Concern over many deformed babies in Eastern Cape, South Africa

There is much concern in the Eastern Cape in South Africa as to why so many babies have been born with deformities in the province.

The Eastern Cape Health Department is calling for more research into the shocking number of deformed babies, with 50 deformities reported in the last two years.

Eastern Cape spokesman, Sizwe Kupelo said, “We are counting 50 deformities within a period of two years. We don’t have a documented cause.”

In the most recent example of deformed infants, a baby girl was born at the Dr Malizo Mphehle district hospital in Tsolo, near Mthatha last Saturday.

Kupelo says, “She was born with a small penis on the forehead and one eye on the forehead. She was born with no nose and where there are supposed to be eyes there was nothing – skin covered the area.” ... read more.

Gulf of Mexico coast closed to shrimping

Two years after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, shrimp and fish are turning up deformed and with lesions. Shrimping has now been stopped.

WEAR TV had originally reported that the stoppage of shrimping was due to the deformities found in the fish caused by the oil spill and chemicals used to clean up the oil. Now they have withdrawn their original story stating:

"The closure is in response to routine shrimp sampling that indicated the average size were smaller than 68 head-on shrimp per pound. Meaning biologists found smaller than average shrimp in the waters causing the temporary closure. They will continue to take samples in these areas and determine any modifications to the closures." ... read full article.