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Not Influenza but Close news April 2010 to ...

by: Bronco Bill

Mon Apr 19, 2010 at 15:51:46 PM EDT


This diary is for news of non-influenza-related outbreaks/disasters found around the world.

New diary can be found here

The previous "Not Influenza" diary is located here
Bronco Bill :: Not Influenza but Close news April 2010 to ...
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Not Influenza but Close news April 2010 to ... | 155 comments
Blue ear disease strikes Vietnam's N city
Blue ear disease struck Vietnam's northern city of Hai Phong with 2,060 infected pigs, said a report of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Tuesday.
[snip]
In another development, blue ear disease continues to occur in two communes of northern province of Hung Yen during the past two days, making 89 pigs become ill.

At present, the disease is happening in the north of Vietnam, affecting five provinces and one municipality including Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong, said the report.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...
(Sorry, I meant to put this story here, but I was at the other one checking to see if it had been posted already and....oops.)  

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Potentially deadly fungus spreading in US, Canada
http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - A potentially deadly strain of fungus is spreading among animals and people in the northwestern United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia, researchers reported on Thursday.

The airborne fungus, called Cryptococcus gattii, usually only infects transplant and AIDS patients and people with otherwise compromised immune systems, but the new strain is genetically different, the researchers said.

[snip]

The new strain appears to be unusually deadly, with a mortality rate of about 25 percent among the 21 U.S. cases analyzed, they said.


Fungal Infection Spreading
April 23, 2010
http://www.npr.org/templates/s...
A rare and dangerous fungal infection named Cryptococcus gattii has been quietly spreading from British Columbia southward to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. And it's changing as it goes.  Researchers have discovered that a unique strain of the bug has emerged recently in Oregon and already spread widely there, sickening humans and animals.  So far, over the past 11 years there have been about 220 cases reported in British Columbia. Since 2004, doctors in Washington and Oregon have reported about 50 cases. Among the total 270 cases, 40 people have died from overwhelming infections of the lungs and brain.

Public health officials aren't calling it a public health emergency. The fungus can't be spread from person to person, and there doesn't seem to be any prospect of an explosive epidemic. But they do want doctors to be on the lookout for cases, because early diagnosis and proper treatment is vital to prevent deaths.   The most striking thing about this fungus is that it's popping up and establishing itself far afield from its usual range -- possibly because of climate change.

"The disease was almost exclusively seen in tropical and subtropical areas of the world," says Dr. Julie Harris, a specialist in fungal diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The hot spots were Australia and Papua New Guinea, along with Egypt and parts of South America.
(more)

"I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man."  Thomas Jefferson

Outbreak of polio
ProMED: The following information has been sent by our health specialists from Tajikistan:

(Snip) 120 cases [have been] detected in Khatlon, Dushanbe, and the [Region] of Republican Subordination. 7 confirmed [cases] with the "wild" PV1 virus. 11 deaths (including 2 adults). WHO is conducting the investigation of the outbreak and one CDC representative is also coming for this reason soon.

There is a WHO plan to vaccinate children under 5 starting from May [2010]. Cases have also been detected in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan."

Excerpt:

As of 21 Apr 2010, 120 cases of acute flaccid paralysis had been reported from Tajikistan. The majority of these have onset of paralysis within the past 2 weeks, prompting the Government to notify WHO of an outbreak. 10 of the children have died. The vast majority of the cases are children less than 5 years of age.
Preliminary data suggests more than 45 per cent had 4
or more doses of oral polio vaccine [OPV].
Full report:  http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

CIDRAP: Tajikistan polio outbreak, virulent fungus, Salmonella in raw tuna
Excerpt:  

WHO warns of polio outbreak in Tajikistan
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that wild poliovirus type 1 has been detected in patients in Tajikistan who had acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), representing the first importation of the virus into the WHO European Region (which includes much of Asia) since it was declared polio-free in 2002.

Excerpt:

Oregon hit with virulent fungus
A strain of Cryptococcus gattii fungus has caused deaths in otherwise healthy people in Oregon and may be on the verge of entering northern California, a group from Duke University reported in PloS Pathogens. The fungus, typically found only in immunocompromised persons, is airborne and far more virulent than the more common Cryptococcus neoformans. Mortality rate in 21 recent cases of the novel Oregon virus, termed C gattii VGIIc, has been about 25%.

Full report here: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Meningitis kills 718 in Burkina Faso
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - A strain of meningitis that has rarely caused big outbreaks in Africa has killed more than 700 people in Burkina Faso this year. (Snip) the strain, called X, killed 718 people out of 5,118 cases in the West African country since January.

(Snip) Bouda says there is no vaccine for the strain but patients can be cured by antibiotics. Those affected by X have the same symptoms as other strains: sudden fever, headaches, and vomiting. http://www.google.com/hostedne...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Outbreak Of Paralysis Points To Polio's Return
Polio is clawing its way back, after decades of work had pushed the disease to the brink of eradication. The World Health Organization says Tajikistan, a Central Asian nation which shares its southern border with Afghanistan, has reported 120 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, most of which occurred within the past two weeks. Many things can cause acute paralysis, but poliovirus has been confirmed in some of these cases, so the WHO says the Tajik outbreak represents a reintroduction of polio to the group's European region. Tajikistan hadn't recorded a polio case for the past 19 years.
(Snip)
"People working on polio eradication don't see this as a derailing," Bari says. "It's more of a wakeup call." A series of Tajikistan-like setbacks over the past year has awakened WHO. This week, Bari says, the polio eradication program will finalize a new strategy that acknowledges vaccination won't be enough to get the job done. It'll take a parallel push to improve sanitation and upgrade health infrastructure.

Otherwise, the new thinking goes, we'll see an endless string of Tajikistan-type reintroductions from the handful of countries -- prominently Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nigeria -- where the virus remains rooted. Last summer there was a rash of reintroductions in Africa -- in Uganda, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Mali. "There's no way to sugar-coat the last 12 months," (Snip)

One statistic in the WHO's Tajikistan bulletin illustrates the problem. Nearly half of the newly infected children there had had four or more doses of polio vaccine. Bari says in some parts of the world, it can take as many as a dozen doses of polio vaccine to protect a child against infection. Continued: http://www.npr.org/blogs/healt...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

China: Fight to prevent plague outbreak
YUSHU, Qinghai - The Ministry of Health has called for measures stepped up to be in the earthquake zone in Northwest China's Qinghai province to prevent an outbreak of marmot plague after Himalayan marmots were detected in the area. The marmots were found in the Horse Racing Ground, a temporary settlement for quake survivors in Gyegu township of the Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai, (Snip)

So far no outbreak of major epidemics, including the plague, has been reported, but epidemiological experts said the challenges in averting and controlling an outbreak of marmot plague in the quake-hit area were considerable. The marmots, a type of ground squirrel indigenous to the region, have woken from hibernation, increasing the possibility of an outbreak of the fatal disease among quake survivors, (Snip)

The plague is particularly virulent because it can be passed to other people via coughing. If left untreated, mortality rates range from 50 to 90 percent, according to the World Health Organization.

The ministry has been closely monitoring marmots' activities in a 600-hectare area in the quake zone, which has a record of plague outbreaks. In the past five decades, Yushu has seen 20 outbreaks of human-to-human transmission of plague, the latest in 2004 claiming six lives, (Snip)

To help raise public awareness, China CDC has so far delivered 80,000 bilingual disease prevention brochures in Chinese and Tibetan, and 10,000 plague prevention leaflets to the quake zone, with more on the way. More than 3,000 people, including medical experts and monks, were trained on how to control and prevent marmot plague. "It's necessary, as lots of quake relief workers were dispatched from non-plague areas, so they must be quickly familiarized with the disease for the sake of early detection," (Snip) Some locals also hunt marmots for fur and meat. "They must be warned against that," he said.

"Those developing symptoms of fever, coughing or swelling glands need to be scanned for plague," he said. Ni also warned of other epidemic hazards in the quake zone, like rabies. Continued: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/c...

(Note: I am more concerned there will be an outbreak of H5N1 or SARS and that the Chinese government will use marmot plague to cover it up. They would much rather admit to a plague outbreak than to an outbreak of bird flu or SARS.)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

US - Mexico: Food safety agreement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced the signing of a procedural agreement with Mexico's National Service of Health, Food Safety, and Agro-Alimentary Quality (SENASICA).[snip]
The document has been a collaborative effort between the governments of Mexico and the U.S., and represents a new level of interaction and cooperation between FSIS and SENASICA.

"FSIS has been working diligently with SENASICA on this agreement to improve how we work together," said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. "Through the cooperation of SENASICA, we can jointly continue to enhance our efforts in ensuring food safety and protecting public health."

The ceremony brought senior representatives from SENASICA to Washington, D.C. to sign the document, "Terms of Reference for the Operational Relationship of the Mexican National Service of Health, Food Safety, and Agro-Alimentary Quality and the United States Food Safety and Inspection Service in the Trade in Meat, Poultry and Egg Products Between the United Mexican States and The United States of America" with FSIS officials.[snip]

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

India: Infant dies, seven others fall ill after consuming polio drops in Surat
Surat: In a shocking incident, a two-month-old girl died, while seven other children were reported sick within 48 hours of consuming polio drops in Surat. The vaccine was administered by health workers of Surat Municipal Corporation at a vaccination drive. While parents blame the civic body for using out-of-date vaccines, civic authorities claim they were perfect.

Khusbhu Limbachia, a resident of Sriram society at Amroli caught high fever and throat infection, after being given the polio drops. She was rushed to a private clinic and later to new civil hospital, where she died after a brief treatment. (Snip) Within 24 hours of having the drops, Khusbhu developed health related problems. "After giving drops, health workers gave us tablets and asked us to give them to Khusbhu if she catches fever. We gave her the specified dose, but her condition worsened on Friday morning. (Snip)

(Snip) seven more children in the society developed complications - fever and headache after consuming the drops. Civic officials however deny that drops administered were past expiry date. Hemant Desai, deputy municipal commissioner (health and hospitals) of SMC said that entire batch of drops were distributed by state government. If they were substandard, many more children would have died due to it. "It seems that Khusbhu did not receive primary treatment, when needed. One case in 10 lakh cases arrives, where a child dies after consuming polio drops. We are waiting for post-mortem reports and if something wrong is found, appropriate action will be taken in due course," (Snip) http://www.dnaindia.com/india/...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Iceland: Flu Disrupts Horse Shows
A cough is spreading among horses in Iceland, causing delays to the preparation of the national horse tournament this summer. Veterinarian Sigrídur Björnsdóttir urges riders to let their horses rest while they are ill and not take them to shows or competitions.

The disease hasn't been analyzed yet but Björnsdóttir said it appears to be a new virus infection which hasn't been detected in Iceland before and horses therefore don't have much resistance to it. Bacterial infections often follow, which can lead to fever and mucus, Morgunbladid reports.
[snip]

http://www.icelandreview.com/i...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Iraq: Hemorrhagic fever deaths after eating contaminated meat
Dr Salah al-Din told the Voices of Iraq Agency that 4 people "had died in the past 2 days after contracting a haemorrhagic fever that has spread in Mosul", indicating that a virus had been contracted from contaminated red meat slaughtered in an unhealthy way. He reported that the Mosul Health Department "had closed a number of shops selling meat in the Jerusalem district (Mosul east), the area where the victims resided which had sold meat slaughtered in an unhealthy way".
He stated that the Health Department "had sprayed the butcher's shop and the homes of the victims with pesticide [disinfectant?]." [It was announced that] the burial of the dead with the disease "should be deep enough underground for fear of transmission of the virus".
The people of Mosul were warned only "to purchase red meat from licensed premises and to avoid purchasing meat from street vendors for their own safety." (Snip)

****************************************
Wed 5 May 2010 Source: Alesbuyia machine translation, abbrev. & edited  http://www.alesbuyia.com/inp/v...

