Chemists and students in science and engineering at Oregon State University have created a new type of chemical test, or assay, that's inexpensive, simple, and can tell whether or not o­ne of the primary drugs being used to treat malaria is genuine - an enormous and deadly problem in the developing world.

The number of suspected and confirmed cases of chikungunya virus in Caribbean countries has risen sharply over past weeks, health officials say. Tens of thousands of new cases have been reported in the Dominican Republic and its neighbour, Haiti. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for the mosquito-born virus which resembles dengue fever and can cause fever, skin rash and joint pain.