Also Thursday, authorities in Hong Kong ordered the closure of all elementary schools, kindergartens and day care centers in the city after 12 students were found to be infected with the virus.

CNN: Swine flu 'not stoppable,' World Health Organization says

Almost half of South Africa's mineworkers are said to be infected with the HIV virus.

BBC: Sunday 23/01/2000 BBC 2 19.30hrs

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at anti-virus company Sophos, said the virus had been known about since the end of June and anyone with up to date anti-virus software was unlikely to be infected by it.

BBC: Pokemon virus contained

Those areas seem to have a combination of factors that include the right kinds of virus-carrying mosquitoes and birds, along with large numbers of people who can be infected, Nasci said.

MSN: CDC: West Nile season off to an early start

Twenty-five years ago tomorrow, doctors in Los Angeles first reported cases of what turned out to be the global catastrophe we now know as AIDS. Since then, 55 million people have been infected with the AIDS virus, and it kills around 8, 000 people a day.

NPR: Origin of AIDS Linked to Colonial Practices in Africa