A total of 4 people have died and another 3 are under observation in the Al-Salam Hospital in Mosul, suspected to have contracted a viral haemorrhagic fever. An employee of a hospital [stated] that 7 patients suffering from a viral haemorrhagic fever had been admitted to the emergency department of the hospital on 29 Apr 2010. The employee said that 4 of these 7 affected people had died in hospital and the 3 others remained in isolation. The employee explained that the hospital administration had closed the emergency department of the hospital for 3 days and only reopened it after thorough disinfection. The source added that all the victims had purchased meat from a private butcher who had not slaughtered animals in an abattoir inspected by the Health Department [perhaps "had slaughtered animals in an abattoir not inspected..." - Mod.SH]. The source stated that the patients exhibit symptoms compatible with viral haemorrhagic fever, with extensive bleeding that resulted in death within 36 hours of exposure.  http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Pro-Med Mail has exactly the same details, with more on possible causes.
[Viral haemorrhagic fevers contracted from exposure to raw meat are likely
to be caused by either Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) or
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). CCHFV is endemic in the region and the
favoured candidate for this outbreak in northern Iraq. In 2009 an outbreak
of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was recorded among abattoir works in
neighbouring Iran.

Rift Valley fever has never been recorded as far north as Mosul. The only
previous outbreaks of Rift Valley fever outside of the African continent
occurred in the south of Saudi Arabia and in Yemen. Currently the only
known cases of Rift Valley fever are occurring in South Africa. Further
information is awaited.
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
China: Alarming Outbreak of Mutated Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Guangxi
An especially virulent form of Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (HFMD), is spreading quickly in Quanzhou County of Guangxi Autonomous Region, (Snip) According to official data as of April 15, 13 small children have died of this disease, and 643 children have been affected by it. Quanzhou County is the hardest-hit area in the region.

Outbreak Fast, Death-Rate High
"A child can look perfectly healthy one minute and totally different the next, and will begin to deteriorate faster than a 100-meter race. This differs from our past experience with HFMD greatly," a medical worker from the Quanzhou County People's Hospital told the Beijing News. It was discovered that the virus mostly attacks small children under 3 years, and kills them in half an hour to 7 hours.

According to China Youth Daily, in Dec. 2009, 21-month-old Wang Fanfan from Kumatian Village of Jiaojiang Township in Quanzhou County suddenly developed a rash on his body, followed by high fever a month later and diarrhea that lasted a whole day. But the family did not take it too seriously. On Jan. 25, the toddler's face suddenly turned blue and a rash appeared behind his knees as well as on his tongue. The family immediately sent him to the Quanzhou County Maternal and Child Care Service Center, but he died despite three hours of emergency treatment. (Snip) On March 10, a toddler boy, Li Jiacheng from Daxijiang Township, died in the Quanzhou County People's Hospital with blood and some foam coming out of his mouth. The outbreak of his symptoms had only begun three days before. "Constant fever quickly resulted in failure of his vital organs, such as his heart and lungs," recalled a doctor who had participated in the emergency treatment. Li Jiacheng's death made every doctor in the hospital wonder what virus could have claimed his life so quickly.

On March 24, Liu Shigui's 7-month-old son died in the County Hospital. His diagnosis was suspected HFMD. On April 6, toddler boy Tan Wenchang from Longyan Village of Quanzhou County died of the same disease. It was not until the Guangxi Autonomous Region Disease Control Center had sent an inspection report that people began to realize the killer virus was EV71, a mutated form of the HFMD virus.  On April 10, two-year-old male toddler Wang Minyuan died in the Quanzhou County People's Hospital. Prior to his death, he had a fever, blood and foam coming from his mouth, and fading breath. Wang Qun, head of the out-patient department in the Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical School, said, "EV71 is an enterovirus. It attacks vital organs such as the heart and lungs as soon as it enters the human body. The outbreak is fast, and the death rate for critically ill patients can be as high as 80 percent," (Snip)

Difficult to Prevent and Control
In the past, patients of HFMD developed noticeable rashes on the hands, feet and mouth areas. The symptoms were mild and the death rate was low. Patients of EV71 virus hardly develop any rashes on the body, the outbreak is acute, and the death rate is high. The head of Quanzhou County Disease Control Center, Fang Tianxi, told The Beijing News, "The HFMD has many mutants. The EV71 virus has never been seen in Quanzhou Country before. It has caught the disease control departments off guard." (Snip) http://www.theepochtimes.com/n...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

FDA investigating E. coli at Ariz. lettuce farm
WASHINGTON - Food and Drug Administration investigators are looking at a farm in Yuma, Arizona, as a possible source of a widespread E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce.

Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, recalled lettuce sold in 23 states and the District of Columbia on Thursday because of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people, three of them with life-threatening illness.

[snip]

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that 12 people had been hospitalized, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was looking at 10 other cases probably linked to the outbreak.

Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, said it was recalling romaine lettuce sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brands because of a possible link to the E. coli outbreak.

College students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Ohio State in Columbus and Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y., are among those affected, according to local health departments in those states.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/201...

Nano particle cancer warning from Danish experts
Danish experts have warned that some types of nano products could cause cancer in a similar way to asbestos exposure.

Modern technology has seen a growth in the use of nano particles across a wide scope of industries, with applications ranging from building and cleaning materials to super fast computers.

"Scientifically, one can draw a parallel between the spread of nano products and the asbestos scandal. A study of the type of nano particles called carbon nanotubes showed that laboratory animals got pulmonary membrane cancer under certain conditions," said Otto Melchior Oulsen, National Labour Environment (NFA) Research Director. He added that many asbestos handlers also contracted lung cancer in later life.

On April 16, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency outlawed the use of nano-enhanced dirt resistant floor sprays after a study found links to serious lung problems. The testing and recommendation were undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency, reports Politiken.[snip]

http://www.icenews.is/index.ph...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Local Dengue in Key West, FL
Would have posted this earlier, but forgot about the "Not Influenza But Close" thread:

The mosquito-borne viral disease,  dengue fever, raised its ugly head in Florida for the first time in 40 years last summer with the last case seen in October 2009-until now.

The Monroe County Health Department said that a 41 year old U.S. Navy man stationed at the Naval Air Station was confirmed to have dengue fever by laboratory testing. The sailor sought medical care from military doctors for the illness on April 6th.

Health officials believe that the man picked up the disease locally since he had reported no out-of-country travel in the past year.

More:  http://www.examiner.com/x-7707...

Meteorologist in Florida!?!  Now we're talkin'!!!

China: Rat plague threatens grasslands in China's Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia
A plague of rats is threatening more than 10 million hectares of grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local authorities said Saturday.

In Inner Mongolia, 5.82 million hectares of grazing land have been overwhelmed by the burrowing rodents, said Zhang Zhuoran from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
[snip]
In addition, pests and poisonous weeds are threatening 9.59 million hectares of grazing land, said Mu Chen from the Xinjiang grasshoppers and prairie rats control headquarters.

Authorities in the two regions are combating the rat plague through poison sprays, sometimes using airplanes.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

China: 3 children die as potent (HFM) virus makes early arrival
(Cross-posted from News Reports for May 19, originally posted by Arkanoid Legent)

BEIJING, May 19 -- Three children in Shanghai have died of hand, foot and mouth disease so far this year in an alarming trend.

The peak season of the malady had arrived early and the 2010 strain of the virus was particularly powerful, the Shanghai Health Bureau said Tuesday.

The suburban children who died were generally unsupervised and had migrant parents, according to education authorities. They did not attend city kindergartens and lived in conditions where hygiene was poor or non-existent, officials said."

Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

Vaccine against an Emerging Pathogenic Ebolavirus Species
Demonstration of Cross-Protective Vaccine Immunity against an Emerging Pathogenic Ebolavirus Species

A major challenge in developing vaccines for emerging pathogens is their continued evolution and ability to escape human immunity. Therefore, an important goal of vaccine research is to advance vaccine candidates with sufficient breadth to respond to new outbreaks of previously undetected viruses.

[snip]

This report provides the first demonstration of vaccine-induced protective immunity against challenge with a heterologous EBOV species, and shows that Ebola vaccines capable of eliciting potent cellular immunity may provide the best strategy for eliciting cross-protection against newly emerging heterologous EBOV species.

http://www.plospathogens.org/a...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Phoenix-area hospitals fight highly toxic 'supergerm'
Maricopa County health officials have confirmed that a relatively new, extremely toxic strain of bacteria has been found in hospitals and other health-care facilities in the Valley.

The germ, known as Clostridium difficile, has long plagued the medical profession and is blamed for an increasing amount of illness in patients.

But this is the first time the new strain, known in medical circles as "NAP1," is believed to have been linked to patient illness and deaths in Arizona, health officials said. It carries at least 20 times as much toxin as the original strain.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/...


Gulf of Mexico is hemorrhaging oil, but never mind,
we can get some oil from Canada by building a pipeline through the middle of the US to pump their tar sands here, and wash out the oil.  It sounds like a sick joke, but this is the public comment period to let the State Dept. know what we think about the plan.  

Here's the link I got from the Sierra Club:
https://secure2.convio.net/sie...

The email:

Dear xxx
If you're like me, you're outraged at the BP Gulf Coast oil disaster happening right before our eyes.

But what's even worse is that at the same time BP is trying to clean up their mess in the Gulf Coast, they are also involved in another dirty oil pipeline proposal: the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry the dirtiest fuel on earth -- tar sands oil -- from Canada through the heart of our nation.

Tell the State Department not to make this enormous mistake and not to permit the dirty Keystone tarsands oil pipeline to move forward.

The Keystone XL pipeline requires clear-cutting ancient forests, sucking up water supplies and leaving behind toxic lakes so big they can be seen from space.

These toxic lakes are where they store the waste from the production of this dirty fuel. Unfortunately, the waste isn't "stored" but seeps out about 2.9 million gallons per day1.

 
Footnote: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmon...

IMO, this subject is relevant to this forum because clean water is essential to our plans for self-sufficiency and because we don't need another national emergency (from either the slowly leaking contaminated water or from catastrophic rupture of the oil-sand pipeline).

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Canada : Superbug outbreak expands in P.E.I.
Posting this from the news diary for Arkanoid Legent

" Another case of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been confirmed on Prince Edward Island.
The outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) began last week at Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital when five patients in unit 8 tested positive for the superbug.

The latest positive result brings the total number of cases in the affected unit to six.

All remaining patients in the unit tested negative.

The positive cases have been isolated to one wing of unit 8."

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/princ...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Singapore's cases of hand-foot-mouth disease hit epidemic level
Posting this from the news diary for Arkanoid Legent

" Singapore's cases of hand-foot- mouth disease (HFMD) crossed the epidemic level of 679 to hit 706 last week, local media reported on Wednesday.

The spike in cases could be due to increased awareness and checks in schools, local TV broadcaster Channel NewsAsia said."

Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Engineer set to run NSF
MIT's Subra Suresh poised to take top job.
The 54-year-old dean of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Suresh was named on 3 June to lead the $6.9-billion NSF, which funds research in the non-medical sciences.  If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed nuclear engineer Arden Bement, who completed his six-year term at the end of May. Suresh - who would be the first Indian American to direct the NSF - would take over just as a $3-billion infusion of economic stimulus money given to the agency early last year begins to run out.
[snip]
His research career has ranged widely, from the macroscopic study of alloys to the microscopic study of thin films such as those used in silicon chips. Now, he focuses on the biomechanics of diseased human cells. Colleagues say he has tried to foster such interdisciplinary work at MIT, and has boosted the number of researchers who hold joint appointments at two departments.
[snip]

http://www.nature.com/news/201...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

IL: Salmonella at Subway restaurants in 24 counties
The outbreak of salmonella cases in Illinois linked to subway restaurants is spreading. To date, there are now 68 confirmed cases, of which 24 had been hospitalized. People with the illness reported eating at Subway locations in central Illinois 24 counties, including in Knox, Warren and Bureau.....Subway did voluntarily recall and replace certain products last week.....

