The spread of the disease believed to be Chikungunya is now somewhat under control in Addu atoll, the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital has said. A large number of people had become infected with the disease during the start of this month and had to be admitted at the hospital. The Director General of the Hospital Mohamed Saeed said that compared to when the disease had begun to spread it was very much under control now.

Tests have shown that the phenomenon of mass fish deaths that were experienced in many areas of the Maldives during the end of last year was caused by a type of bacteria, the Marine Research Centre (MRC) has said. According to a statement issued by the MRC, the Centre had sent samples to the Australian, American and Italian laboratories and the results of their tests had revealed that a type of bacteria called Streptococcus was the cause.

Tests have shown that the phenomenon of mass fish deaths that were experienced in many areas of the Maldives during the end of last year was caused by a type of bacteria, the Marine Research Centre (MRC) has said. According to a statement issued by the MRC, the Centre had sent samples to the Australian, American and Italian laboratories and the results of their tests had revealed that a type of bacteria called Streptococcus was the cause.

Several cases of what is believed to be the mosquito-borne Chikungunya disease has been reported in Addu atoll, the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital has said.

Altogether 469 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Male', Villimale' and Hulhumale' during the first four months of the year, the Department of Public Health (DPH) has said. The DPH also said that four cases of dengue fever had been reported in Hulhumale so far this week. Earlier the DPH had said that 90 cases of dengue fever had been reported during January this year and that the disease was spreading swiftly.

Tremors resulting from the huge earthquake in China yesterday, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives, were felt all the way here in Maldives, Department of Meteorology has said. Fathmath Fairooza, a Geological Observer at the Department of Meteorology, said that the effects of the 7.82 magnitude earthquake in China 4300km away was felt in Maldives as a tremor of magnitude 3 on the Richter scale. "The effects of the earthquake were felt in Shanghai in China and Bangkok in Thailand also,' she said. "The tremor was recorded by the sensors at Hanimaadhoo.'

New investigations into obesity may identify people with an inherited risk of weight gain, explain why crash diets often fail and address a danger period in childhood that leads to obesity in adult life. Sifting through the genetic codes of 77,000 people, a British-led international team say they have found culprit variants in DNA near a gene already fingered in the molecular ballet that causes obesity. The gene, called MC4R, orchestrates appetite and energy expenditure.

In order to introduce the latest technology to the farmers in the island, a hydroponics system has been installed in the island of Hulhudhoo in Seenu atoll. The project is being carried out by the Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with the Hulhudhoo Island Office and four hydroponics systems have been put together and installed on the island.

A solution for the problem of beach erosion in both Meedhoo and Hulhudhoo islands in Addu atoll was to have breakwaters built around the affected areas as soon as possible, the Island Offices in both islands have said. Reporters who visited the island on Tuesday to see the erosion were shocked at the extent at which beach erosion had affected some regions of the beach. It was also apparent that Meedhoo was the more severe case of erosion.

The task of coming up with a detailed design for the seawall to be built on the eroding eastern shore of Fuvahmulah has been assigned to a group, the Environment Ministry has said. Director Ibrahim Naeem said on Sunday that the seawall project of Fuvahmulah would be conducted in several phases.