by Canada’s Magna International Inc., a labor representative on the unit’s supervisory board said. “The parent needs to understand that there’s no going back,” Armin Schild, an official with the IG Metall union, said today in an e-mail. “Neither the continuation of the waiting game aimed at the unit’s insolvency nor a return to ‘un-independence’ will be accepted without opposition.” GM’s advisers are recommending that the board consider spurning a German-government backed sale of Opel in order to retain a bigger presence in Europe and Russia, a person familiar with the discussions said. The advisers suggest GM seek aid from other European countries to retain ownership of the division as an alternative to surrendering control, the person said. GM’s new board, dominated by members appointed after the Obama administration forced the company into bankruptcy, is questioning the decision made by previous directors to give up control of Opel.