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Europe launches major joint research effort to ensure food security
in the face of climate change and rising demand

Twelve top scientists will meet in Paris today to prepare a European-level work programme to coordinate nationally funded research aimed at securing a safe and sustainable food supply. This is the first meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board for the EU Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change. This initiative involves twenty European countries overall and is jointly led by France, through its National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the UK, through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).[snip]

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn says: "Food security is a stark matter of life and death and without it there is no other kind of security. Quite rightly, billions of euro are being invested by public and private sector in tackling this huge challenge. But no one Member State can succeed on its own. We can only get full value for public research funds by working together. This Joint Programming Initiative will help replace fragmentation and duplication with coherence and coordination and will therefore be a major contribution to the Europe 2020 Strategy."
[snip]

Climate change is among the main challenges to agriculture's ability to feed the world's population, projected to reach nine billion by 2050. This will increase food demand by 50% by 2030, just when demand for biomass for non-food purposes (e.g. biofuels) is predicted to grow strongly.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressRe...

(Comment: There are 2 US scientists in the group.  Hope they bring home some inspiration.)  

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Russia: mystery disease killing tigers
A mystery disease is driving the Siberian tiger to the edge of extinction and has led to the last animal tagged by conservationists being shot dead in the far east of Russia because of the danger it posed to people.

The 10-year-old tigress, known to researchers as Galya, is the 4th animal that has had a radio collar attached to it for tracking to die in the past 10 months. All had been in contact with a male tiger suspected of carrying an unidentified disease that impaired the ability to hunt. "We may be witnessing an epidemic in the Amur tiger population," said Dr Dale Miquelle, the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Russia director.
...Animals we have studied extensively, and known well, have demonstrated radically changed behaviour, which is extremely disconcerting."...

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

OR: Whooping cough cases double in Jackson County

http://www.katu.com/news/local...

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Whooping cough cases have increased sharply in Jackson County, where the number reported is already more than double the total for last year.

So far, 23 cases have been confirmed in the southern Oregon county, which averaged about 11 cases per year over the past five years.

The last major outbreak of whooping cough, also called pertussis, was in 2003, when more than 100 cases were recorded in Jackson County.

Cases that have been confirmed in lab testing this year have hit patients ranging from 2 months old to 55 years old.

But health officials say studies show only a fraction of cases are diagnosed and confirmed, so more people are likely infected.

The town of Rogue River has the largest number of cases, most linked to an elementary school.

2 shots may be better than one for measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox
A single vaccine of MMRV doubles the risk of fever-related seizures in children, a study finds.

Children who receive a single vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox appear to have an increased risk of fever-related seizures in the days after the shot than do children who receive two separate vaccinations. (many more details at link)

http://articles.latimes.com/20...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Reports of plague in Syrian army?

promed says it is a false report....

 

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:8371456718821635::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,83532

 

 



Just rolling along, making waves and causing trouble...
Description of drought effects is awful, by itself.
"According to the Syrian opposition in exile...", so, grain of salt?  So much misery; hope it isn't true.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Japan: Undiagnosed deaths in macaque monkeys
Japanese monkey deaths puzzle
------------------------------
Scientists from Japan's premier primate research centre are
struggling to reassure the public that a mysterious illness killing
their monkeys poses no threat to humans. Almost a decade after it 1st
appeared, scientists from Kyoto University's Primate Research
Institute (PRI) [also abbreviated KUPRI] described the disease and
their unsuccessful search for a cause in an online publication on 1
Jul 2010 and in a press release on 7 Jul 2010. But their account
leaves other researchers hungry for details.
[snip]
...'haemorrhagic syndrome.' Symptoms included
anorexia, lethargy, pallor and nasal haemorrhaging. Autopsies
revealed bleeding in the lungs and intestines.[snip]
[An American researcher said] "Presumably there would be some pretty careful
measures in place that would limit human exposure to any contaminant
or pathogen," she says, "so saying that humans are not susceptible to
me seems premature."

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

UK: TB vaccine recommended for all babies born in London
All babies born in London should be vaccinated against tuberculosis
(TB) to protect them against the growing threat from the disease,
public health specialists say. Almost 45 percent of all childhood TB
cases in the UK occur in the capital [London] and the rising
incidence has now passed the threshold where routine immunisation
should be introduced, according to experts from the Health Protection
Agency (HPA).
[snip]
(Read article for possible dangers)

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

UK: NHS 'to undergo radical overhaul'
The NHS in England is to undergo a major restructuring in one of the biggest shake-ups in its history, the government has announced.

Hospitals are to be moved out of the NHS to create a "vibrant" industry of social enterprises under the proposals.

And, as expected, GPs are to take charge of much of the budget.

The move will lead to the abolition of all 10 strategic health authorities and the 152 management bodies known as primary care trusts.

The new structure will be held accountable by an independent NHS board which would be free from political interference, the government said.

Meanwhile, responsibility for public health will be passed to local authorities.[snip]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/1055...
Comment:  I hope they'll have working plans for emergencies that happen while they're changing systems.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Indonesia: Mud volcano flows on
After four years, spewing about 100,000 tons a day, the Lusi mud volcano in East Java shows no signs of letting up. Initially linked to an earthquake, the spill is now being linked to drilling.

Reporting from Sidoarjo, Indonesia -
For four long years, Reni Sualeha has lived in the shadow of a monster, a menacing chemical flow of fetid gray mud that belches unchecked from the bowels of the earth near her home.

Known as the Lusi mud volcano, its spread is so relentless - burping noxious gas, swallowing communities, killing 14 people and forcing the evacuations of 60,000 - that some say it could star in its own sci-fi thriller.
[snip]
The mudflow is slowly gobbling up the countryside. Now covering 2,000 acres, it's 65 feet deep in some places, submerging factories, schools, farms and a dozen villages.

Indonesian officials have insisted that the deadly flow was the result of a natural disaster: an earthquake that struck 175 miles away just before the mud began its onslaught in 2006.

But evidence from a team of independent U.S. and British geologists suggests that the mud volcano, like the British Petroleum oil disaster, was man-made, the result of a 2006 drilling accident at a nearby gas exploration site. And these geologists say they have no idea when the mudflow will stop, if ever.
[snip]
http://www.chicagotribune.com/...
Read more; woman (fearfully) uses the gas in her makeshift cookstove.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Bangladesh: (Opinion piece) Discouraging small poultry farmers
THE Livestock Department issued letters to all thana and district livestock officers saying that it had fixed the prices of poultry chicks sold by hatcheries at Tk.30 for broilers and Tk.32 for layers. This move follows a year of chick shortages brought about by bird flu outbreaks and political lobbying by some farmers for lower prices.

It is hard to imagine a more ill conceived move than this attempt to fix prices. The government simply does not understand how the market for chicks works, and risks destroying the 50,000 small poultry farms around the country.

In actual fact, none of the hatcheries in Bangladesh sell to farmers. This is because poultry farmers do not have enough money to pay in cash. As a result, hatcheries sell to distributors, who buy chicks in cash and then distribute them on credit to farmers. [snip]
The government's move to fix prices, unless reversed, means the end for 50,000 small poultry farmers around the country, and concentration of poultry farming in the hands of a wealthy few.
http://www.thedailystar.net/ne...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Bangladesh: (editorial re. tannery waste fed to fish and fowls)
How hazardous is the protein we consume?
Seminal risk in poultry and fish feed needs addressing urgently
Extensive use of chemically treated tannery wastes to produce feed for fish and fowls containing chromium and lead in dangerous levels may have entered our food chain as far as our consuming protein, an otherwise a vital ingredient of human nourishment, goes. This evil practice dating back to a decade has been putting public health to serious carcinogenic hazards to liver and kidney causing incalculable damage to human organs.

Tannery wastes that should have normally been disposed of through standard effluent treatment to keep the environment clean, turn into a lucrative business for a whole range of vested groups gravitating around it. They collect these on payment to tannery owners, supplying them to feed factory owners who then process it into poultry and fish feed who in turn sell these off to poultry and fish firm owners. The feed so produced costs cheaper than imported feeds, that being the stimulating factor for the vicious business.
[snip]
http://www.thedailystar.net/st...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Maven Semantic: The Largest Database of International Influenza Research Professionals
Maven Semantic (http://www.mavensemantic.com) announces updates to their Influenza research database.

The new database is now available to marketing, business development, competitor intelligence, KOL, medical affairs and related departments in the life sciences sector.

The database currently tags 69,000 individuals working in Influenza.
Top 10 Countries for Influenza Research (ranked by number of senior Influenza researchers)

. United States Of America (30,106)

. Japan (4,218)

. United Kingdom (4,054)

. Germany (2,540)

. France (2,364)

. China (2,328)

. Italy (1,983)

. Canada (1,893)
[snip]
http://www.pharmiweb.com/press...

About our technology
Semantic data mining tools have been used to create a database of detailed profiles of life science companies and executives.

The system uses the open web as an underlying database and extracts specific information on people, job titles, biographies, research profiles, contact details (dept., phone, fax, and email), organisation profiles, websites, product/services and much more.
[snip]
http://www.mavensemantic.com/A...
Comment:"Available to competitor intelligence.."?  
Knock, knock, it's the Total Information Age right at your door...  At least this one is out in the open, for a fee.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Mad fish disease could threaten humans
Writing in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, neurologist Robert P. Friedland questions the safety of eating farmed fish that are fed byproducts rendered from cows, adding a new worry to concerns about the nation's food supply.

Friedland, from the University of Louisville, and his co-researchers suggest that farmed fish could transmit Creutzfeldt Jakob disease - known as mad cow disease - if they are fed bovine byproducts. The scientists urge government regulators to ban feeding cow meat or bone meal to fish until the safety of this common practice can be ascertained.
[snip]
Still, we believe that out of reasonable caution for public health, the practice of feeding rendered cows to fish should be prohibited."

"Fish do very well in the seas without eating cows," he added.
http://www.scienceagogo.com/ne...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Dengure fever in Caribbean raises fears of U.S. outbreak
An epidemic of dengue fever that has hit Latin America and the Caribbean has increased the risk of a similar outbreak occurring in South Florida (Snip) The proximity of Florida to the affected countries, the ease and size of the migration of people from there to Florida and a similar tropical climate have raised the possibility of an outbreak in the state for the first time in decades (Snip)

"I think the risk is substantial," Dr. Fuller told Reuters. "In terms of the basic ingredients, you've got everything that you would need for an epidemic. I think we're on the doorstep."

Dengue fever can cause flu-like symptoms, including muscle and joint pain, fever and headaches. Though less common, it also comes in a hemorrhagic form that causes massive internal bleeding and bleeding from the body's orifices and can often be fatal.

Since the beginning of the year through June, there have been 17,000 reported cases of dengue in the Caribbean (Snip) The outbreak has been blamed on the unusually wet spring that occurred in the region and the high volume of standing water that resulted. Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes that breed in water. http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/ne...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Cases have already been reported in Florida.
The story was on last night's evening news.  Story says that these mosquitoes don't bite at the beaches and don't bite at night.  
Tape here with Diane Sawyer and Dr. Richard Besser.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/C...

