Allergies like dermatitis, hay fever and asthma have been linked by German scientists to a gene found in 8 percent of Europeans.

The study, released Wednesday, said the lack of the protein filaggrin is the reason behind skin allergies. It was based on observations by the Munich Helmholtz Center and the Technical University of Munich of 3,000 Munich school children

There is a prevalence of parasitic diseases among poor urban families in the U.S., according to Dr. Peter Hotez of the George Washington University. Other ailments like dengue fever and Chagas disease associated with developing nations may also become more common in America due to climate changes.

While these ailments do not claim lives, they negatively affect the development of a child, his intellectual development, hearing and could cause heart disease. As the malady affects poor people, it perpetuates their state of poverty since the infections could last for years or lifetimes

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will donate over $68.2 million to fight tropical diseases in the Third World.

The money will come in four grants, aimed at fighting hookworm, leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis in Africa, Asia and Latin America