China's Deadliest Infectious Disease is Now AIDS

For the first time last year, AIDS has become the most infectious disease in China. 6,897 of its citizens died within the first nine months of 2008 due to the disease. The Chinese government has improved the reporting of HIV/AIDS statistics and is acknowledging its presence in the country. China has denied that AIDS is a problem in the country for a long time, partly due to the low amount of reported deaths.

In recent years, leaders of China have more open about the disease, offered free treatment for the poor, anonymous testing, and have banned discrimination against people who have the disease. The government of China and UNAIDS estimate that the number of citizens in China living with HIV is estimated at 700,000 and 85,000 of these people have full blown AIDS. About 34,864 people have died from aids since its first reported death in 1985. The main causes of HIV infections are due to sex, drug abuse, unsanitary blood plasma, and tainted transfusions in hospitals.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Causes Deaths

It is reported that a brain-eating amoeba has been causing deaths and health scares. The amoeba gets into the body through the nasal cavity and destroys tissue as it moves toward the brain. You can get it by swimming in lakes, hot springs, and swimming pools. It lives in the bottom of the waters and lives off of algae and bacteria. People can get infected when they wade through the water and stir up the bottom of the water. It has infected and killed 23 people between 1995 and 2004. There have been several hundred cases worldwide since its discovery in 1960.

People that are infected complain about a stiff neck, headaches, and fevers. They soon show signs of brain damage and have hallucinations and changes in behavior. There is a very small chance of surviving and the infected die within two weeks.

A Cat Predicts Patient's Deaths

It is reported that in a Rhode Island nursing home there is a cat that seems to mysteriously know when a patient is going to die. The cat curls up to the patients during their final hours of life. He was observed in 25 cases and his accuracy led the staff to call the patient's family members once he curls up next to the patient. Usually the patient only lives for four hours after that.

The 2-year-old cat was adopted as a small kitten and raised in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses. After about six months, the staff noticed that the cat would make his own rounds, like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients and then sit beside people who would end up dying in a few hours. The doctors say that most of the patients are so ill that they don't even realize he's there.

The nursing home staff are okay with the cat being there because his warnings give families a better chance at saying goodbye to their loved ones.