Google says:

Dengue Fever: Tropical Disease Hits U.S.
Dengue Fever: Tropical Disease Hits U.S.. 25 minutes ago - ABC News 2:35 | 0 views. The two dozen cases in Key West, Florida are the first there in 70 years. .... KCCI - Des Moines 2:38 | 21 views. KCCI-TV's Angie Hunt reports. ...
news.yahoo.com/video/.../dengue-fever-tropical-disease-hits-u-s-21144844

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
ProMED: pneumonic plague outbreak (Peru)
Peru's health minister says an outbreak of plague has killed a 14-year-old boy and infected at least 31 people in a northern coastal province. Health Minister Oscar Ugarte says authorities are screening sugar and fish meal exports from Ascope province [La Libertad region], located about 325 miles (520 km) northwest of Lima. Popular Chicama beach isn't far away. Ugarte says the boy, who had Down syndrome, died of bubonic plague 26 Jul 2010. He said Monday, 2 Aug 2010, that most of the infections are bubonic plague, with 4 cases of pneumonic plague. The former is transmitted by flea bites, the latter by airborne contagion. The disease is curable if treated early with antibiotics. The 1st recorded plague outbreak in Peru was in 1903. The last, in 1994, killed 35 people.
*********************************************
Ascope province is located in the region of La Libertad, in northwestern Peru. It shares a border with Trujillo province where the disease has also been recently reported. It is not clearly stated in the posting whether the pneumonic cases were directly acquired from person-to-person spread or were a complication of bubonic plague. Of note, there was an outbreak of bubonic plague reported in Chicama district of Ascope province in April 2010, suggestive that these current cases may be part of this previously reported outbreak as proximity to Chicama beach More Here: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

India: Undiagnosed Encephalitis (Gujarat) Request For Information
Fears that Gujarat may soon face another viral outbreak have grown stronger. The state government revealed on Wednesday [4 Aug 2010] that acute viral encephalitis, an illness which causes swelling of the brain, had claimed 17 lives. Shockingly, of these, 11 people breathed their last on Tuesday [3 Aug 2010] alone. Alarmed by the high number of deaths in a day, the state health department has sent emergency medical teams to Vadodara, Kheda, and Panchmahal -- the 3 districts where all the 17 deaths have occurred. (Snip) "Every necessary step will be taken to prevent the outbreak of the disease." He also said that so far 29 people had tested positive for viral encephalitis.

The tests employed are not specified, nor specific viruses implicated. Till Tuesday [3 Aug 2010], this figure was 16. "We have sent samples of suspected cases to National Institute of Virology in Pune. Once we receive the reports, we will prepare an action plan" (Snip) Of the 17 deaths in Gujarat, 9 have been reported in Panchmahal, 6 in Kheda, and 2 in Vadodara. The 3 districts seem to be in the grip of viral encephalitis as they also account for all the positive cases so far. Sources in the health department said one could contract the disease through many ways. However, in the current situation, sand fly appears to be spreading the infection.

Though the number of positive cases is not that high at present, there is still a lot of concern among health authorities. This is because more than 36,000 people in the state, including 2006 in Ahmedabad, are suffering from a "fever of unknown origin" (FUO). There are fears that a significant number of these people may have contracted viral encephalitis.
Encephalitis is caused mostly by a viral infection, which can be contracted through insect bites, food, drink, or contact with an infected person. Once the virus enters the bloodstream, it localises the brain, forcing white blood cells to invade the brain issue to battle the infection. This results in swelling of the brain. The disease can cause nerve damage, permanent impairment, and even death if there is a delay in treatment. Fever, headaches, clumsiness, drowsiness, vomiting, and convulsions are among the symptoms related to the illness.

The elderly, infants, and HIV patients are the most at risk. Though the acute phase of viral encephalitis lasts for a couple of weeks, some people may take several months to recover. "The percentage of children testing positive is high. They have high fever and suffer from convulsions. There are also instances where affected people have gone into comma," (Snip) "If an infected person is not put under immediate medical observation, the chances of his/her condition becoming acute increase sharply," (Snip) On the carrier of the infection, he said that sandflies were mostly found in mud houses. "They enter through cracks in the walls," he said
******************************************

Although the virus involved in these encephalitis cases is not specified, the health authorities apparently suspect a sandfly-transmitted virus. The most likely candidate is Chandipura virus, which has been recognized previously in parts of India as an etiologic agent of encephalitis. It occurs both epidemically and in sporadic cases. In children, the course of the disease can be rapid with 55-75 percent mortality. Chandipura virus outbreaks have occurred previously in Gujarat state. ProMED-mail would be interested in receiving additional information, and especially the results of the laboratory tests, as they become available http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Australia warns of new antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Machine translated

Three Australians who traveled to India have been infected by the bacteria NDM-1, whose fierce resistance to antibiotics has raised alarm in Europe following the detection of cases in the United Kingdom and Belgium (Snip) The three cases, including one patient who underwent plastic surgery in Bombay, are "the tip of the iceberg" of the problem, (Snip) said Professor Peter Collignon, director of the department of infectious diseases at Canberra Hospital.

The NDM-1 gene (New Delhi metallo-b-lactamase 1), which has infected at least 50 people in the UK and in June caused the death of a patient in Belgium, was identified last year in a Swedish patient had entered an Indian hospital.

(Snip) the scientific journal The Lancet published an article in which he warned that the rise in long-distance travel has contributed to the spread of resistant bacteria, which so far only been found in patients from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. (Snip) Indian authorities have denied that the bacteria has spread from his country and described the reports of "sensationalism" and "malicious propaganda." http://www.notisistema.com/not...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Spain: Investigating an outbreak of pneumonia with 23 affected, 21 children in Mallorca
Machine translated

The Department of Health and Consumption of the Balearic Government is investigating the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia in the area of Ses Salines, Colonia de Sant Jordi and Campos, south of Mallorca, which has affected 23 people, 21 of them minors, from on 3 August. These are cases of pneumonia that "in no case have required hospitalization and have a benign course and who is investigating the Department of Public Health and involvement with care services that have treated patients as reported by the Department of Health and Consumer Affairs in a statement.

The cases begin with a persistent dry cough followed by fever and so far they have all been mild and those affected have recovered with broad spectrum antibiotics, antipyretics, and in some cases, bronchodilators. The Department of Health and Consumer Affairs has insisted that "the recovery has been generalized in a few days."

By the way the disease has appeared in a trickle of cases, research points for the time being "a transmission by droplets or direct contact person to person, with a predominantly affected children, which could raise the hypothesis of a viral etiology. Currently there is no evidence of "an environmental source, or any place where it was revealed an increased risk, according to Health, so that the only useful control measures to prevent the spread are the usual hygiene to prevent transmission. (Snip) Ever since the first report of the outbreak on 3 August, Epidemiological Service has maintained contact with clinicians in the affected area and have been coordinated with the emergency medical services of the Hospitals of Manacor and Son Dureta as well as private clinics. The Department of Health and Consumer Affairs has made available to persons who may be linked to this outbreak of pneumonia or who believe they may be affected (Snip) http://news.google.com/news/ur...

           

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Indonesia: Rabies on Bali
No tourists have been infected, but the island of Bali is experiencing a rabies outbreak that has caused 78 reported deaths the past two years. [snip]  In the first half of this year some 30,000 dog bites were reported and 20,000 dogs were euthanized.  [snip] The U.S. State Department advises travelers who are planning a lengthy stay to consider a series of three pre-exposure inoculations before leaving home. The rabies vaccine is in short supply in Bali.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/...

The rabies vaccine is for people, not for dogs.  The article says packs of dogs run wild on Bali.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?...
(This story is from Aug. 8, 2010.)

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

ProMED: Typhoid Fever - India
More than 43 cases of typhoid have been reported in the last one week at General Hospital, Sector 6, forcing them to gear up to handle the situation. These cases have been reported from urban as well as rural areas, and the figures are on similar lines as the previous week's, when about 45 cases of typhoid had surfaced. Diarrhea too is on the rise, as nearly 40 cases have been reported in the past 3 days alone. Doctors blame it on rains and contamination of water.

As a combat measure, the hospital has decided to crackdown on colonies, which they claim are the breeding grounds for these diseases. Teams of health officials have been visiting various colonies every fortnight to assess the situation. The main colonies, including Rajiv, Indira and Azad Colony [slums in the city of Panchkula], are the ones that the hospital is keeping a close watch on [Unhygienic conditions in these slums were cited in a recent news release http://www.tribuneindia.com/20...

More on this here: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

ProMed: Japanese encephalitis - India
At least 215 people, mostly children, have died in an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in an impoverished region of northern Indian and the death toll is likely to soar, officials said Saturday [28 Aug 2010]. Eastern parts of India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh are ravaged by encephalitis each year ... but this is one of the worst outbreaks, officials said. The deaths of 4 more children on Saturday [28 Aug 2010] pushed the toll to 215, with hundreds sick in hospitals in Gorakhpur, an area of 14 million people (Snip)

"A total of 1324 patients had been admitted in hospitals until Saturday in Gorakhpur," which is the epicentre of the outbreak, and "more encephalitis patients are coming into our hospitals," Srivastava said. The outbreak began in early July [2010]. "We fear the total number of encephalitis cases will go up to at least 3500 and the death rate will be at a ratio of around 20 percent," he said.

"We have begun spraying insecticide to wipe out populations of the Culex mosquitoes which transmits the disease [virus] and we're handing out chlorine to villagers to disinfect drinking water supplies," Srivastava said. KP Kushwaha, chief paediatrician at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, said doctors were overwhelmed ... and "encephalitis usually surfaces by August but this year [2010] patients began coming in from early July" and if it continues this is going to be "an impossible task to handle," he added. Continued: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Romania, Greece, Russia : 12 deaths from West Nile virus
...The Romanian Health Minister urged the population to avoid contact with insects as the West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes. No cases of the West Nile flu virus have been reported in Bulgaria yet, and the Bulgarian health authorities have sought to assuage the fears of the people after the first fatalities in Greece earlier in August....
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
ProMED: Severe acute respiratory syndrome, sequelae - Canada
(Note: Excellent article on SARS and the lingering effect on those who survived it.)

Excerpt #1:
Sylvia Gordon is plagued by painful muscles and joints, shortness of breath and a lack of energy, all unwanted gifts of a disease that keeps on giving. The nurse was among the 1st wave of health-care workers and patients stricken by SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] in early 2003, but the 5-month outbreak that killed 800
people worldwide, including 44 in the Toronto area, is far from done among those who survived the disease.

Excerpt #2:
As a result of a world-wide containment programme, the last infected human case occurred in late 2003 (apart from a laboratory-associated infection in 2004). However, SARS is not claimed to have been eradicated (unlike smallpox), as it may still be present in its natural host reservoirs (animal populations) and may potentially move into the human population again at some time in the future. Civet cats in China were believed to be the original hosts of the virus affecting the human population, but phylogenetic analysis now suggests that the SARS coronavirus moved from bat to human to civet, in that order.

http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

New Zealand: 7.1 earthquake, state of emergency declared
Civil Defence has declared a state of emergency in Christchurch following a massive earthquake in the city early this morning.

Several motorways out of Christchurch are closed following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake which struck about 30km west of Christchurch at 4.35am today.

At a depth of 10km it has caused injuries, structural damage and gas leaks, also cutting power, and rupturing water and sewerage mains.[snip]

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-new...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Photos, building outer walls gone
hat-tip Monika Landy-Gyebnar on Eruptions: http://bigthink.com/ideas/23894

http://twitpic.com/search#q=ea...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Mega Bug Has Arrived
Excerpt:

Mother Nature has developed the NDM-1 bacterial trait in such a way that it is showing up in a number of different types of bacteria, such as E.coli. Doctors have traditionally held carbapenems, our most powerful antibiotics, in reserve for use in severe cases and only when all other types of antibiotic have failed. Against NDM-1 however, even the A-bomb in our arsenal, is proving useless.

The fear is that NDM-1 could become evident in types of bacteria that can spread easily from person-to-person. If this happens, and the bacteria demonstrates the already-common immunity to other types of antibiotics, then we will have the perfect storm - a lethal, fast-spreading infection that is impossible to treat. In fact, NDM-1 has already demonstrated its ability to move from patient to patient in UK hospitals. Full article here: http://www.joe.ie/health-fitne...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

I wonder if a review of past remedies would help,
folk remedies such as garlic, silver solution, Solomon's seal, honey, etc., depending on the location of the infection.

Scrupulous hygiene is supposed to help prevent the spread, though.  Have any traveling patients said they noticed slackness, I wonder.

That photo at the link looks creepy.  

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
India: New flu virus in India likely from Australia
MUMBAI: A virus that is new to the Indian shores could just be contributing to the current flu epidemic sweeping across the state, especially Pune, say doctors. While the swine flu-causing H1N1 virus is also an import from Mexico, the new virus that has got National Institute of Virology doctors scrambling for data, is considered to be Australian in origin.

Called the Australian Ross River virus, it is similar to the dengue and chikungunya-causing viruses. Like chikungunya (CHIK-V), it, too, causes arthritis-like pain in the joints.

(Snip) the talk of the Australian virus has incensed state health officials, some of whom feel it could be a covert operation to sell expensive diagnostic kits. "This year, we are seeing a lot of variation in viruses and their manifestations, be it dengue or chikunguya. What is being touted as the Ross River virus could just be a new variant of CHIK-V," (Snip)
On Saturday, health minister Suresh Shetty told TOI that four samples from patients admitted to Sassoon Hospital in Pune had been sent to NIV to test for the Ross River virus.

"We have got one sample's result as CHIK-V, and are awaiting results for the other samples," (Snip) adding that NIV director Dr A C Misra was confident that the other samples too would be negative for the Australian virus. (Snip) a senior health officer who wanted to be anonymous said that NIV had isolated the virus in eight samples. http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Nano-disks or sulphuric acid vapor to solve global warming?
OMG, tell me these are just thought experiments!  How to reverse them if there are unintended consequences?  Yikes!  What kind of mask would we have to wear if these substances infested lower layers of our atmosphere?  This is material for a new sci-fi series, IMO.

...In his study-published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a top-ranked international science journal-Keith describes a new class of engineered nano-particles that might be used to offset global warming more efficiently, and with fewer negative side effects, than using sulphates. ...

...In a separate new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Keith and international scientists describe another geoengineering approach that may also offer advantages over injecting sulphur dioxide gas.....

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

China: 13 cases were reported in Jiangsu suspected "no physical disease"
Machine translated

PRC Jiangsu Province Health Department was informed yesterday, in August this year, the province of Preventive Medicine: at 0 o'clock on the 1 August to 31 August, the province reported a total of A, B infectious diseases 11,600 cases of statutory reports 38 people died; this month than the plague, SARS, Polio, highly pathogenic avian influenza, H1N1, dengue fever, anthrax, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, diphtheria, brucellosis, leptospirosis, schistosomiasis without morbidity, mortality reports, the remaining 16 species A, B infectious diseases with reported cases.

The top five reported incidence of diseases were: tuberculosis, syphilis, hepatitis, dysentery, gonorrhea, accounting for 97.21% of the total reported incidence. The first three deaths reported diseases were: tuberculosis, rabies, AIDS, accounting for 94.74% of total reported deaths.

In addition, recent media reports of "life-threatening tick-worm incident," said the ticks caused by insect bites, "no physical disease." Disease in our province in 2005 in developing a monitoring program, carried out the relevant monitoring and research, in May this year, the Chinese Center for Disease Control to regulate their name to "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" the study found pathogen may be no physical or human granulocyte New Bunia virus.

As of September 9, the province reported a total of suspected "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" in 13 cases, 4 cases from other provinces, a total of 4 patients died (provinces 1).

(Note: Interesting since there is also "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" seen in H5N1 patients. "New Bunia virus" is transmitted by ticks.) http://news.google.com/news/ur...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Shandong reports 13 cases of fever associated with thrombocytopenia syndrome deaths
Shandong Province, launched in 2008, a suspected human case surveillance granulocytic anaplasmosis. May 2008, CDC reported the first case of Shandong Province suspected human cases of granulocytic anaplasmosis. As of September 9, 2010, Shandong Province, with total heating equipment found thrombocytopenia syndrome in 182 cases, 13 cases died, including 26 cases of Penglai City, 6 died. Epidemiological survey, case height of distributed, in some cases have a clear history of tick bite.

It is learned that Shandong Province will be transferred epidemiology, prevention and control of infectious diseases, vector biology and clinical treatment, and other professional technical personnel control group of experts, to strengthen the work of epidemic prevention and control and clinical treatment guide; to increase monitoring efforts related cases, in a timely manner judged to carry out epidemic analysis to explore the distribution of the epidemic; designated designated infectious disease hospital, increase the clinical treatment of severe cases, efforts to reduce death; rapid Comprehensive staff training, and vigorously promote prevention knowledge, every effort to control fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome working.

Fever fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome is associated with WBC, thrombocytopenia, and multiple organ dysfunction as the main clinical manifestations of a group of diseases, the cause is not clear. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control study, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Bunia fever virus may be associated with thrombocytopenia syndrome major pathogen, these diseases spread primarily by ticks, mainly in hilly areas, distributed to farmers mostly, for the natural foci of disease. http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/...

(Note: I'm suspicious! Wikipedia says: Symptoms may include fever, severe headache, muscle aches (myalgia), chills and shaking, similar to the symptoms of influenza.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Henan health department communications: Tick-worm disease outbreaks *(in)* Xinyang
Machine translated

People's Network on September 11 in Zhengzhou Reuters Ben Wang from Henan Province Health Department website noted that happen to be for the Xinyang tick insect bite-related fatality cases, Henan Province, said health department notified, present, Xinyang City "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome "stable disease, no severe illness.

Reported that 10 *(new cases?)*, Ministry of Health to send experts to Henan County Mall, investigate and understand the "fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome" of the situation. Experts arrived at the county mall, after listening to the relevant reports on the situation, rushed to the hospitals and disease control departments inspect and guide the prevention and control.
According to experts, ticks may carry a number of insect pathogenic bacteria or virus, the virus through the bite of ticks worms enter the human body may make people sick, that "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome", no viruses and bacteria in ticks biting insects after at most local trauma may be some allergies, will not have serious consequences.

*(Reported in)* May 2010, the Chinese Center for Disease Control in the province of the cases in parts of virus found in Bunia, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis the same, the mass media may be ticks and insects, but this disease do not panic can effectively control.

Currently, Xinyang City "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" for the seven cases of hospitalized patients without severe disease. http://news.google.com/news/ur...

(Note: I am seeing numerous reports on this "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" and I get the feeling that even though they are attributing it to tick bites, they really don't know what is causing it. We see fever and thrombocytopenia in H5N1 patients in Indonesia but fever and thrombocytopenia occurs in other illnesses too. Since this is happening in China and I don't ever, ever trust anything the Chinese gov. reports, then I am wondering what is really going on here?!!)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Outbreaks of "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" reported in
Jiangsu Province, Shandong Province and Henan Province over the last 2 days.

Link to maps here: http://www.maps-of-china.com/

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Wales, UK: 2 dead from legionnaires' disease, at least 14 hospitalized
A 70-year-old man has become the latest victim to be linked to an outbreak of deadly legionnaires' disease. The man, who has not been named, died in hospital on Wednesday. Health officials have also linked the death of a 64-year-old woman on Monday night to the outbreak, which is thought to have originated in the Heads of the Valleys corridor. Some 14 cases have now been confirmed, all of whom required hospital treatment. Another case is also now under investigation, a spokesman for Public Health Wales (PHW) said, bringing the total number of people thought to have contracted the airborne disease to 17.[snip] Officials are still investigating the possible source of the outbreak, which they believe could have come from industrial premises or a cooling tower.  Dr Meirion Evans, consultant epidemiologist for Public Health Wales, the body behind the investigation into the disease, said a plume of the deadly bacteria could reach several kilometres across the Heads of the Valleys area and beyond. [snip] "Legionnaires' disease cannot be passed from person to person."[snip]
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
Pune, India: new (or not) chikungunya-like virus
[snip] Called the Australian Ross River virus, it is similar to the dengue and chikungunya-causing viruses. Like chikungunya (CHIK-V), it, too, causes arthritis-like pain in the joints. However, the talk of the Australian virus has incensed state health officials, some of whom feel it could be a covert operation to sell expensive diagnostic kits. "This year, we are seeing a lot of variation in viruses and their manifestations, be it dengue or chikunguya. [snip]
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

Link showing location:  http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

CIDRAP: Imported Lassa fever case in Pennsylvania was 6th in US
A man who lives in Pennsylvania returned from a trip to his native Liberia with Lassa fever, marking the sixth case of the tropical disease imported into the United States and the first since 2004 (Snip) The Lassa fever virus is endemic in West Africa and causes an illness that is fatal in 1% to 2% of cases (Snip) The patient, 47, traveled to Liberia last January and stayed in his native village, sleeping in a hut infested with rats. He fell ill on the day of his departure from Liberia and sought treatment after returning to the United States, leading to 21 days in a hospital. The virus was identified on his fifth hospital day, but he was not given ribavirin, a recommended treatment, because he was improving by the time the virus was suspected. The man had 140 contacts who were given information about Lassa fever, but no secondary cases were found. The CDC says clinicians treating patients who have a fever after traveling to West Africa should obtain detailed histories to learn if they have been in rural areas where they risked exposure to rodents. Early treatment with ribavirin can greatly reduce death rates in patients with severe Lassa fever(Snip) http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

CDC Report: http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

occasional epidemic w/ 50% CFR
...In areas of Africa where the disease is endemic (that is, constantly present), Lassa fever is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. While Lassa fever is mild or has no observable symptoms in about 80% of people infected with the virus, the remaining 20% have a severe multisystem disease. Lassa fever is also associated with occasional epidemics, during which the case-fatality rate can reach 50%....

...The Mastomys rodents shed the virus in urine and droppings....

...Lassa fever may also spread through person-to-person contact. This type of transmission occurs when a person comes into contact with virus in the blood, tissue, secretions, or excretions of an individual infected with the Lassa virus. The virus cannot be spread through casual contact (including skin-to-skin contact without exchange of body fluids). Person-to-person transmission is common in both village and health care settings, where, along with the above-mentioned modes of transmission, the virus also may be spread in contaminated medical equipment, such as reused needles (this is called nosocomial transmission)....

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Calif. whooping cough: 9 dead, infections on rise
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/201...

LOS ANGELES - State health officials reported Thursday that California is on track to break a 55-year record for whooping cough infections in an epidemic that has already claimed the lives of nine infants.

At least 4,017 cases of the highly contagious illness have been reported in California, according to the state. Data from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control show 11,466 cases nationwide, though the federal numbers are known to lag behind local reporting.

[snip]

The state is on track to exceed the record 4,949 cases reported in 1955. The bacterial infection tends to peak during summer months, but infections could continue into coming weeks, said Chavez.

[snip]

The federal numbers for nationwide cases were last updated Sept. 12 and represent 519 more cases than the same period last year, according to the CDC. Other states with high numbers of infections include Texas, where health officials reported 1,783 cases, and Ohio, where federal officials reported 1,019 cases.

In South Carolina, officials reported one whooping cough death and 255 confirmed or suspected cases have been found. Epidemic levels of the illness there were seen earlier this year, but no statewide epidemic was declared.

All of the whooping cough-related deaths in California occurred in babies too young to be fully immunized against the illness, which is why parents and caretakers are being urged to get booster shots. Typically, babies are given a series of vaccinations, then receive booster shots between ages 4 and 6 and again after age 10.

[snip]

An Associated Press analysis found that 127 of the 7,174 public and private schools in California reported 2009 whooping cough immunization rates of 50 percent or less for kindergartners.

[snip]

Nine deaths since Feb.
Thank goodness it isn't a weekly total!
See "Pertussis Summary Report (September 14, 2010).  It's a pdf.
Nine deaths have been reported; 8 (89%) were Hispanic infants. Eight fatalities were infants <2 months of age at time of disease onset and had not received any doses of pertussis-containing vaccine and the remainder was an ex-28 week preemie that was 2 months of age and had received the first dose of DTaP only 15 days prior to disease onset. The majority of infant cases in 2010 have occurred in infants <3 months of age (Figure 4).

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/D...

To repeat from Carol's post:
All of the whooping cough-related deaths in California occurred in babies too young to be fully immunized against the illness, which is why parents and caretakers are being urged to get booster shots.

I wonder if immigrants who are Hispanic have ever been immunized against whooping cough.  Do health departments ask if parents need a booster or the full series of 4 that their babies get?

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
WHO: Dengue threat growing in Asia, Pacific (CIDRAP)
(Snip) WHO today warned that the number of severe dengue infections and hospitalizations in the Asian Pacific region continues to grow, with some countries reporting significant increases over the same time last year. (Snip) the WHO said dengue is one of the fastest emerging infections in the world and that more than 70% of the at-risk population live in Asian Pacific countries, with Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam among the hardest-hit areas. Though Singapore had a spike in dengue infections in recent months, its number of infections over the years continues to decrease, perhaps because of an effective response system, the WHO said. Increases noted in other countries could be due to a combination of factors, including higher temperatures and rainfall this year, growing population densities, and greater international travel. It said though there is no evidence that global warming is driving the increase in dengue cases in the area, climate changes play a spatial and temporal role in disease distribution. The mosquitoes that spread the virus are now found in areas where they were rare, including South Korea and the highlands of Papua New Guinea. (Snip) the agency is working closely with countries on surveillance activities. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

WHO press release: http://www.wpro.who.int/media_...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

India: Force deployed to tackle Orissa cholera menace
An eight-member team of a specially trained state force was pressed into service Monday to tackle cholera and other water-borne diseases that have claimed 39 lives in Orissa's Rayagada district since August, an official said.
[snip]
"At least 660 patients from 102 villages were treated over the past weeks. We are taking all steps to bring the situation under control," he said adding that around 50 new patients undergo treatment in various health camps and hospitals in the region every day.
[snip]
The state government last week announced an incentive of Rs.100 for those bringing a patient to government hospitals and Rs.200 if anybody brings a patient at night.

The government has also decided to provide one dhoti (traditional wear) and one piece of soap to each of the male patients and a saree and one piece of soap to each of the female patients.
http://www.thehindu.com/health...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Congo: A fever is rampant Bukaka, already 33 deaths among children under 5 years
Machine translated

The town of Bukaka, Malumalu sector in the health area of Bena Mulumba Ilebo territory, is facing a fever whose nature has not yet been determined and who has already caused the deaths of 33 children under 5 years of 221 cases reported. (Snip) Selon the chief doctor of the health zone of Ilebo, Dr. Andre Bope, patients show signs of fatigue. The vulnerable situation of a few days hospitalization. The situation is aggravated by the same source, the lack of assistance. While waiting for a response at the provincial level, a committee was set up locally for management of patients. Meanwhile, another local team is responsible for sensitizing the population to the observance of hygiene rules. The head doctor of the health zone of Ilebo indicates that the area of health Bena Mulumba has 2 sources water unmanaged, first, initiated by rainfall, and secondly, frequented by pets divagation.Au provincial level, the medical inspection has been informed of the situation in Bukaka. Dr. Gaston Tshiapenda responsible for epidemiological surveillance, said the case study to consider an appropriate solution.

- Communicated by: ProMED-FRA

The article does not have enough information to even be able to give guidance on the nature of the disease. We note however that the lethality is very high (about 15 per cent) and less than 5 years are paying the heaviest tribe. Further investigation is required with confirmation by laboratory tests. (Snip) http://eafr.promedmail.org/dir...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

China: Henan tick bite alarm has not been lifted insect pathogen is still not clear
(Note: There are aritcles on this every day. I think something is up in China and not all the facts are being released.....as usual. There are warnings there to not cover up the facts as was done in SARS. There are accusations of an ongoing cover up so that panic doesn't create instability. The medical community in China are some pretty "smart cookies" so it is hard for me to believe that this mysterious illness has not yet been nailed down. I hope this is not H5N1 or a new flu virus!! I don't believe this is coming from tick bites....I think there is more to it than that!JMHO)

Machine translated

Articles writing, at the September 17, Henan "insect bites tick disease and death," the investigation is continuing. Health Ministry and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (the Chinese Center for Disease Control) has not yet issued a formal conclusion on the pathogenic culprit. Prior to that, many media reports, China CDC isolated from some patients is a "new type of Bunia virus", a high degree of suspicion for the disease culprit. The statement did not unanimously accepted in the industry. Have treated patients experienced experts advise, under the authority of departments to be cautious conclusions, not guilty of "SARS" error.

This summer, Henan, Shandong and other provinces Jin Qianren 12 due to insect bites tick disease, dozens of deaths. Tick-worm, the thousands of years to hide in the mountains and the grass or leaves on the back of the "Dracula", then enter a high profile public view. Health system officials judging from experience, as the temperature decreased, insect bites, tick the event will be significantly reduced, and some medical institutions have been found from a clinical cure for the disease is "preventable and treatable, controllable."

The idea that China's primary public health and SARS sounding short board, warning of higher transparency compared to the epidemic, "insect bites tick disease and death" matter of that warning is far from being lifted.  
(Snip)
Henan health department said that since the May 2007 report of Xinyang City, Henan Province, since the first suspected case, by the province to further troubleshoot and monitor, as of September 8, Henan Province, were detected in the cases of 557 cases of these syndromes, death 18 cases. In fact, in recent years, Hubei, Anhui, Shandong Province, the local area, similar cases have occurred, in which individual cases of severe disease due to multiple organ damage and death.

Xinyang City, Henan Province, County Mall is a disease of the "disastrous." This year in January ~ September 8, County Mall straight to the higher authorities reported a total of 120 cases, of which 1 died. In 2009, County Mall Center for Disease Control reported 87 straight to the superior clinical symptoms similar cases, of which 2 died.

CDC main Ren Yufang County Mall said: "It is almost certain, is not transmitted from person to person. The main cases of these diseases is characterized by: fever, WBC, thrombocytopenia."

County Mall for patients with similar symptoms is the only designated hospital shop county People's Hospital. Associate Director of the hospital a physician should be told Martin made "Outlook" Newsweek:

"The patient has a fever, general malaise and other flu-like symptoms, blood tests showed significantly reduced number of platelets and white blood cells.
Clinical findings, doxycycline and oxygen difloxacin and other drugs more obvious effects of such diseases. "

Ministry of Health expert group investigating four counties in the mall suspected cases of tick insect bites and found death, death with age are relatively large, and their potential number of underlying diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease. Some experts believe that the deaths occurred, another reason is that the misdiagnosis of primary care health facilities. Staff reporter learned that the disease is more prone to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Delay in treatment, the patient may appear toxic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure can directly affect the condition and prognosis.
(Snip)

Staff reporter learned that this year, King County, Taiwan Township mall reported a total of 10 patients with suspected cases of tick insect bites, accounting for the entire mall County reported nearly 10% of cases. Currently, 10 patients have been cured. King Tai Xiang Lu chomchon 59-year-old farmer Yang Yunzhi, was "headache, fever, exhaustion", in Shangcheng County People's Hospital, was diagnosed with "suspected cases", on June 4 were cured and discharged. Staff reporter saw her, she was in our yard Abstract peanuts. She told reporters: "Now the body is basically the way back to the previous illness, and that strength has not before it."
(Snip)
County People's Hospital Medical Mall, according to chief Wang Wei introduced, a mall this year, the Hospital of the 40 treated patients, 23 critically ill patients are transferred in a timely manner a. The other patients, and some cured and discharged, and some get better and discharged.
(Snip)
Premier Li Feng Wang Gangxiang Institutes of Health, said the township this year, suspected cases were found in 5 cases, one case was diagnosed as major hospitals in Beijing after lupus erythematosus, excluded, and the remaining 4 patients were not clear about whether it was tick insect bites too.

County Mall, 67, farmer Li Gongrong Feng Jixiangke liangshuijing as dizziness, headache first townships by cold treatment, her condition did not improve, and later cured in the mall County People's Hospital. She was feeling mainly generalized weakness, headache, chills, cold, blood tests revealed neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Can not remember whether she was tick off insect bites.

Staff reporter learned that ticks insects are common in the mall County, bites also occur, many medical personnel and patients want to know the consequences if the tick insect bites such serious, then why did not previous cases?

Yang Chuanhai said: "In the past the mountains than it is now more than insects, biting insects are insects that not only ticks one, why the last of these insects or ticks insect bites a person not sick, but in recent years began to get sick?"

Yang Chuanhai holding stack of rural doctors in rural King Kong-Taiwan-related knowledge on the disease, the test scripts. He rolled his answer sheet, shaking his head said: "Tick insect bites can cause this disease, I think it is basically impossible. Tick insect bites, many people are too, why only a small number of human cases?"

Mall County CDC for the mall this year, the Hospital of 40 patients admitted to the epidemiological survey showed that only 14 people can be sure you tick incidence of insect bites before being over, the other patients is uncertain.

The investigation concluded that the disease has three characteristics: 1, time of onset was significantly seasonal, cases mostly in 4 to 9 months in September so far found only one case; 2, the incidence in the Middle Hills region more hilly areas; 3, farmers accounted for 94.17% of the total incidence, age of onset mostly over 50 years, mostly with the field personnel exposed to disease history, engaged in farming, mowing, picking and other outdoor activities.
According to the CDC party secretary Zhang Shaoxing County Mall introduction, Hubei, Anhui, and border counties and cities in the county mall, have also occurred in recent years a large number of cases with similar symptoms, but the cause has not been clear. This year in May, the Chinese Center for Disease Control has mall County as a "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" Monitoring the country.

Buddhist to the Chinese CDC director, said the virus this year in May, the Ministry of Health in Henan, Hubei, when monitoring, monitoring of the "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" disease, but the exact cause by which pathogens, are also being further studies.
(Snip)
It is reported that the Chinese are known to carry ticks and insects can be 83 viruses, 14 bacteria, 17 types of relapsing fever spirochetes, 32 species of protozoa, in all possible vectors of disease organisms, insects ticks ranked second only to mosquitoes. Tick-worm expert, Dean of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Liu Jingze that ticks are common pests in rural areas, but until recent years have reported insect bites, ticks may be the cause of the disease: first, the original wild animals, insects tick hosts, such as rabbits, cattle, sheep, etc. decreased, ticks insects began to attack people, attack people or more; second, tick insect populations increase, need to find more hosts.
(Snip)
In recent years, from SARS to avian flu and then to influenza H1N1, the community has gone through a number of the fear of new infectious diseases. In epidemic prevention and control of the process, the public gradually recognized: the epidemic stops transparent.

Henan Province in the "insect bites tick disease and death" incident, some media quoted one of Xinyang City Health Bureau, insider as saying, "This year in April, the mayor listened to reports on the health system, leading the conclusion that conclusion, in the transmission of pathogens and not figure out the case, the large masses of information likely to cause panic, resulting in instability. " This means that the local government to "safeguard stability" in the name of the epidemic to the public, concealed.
In response to that question, on September 8, Henan Province Health Department, said CDC Deputy Director DIAO, from 2007 onwards, Xinyang and Nanyang disease control departments of the two places to start on the monitoring of disease-free body, and suspected cases included in the scope of direct reporting network, there is no concealed conditions.

What Henan "insect bites tick disease and death" in the end will be what conclusion, this issue will continue to monitor. http://news.qq.com/a/20100919/...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

"on the back of the "Dracula""
"Delay in treatment, the patient may appear toxic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure can directly affect the condition and prognosis. "
Scary words here.  Hope the cause gets tracked down soon.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
85 deaths in past few days Uttar Pradesh, India 19 Sept.
The mystery fever continues to stalk Ramabainagar district as it claimed five more lives, including that of the village head of Amraudha block, on Sunday. Three minors were also among the victims. Over 85 deaths have been reported from the district in the past few days. Chief medical officer Lajjaram said, "We have been conducting inspections in the affected villages where cases of viral fever are being reported. If the fever is not treated in time, it may result in further complications." He added that medical teams have been deployed in the affected villages. "But the villagers are not maintaining proper hygiene," said Lajjaram.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

Bangladesh: Human, bovine anthrax
Fourteen new cases of Cutaneous Anthrax in the last 24 hours, with 599 cases from 18 Aug to 23 Sep 2010

Properly boiled meat a way to avert anthrax say experts
-------------------------------------------------------
Properly cooking meat in 120 degree Celsius [248 DEG F] temperature
is an easy way to avert anthrax, said the experts in the capital
yesterday at a seminar.

They also said the spore (germ) of anthrax cannot sustain in 120
degree Celsius. But we are use to cooking meat in a pot at 100 degree
Celsius [212 DEG F] temperature which cannot ensure whether the
anthrax spore is destroyed, they added in a seminar titled 'Anthrax:
Public Health Issues' which was held at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib
Medical University (BSMMU).
[snip]

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Russia: anthrax in dairy cows
According to the spokesman, anthrax infections have been confirmed at
a dairy farm in the village of Uspenskoye. As many as 20 infected
cows have already been slaughtered, and their carcasses have been
burnt. Measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease.

Moreover, 2 persons have been hospitalised with suspected anthrax.
The health condition of 30 more farm's staff members is being monitored

[ProMed commented that medicine could have saved the cows.]

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Plague breaks out in China's Tibet
BEIJING, Sept 26, 2010 (AFP) - China issued a health alert in its southwestern region of Tibet Sunday after five people were diagnosed with the plague (Snip) One of the five has already died from a severe lung infection attributed to the pneumonic plague, while one other patient was in a critical condition, (Snip)
The outbreak was first detected on Thursday last week in Latok village in Tibet's Nyingchi Prefecture, (Snip) The four patients, all of whom had contact with the deceased, have been quarantined, it said.

Disease control experts have been dispatched to the area in an effort to control the further spread of the disease, it said. The department also issued a warning to anyone who has visited the region near the outbreak to seek immediate medical attention should they develop fever, cough or other flu-like symptoms common to the plague.

Pneumonic plague is spread by rodents like marmots (Snip). An outbreak of the disease last year killed three people in Ziketan, a town in a Tibetan area in neighbouring Qinghai province. The World Health Organization says pneumonic plague is the most virulent but least common form of plague. The mortality rate can be high, but prompt antibiotic treatment is effective. http://www.arabtimesonline.com...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

From your article in April, above:
   
The plague is particularly virulent because it can be passed to other people via coughing. If left untreated, mortality rates range from 50 to 90 percent, according to the World Health Organization.

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

[Comment: Brrr, scary!]

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Hi Jane
Pneumonic plague is very scary and highly contagious.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Confirmed outbreak of pneumonic plague in Tibet with the incidence of 1 death 5
Machine translated

According to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 26 - Press 26 from the Ministry of Health was informed that with the pneumonic plague outbreak confirmed in Tibet, as at present, there are 5 human cases, including 1 death.

Tibetan Health Department announcement that September 23, 2010, (Snip) Tibet found a suspected outbreak of human plague. Comprehensive clinical, epidemiological investigation, laboratory test results, the experts identified the outbreak as the outbreak of pneumonic plague together. (Snip) the first case of secondary pneumonic plague died of bubonic plague, and the remaining four cases were pneumonic plague, for the initial cases in direct contact with the infection. http://www.news365.com.cn/xwzx...

(Note: It seems to be saying that they either diagnosed the 1st case wrong as being bubonic plague or that the patient had a co-infection (secondary case) of pneumonic plague?? Either way, apparently the other 4 people caught pneumonic plague from the initial case.)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
It's caused by the same
bug bacterium, yersina pestis
The most famous symptom of bubonic plague is painful, swollen lymph glands, called buboes. These are commonly found in the armpits, groin or neck. Due to its bite-based form of infection, the bubonic plague is often the first step of a progressive series of illnesses. Two other types are pneumonic and septicemic. However, pneumonic plague, unlike the bubonic or septicemic, induced coughing, and was also very infectious and allowed person-to-person spread. Bubonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, usually 2 - 5 days after exposure to the bacteria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B...

I was afraid of this; people hunt and eat the carrier of plague:

For humans, marmots historically have been a source of meat and fur,

http://www.newworldencyclopedi...
So the fleas would jump off the killed animal.....

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
China Probing 5 Pneumonic Plague Cases in Tibet, UN Agency Says
Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Health authorities in China sent experts to the Tibet Autonomous Region, where five cases of pneumonic plague were reported, the World Health Organization in Beijing said.

The cases were reported in Lang county of Linzhi region. Four of the patients were in close contact with a person who died of the bacterial infection, and are being isolated and treated  (Snip) One of the patients is critical and the three others are in stable condition.

Chinese health officials will conduct epidemiological investigations, trace close contacts, and undertake prevention, control and treatment measures in the area (Snip) They have also alerted people who were in the affected area after Sept. 18 to seek help at the local center for disease control if they develop fever, cough or other symptoms, WHO said.

(Snip) we don't know how the index case was infected, but we do know that the area is a known natural plague focus, meaning that the disease persists among small wild rodents, mainly marmots," (Snip) http://www.businessweek.com/ne...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

ProMED: Lassa Fever - Seirra Leone: (Northern)
An epidemic of Lassa hemorrhagic fever now affecting several West African countries, has reached Sierra Leone and so far has been responsible for 2 deaths (Snip). A 45-year-old woman and her 6-year-old son died in a private hospital in the town of Kameni (Northern region) (Snip) "On the basis of laboratory tests, we have concluded that the deaths were a consequence of Lassa virus infection." Another 7 people have contracted Lassa hemorrhagic fever and 3 are in critical condition. Rats are the source of Lassa fever infection. (Snip) Lassa virus is transmitted among humans by direct contact with the blood, urine, and other biological secretions of an infected person. Percy Blango, on behalf of the health services in the region, advised that rats, which are often used as a food source in northern Sierra Leone, should not be eaten. The principal clinical signs of Lassa virus infection (fever, vomiting, abdominal pain) are similar to those of malaria, dysentery, and yellow fever, which complicates initial diagnosis of the condition. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) between 300,000 and 500,000 people are affected by Lassa fever in West Africa each year, and 5000 die as a consequence. Lassa fever is endemic in parts of Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and sporadically affects other countries such as Senegal.
*******************************************************

Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease. The animal reservoir of Lassa virus is a rodent of the genus Mastomys, commonly known as the "multimammate rat." Mastomys infected with Lassa virus do not become ill, but they can shed the virus in their excreta. (Snip)

About 80 percent of human infections are asymptomatic; the remaining cases have severe multi-system disease, where the virus affects several organs in the body, such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys. The incubation period of Lassa fever ranges from 6-21 days. (Snip) http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Pakistan: Congo fever kills young doctor
Abbotabad: A young resident medical officer (RMO), Dr Husnain Shah, working in the Ayub Teaching Hospital died of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (Snip)
Dr Husnain died after spending a night in Besham, district Shangla, in a health facility established for flood survivors. His younger brother also appears to be suffering from the same disease and has been suffering fluctuating temperature and low platelets for the past few days. (Snip)

The hospital administration has sent the blood samples of his relatives and hospital staff to laboratories in Islamabad. The hospital administration has decided to provide free medical treatment to all relatives of the deceased doctor, while blood samples of the medical staff of the other complex are going to be sent to National Institute of Health for further investigation.

A special ward in the dental block is being used to quarantine patients suspected to be infected with the Congo virus. Another ICU unit will also be established in the hospital to provide medical treatment to dengue virus, bird flu and Congo virus patients. http://tribune.com.pk/story/57...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

ProMED: Tests confirm Abbottabad doctor died of CCHF
Excerpt:

For readers who are wondering what a disease named Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever is doing in Pakistan, thereby hangs a tale. The disease was first identified as the cause of an epidemic in the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea in the former USSR. Years later, the virus was isolated from the blood of a febrile patient in the former Belgian Congo by a Belgian doctor, and sent to the regional reference lab, which was the East African Virus Research Institute (EAVRI) in the British colony of Uganda (now the Uganda VRI). There it wasisolated by staff and sent by me to the world reference lab at the Rockefeller Foundation Virus Laboratory in New York, where it was found to be new. I asked the Belgian what he would like to name it, and he said Congo virus, which is the name I published it under. Later, the Soviets succeeded in isolating the virus from their own patients, and were surprised to find it was Congo virus. They decided this would never do, hence the current name. It has since been found to be carried by migrating birds and their ticks all over their migration routes in much of the Old World.

Lots more on the death of this doctor and the disease that killed him is here: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Medics meet Frontier Airlines flight in Denver
DENVER - Medics have met a Frontier Airlines flight at the Denver airport after a child on board was reported to potentially have a contagious disease. Flight 64 from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Denver landed as scheduled late Saturday afternoon.

(Snip) initial reports were the illness may be hand, foot and mouth disease, which can cause fever, blister-like eruptions in the mouth or a skin rash. It is a common viral illness in children.

(Snip) the 127 passengers were asked to stay on board while paramedics determined the child's condition. (Snip)  the passengers were given the OK to be released within about an hour. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39...

(Note: I can't find anything else on this. I would like to know what happened to the child and what the final diagnosis was. Hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious and large outbreaks happen every year in children in Asia.)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

New disease similar to dengue fever discovered
While dengue fever continues to plague many provinces and cities nationwide, scientists have discovered a new fever with similar symptoms that is difficult to diagnosis and treat. The new fever is caused by the Chikungunya virus, which is believed to be transmitted by the Asian tiger mosquito or forest-day mosquito (Aedes albopictus), (Snip)

(Snip) The diseases symptoms include high fevers between 38-39 degrees Celsius, rash, muscle pain and sore eyes. Scientists have only been able to find the virus from patient's samples, but not from the source (Snip) The disease is not considered to be as serious as dengue fever, but the virus has caused fatalities in other countries. http://www.dowell-netherlands....

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Rival Teams Identify a Virus Behind Deaths in Central China
When Xue-jie Yu came to China last year [2009] to probe a lethal fever outbreak, everyone -- Yu included -- assumed he would provide damning testimony against a known suspect. Every summer for 3 years, hundreds of people in central China came down with an illness characterized by high fever and gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Many victims bled profusely, and an alarming number of the sick -- rough estimates are as high as 30 percent in some areas -- died. By early 2007, scientists at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here fingered the killer as human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), an emerging bacterial infection from tick bites. But to Yu, an expert on tick-borne diseases at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, things didn't add up.

"The fatality rate was too high," Yu says, and in his experience it was "rare" for HGA patients to have GI symptoms. (Snip) Yu tested blood samples for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the HGA bacterium and came up empty. Last December [2009], his team identified a new kind of bunyavirus. The finding, in a paper submitted to The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), unmasks a dangerous new emerging virus.
(Snip)
For starters, researchers do not know how lethal the virus is. The mortality rate may be high in China in part because clinics often prescribe the steroid dexamethasone to bring down high fevers; steroids suppress the immune system, which usually worsens infections. And although the infection shows a seasonal pattern associated with tick-borne diseases; cases begin in early spring and peak in midsummer before tapering off by autumn. The [putative] vector is still a mystery. Continued: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

45 die from Lassa fever in Sierra Leone
Health officials in Sierra Leone on Thursday [8 Oct 2010] said 45 people had died from Lassa fever in the 1st 9 months of the year including a woman who ran a rat meat restaurant. (Snip) up to 152 cases of Lassa fever, which can be transmitted by bush rats, had so far been confirmed for the same period. (Snip) 21 people had come into contact with the woman and her 6-year-old son, who also died, in the northern city of Makeni. All others survived after emergency treatment. (Snip) the disease which has migrated from the forest region of the east to the savannah grasslands of the north, causes fever, sore throat, chest pain, diarrhoea and loss of hearing. (Snip)**********************************************************

The death of the woman and her son and 7 other cases (3 in serious condition) were reported on 27 Sep 2010 in the north of the country. Now it is revealed that in all 21 people contracted Lassa fever through contact with the deceased woman and all (except her son) have survived following emergency treatment. (Snip) during the past 9 months there have been in total up to 152 cases and 45 deaths in Sierra Leone. It is clear that a major outbreak of Lassa fever has occurred since normally about 80 percent of human infections are asymptomatic. Those affected suffer severe multi-system disease, where the virus affects several organs in the body, such as the liver, spleen and kidneys. The incubation period of Lassa fever ranges from 6-21 days. Deafness occurs in 25 percent of patients of whom half recover some function after 1-3 months. Transient hair loss and gait disturbance may occur during recovery. The overall case-fatality rate is 1 percent, and up to 15 percent among hospitalized patients. Death usually occurs within 14 days of onset in fatal cases. The disease is especially severe late in pregnancy, with maternal death and/or fetal loss occurring in greater than 80 percent of cases during the 3rd trimester. Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease. Continued: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Not the usual rat; it's much bigger than my cat!
http://www.google.com/imgres?i...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
Brazil: A super bacteria resistant to antibiotics leaves 18 dead in Brasilia
Machine translated

KPC bacteria resistant to most antibiotics available in the Brazilian market, has 18 fatalities so far this year in the region of Brasilia, in addition to several cases of infections were recorded in Sao Paulo (Snip) In the Brazilian capital, 108 people infected with the organism were admitted to a dozen hospitals. Of these about 18 patients died. In Sao Paulo, only in the Hospital de Clínicas (HC), were more than 70 people infected since 2008, when the first case was confirmed in the institution.

'The rate of cases increased, which worries us, "said the group responsible for the control of hospital infections in the HC (Snip) many patients with the bacteria came from elsewhere in Brazil. 'That makes us think that the resistant strain is present in other parts of the country, (Snip) KPC has been identified 'in Joao Pessoa arrivals samples and Recife (Northeast), Vitoria and Rio de Janeiro (Southeast) and Rio Grande do Sul (south), "he added.

The KPC is a Klebisiella pneumoniae strain resistant to multiple antibiotics, including penicillin. http://www.terra.com.mx/notici...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

What do you make of this?
Missing Southampton malaria trial man 'travelled north'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-e...

reaching for the tin foil.....

Why tin foil?
Mosquito repellent might help you more, if he gets bitten during his travels.  Or am I missing something?

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
Yup..
...as in tin foil hat....
[ Parent ]
CCTV bid to find nurse missing amid malaria trial
http://www.scarborougheveningn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Researchers find new coronavirus in African bats
A team of American and Nigerian researchers is reporting the discovery in African bats of a new coronavirus that is closely related to the SARS (Snip) coronavirus. The researchers examined gastrointestinal tissue from Nigerian cave-dwelling bats as part of a search for pathogens in places where human-bat contact might lead to interspecies transmission of emerging viruses, (Snip) Polymerase chain reaction revealed the presence of coronavirus sequences similar to those of the SARS coronavirus in a Commerson's leaf-nosed bat. Further genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses led the researchers to conclude that the virus is unique and represents a new subgroup within group 2 coronaviruses. The researchers have tentatively named the virus Zaria bat coronavirus (Snip) They note that SARS-coronavirus-like viruses were reported in Chinese horseshoe bats in 2005. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Brazil reports 15 deaths from cases of drug-resistant bacteria infection
Oct. 18 - Brazil's Federal District reported on Monday 163 suspected cases of infection by a drug-resistant bacteria and 15 related deaths  (Snip) The bacteria -- Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC) -- is resistant to most of the common antibiotics on the Brazilian market (Snip). Of the 163 suspected patients in the capital, 48 remained hospitalized in 17 hospitals.

At the Base Hospital of Brasilia (HBB), there are 23 infected cases.Three patients died from the superbacteria in the hospital on Oct. 9. "We are making an effort to control the infection. We divided the hospital into four sections -- one for people who had contact with infected patients, another for patients suspected of infection, the third for the carriers and the fourth for the normal patients," (Snip) some suspected cases were also reported in the State of Sao Paulo, but the number is not yet determined.
(Snip)
KPC makes bacteria behave like virus in a sense that most antibiotics, including penicillin, do not work against them. KPC is found in the mouth, skin and intestines. People infected with it tend to have a weakened immune system. Many of the infection cases are found when the patient is in hospital for some other reasons. http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Haiti says 138 dead in suspected cholera outbreak
Oct 21 (Reuters) - Nearly 140 people have died in central Haiti in an outbreak of severe diarrhea that Haitian health officials suspect is cholera (Snip)

Haitian health authorities have informed the World Health Organization of 138 deaths and 1,526 cases so far in the outbreak centered on the Lower Artibonite region, north of the capital Port-au-Prince (Snip) http://www.reuters.com/article...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

US: Potentially lethal 'superbug' spreading in Chicago hospitals
http://www.suntimes.com/lifest...

A potentially lethal germ resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics is spreading fast in Chicago health-care facilities, new research suggests.

This latest "superbug" is formed when common bacteria produce an enzyme called Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase, or KPC, that makes them resistant to a class of antibiotics used as a last resort when other treatments fail.

The number of Chicago hospitals and long-term care facilities reporting infections with these KPC-producing bacteria has increased 42 percent, from 26 to 37, between this year and last. (snip)

So far, KPC infections in Chicago have mostly been limited to immune-compromised patients in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. (continued)

Colorado: meningitis killed one at CSU
A student from Colorado State University died from bacterial meningitis on October 20 while another student remains hospitalized in Fort Collins, Colorado, with a possible infection. According to public health and university officials, Christina Adame, 23, fell ill around 11 p.m. on the night of October 19 and died approximately three hours later. She was partially incoherent when she called her mother that night. "This is an illness that can kill very quickly, and can kill otherwise healthy people," Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, director of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment said at press conference. [snip]  Zachary Ratlaff, 19, a second student at CSU, was hospitalized with an infection at Poudre Valley Hospital. Officials said they are unaware of any connection between the two. LeBailly said that Ratlaff appeared to be less ill than Adame and that his infection may not be meningitis. He is being treated for meningitis as a precaution. It also remains unclear whether or not the strain that Adame contracted is the same as the one that killed three Colorado hockey players over the last few months. Those test results should be made available sometime next week. [snip]
(The summary said that 20 others have been infected, but that isn't mentioned in the text.)
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...  [click on "Event Description"]

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
Indian Ocean coral loss may affect food resources for millions of people.
International marine scientists say that a huge coral death which has struck Southeast Asian and India Ocean reefs over recent months has highlighted the urgency of controlling global carbon emissions. Many reefs are dead or dying across the Indian Ocean and into the Coral Triangle following a bleaching event that extends from the Seychelles in the west to Sulawesi and the Philippines in the east and include reefs in Sri Lanka, Burma Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and many sites in western and eastern Indonesia. "It is certainly the worst coral die-off we have seen since 1998. It may prove to be the worst such event known to science," says Dr Andrew Baird of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook Universities. "So far around 80 percent of Acropora colonies and 50 per cent of colonies from other species have died since the outbreak began in May this year." This means coral cover in the region could drop from an average of 50% to around 10%, and the spatial scale of the event could mean it will take years to recover, striking at local fishing and regional tourism industries, he says. The bleaching event has also hit the richest marine biodiversity zone on the planet, the 'Amazon Rainforest' of the seas, known as the Coral Triangle (CT), which is bounded by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. "Although the Coral Triangle is the richest region for corals on Earth, it relies on other regions around its fringes to supply the coral spawn and fish larvae that help keep it so rich," Dr Baird explains. "So there are both direct and indirect effects on CT reefs which will affect their ability to recover from future disturbance."

"Also the reefs of the region support tens of millions of people who make their living from the sea and so plays a vital role in both the regional economy and political stability.
[snip]
Dr Baird said it was not yet clear whether Australia would suffer a similar coral bleaching event this year: this would emerge only with the arrival of warmer waters from the north in January/February 2011.  
[snip]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...   {click on "Event Description"}

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Outbreak of deadly infection in Brazil worries health officials across the world
SAO PAULO - An outbreak of deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Brazil has killed at least 18 people around Brazil's capital, officials said Tuesday, and has prompted hurried measures to keep the problem from spreading. The outbreak of klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase in Brasilia follows others in Israel in 2007 and in Puerto Rico in 2008 (Snip)

Brazil's national health agency said the known toll so far stands at 18 dead, with 183 people hospitalized with the infection in the nation's capital as last Thursday. The figures are updated on a weekly basis. According to (Snip) the Federal District's Health Secretariat, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1, the number of known cases in Brasilia was 108 people - meaning there was a spike of nearly 70 per cent in the last three weeks. A spokeswoman for the agency said the rise did not necessarily mean the danger of infections was growing; it might be due to increasing vigilance and testing for the infections.

An official with the CDC in the U.S. said the figures are significant. "There is no reason to panic, but there is a need for a call for action," said Denise Cardo, director of the division that monitors hospital infections at the CDC. "We are seeing an increase in hospital infections in recent years and if health professionals don't take action now it will be harder and harder to contain them in the future."

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase - often just called KPC - is enzyme produced by bacteria that annuls the effectiveness of modern antibiotics and it tends to infect patients who have had surgery or other invasive procedures. Most of the cases are seen in intensive care unit patients. Cardo said the infections are hard to treat and have a fatality rate of about 40 per cent. Continued:  http://www.google.com/hostedne...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

ACIP Recommends Meningococcal Booster for Teens
In a split vote, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that a booster dose of meningococcal vaccine be given at age 16 to address declining immunity in adolescents. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pe...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Congo: 8 dead in Pointe-Noire in an epidemic related to poliomyelitis
An epidemic similar to poliomyelitis has been raging in Pointe-Noire, the principal economic and industrial center of the Congo, for nearly 2 weeks. There are already 8 deaths and 20 cases reported (Snip) "Patients have been admitted to hospitals with symptoms of an influenza-like illness. They also have paralysis starting with the legs and [ascending] to the upper extremities." (Snip)

"This epidemic is very similar to poliomyelitis which has raged [in the past] with the difference that this time the disease is affecting teenagers and adults, unlike polio, which mainly affects young children," (Snip)  the disease is probably caused by a virus that invades the digestive tract. Professor Elira Dockekias urged the public not to panic but to observe basic hygiene measures in consuming only potable water. "Water must be boiled before consumption; one can also use the products recommended by health services to citizens," (Snip) Due to the lack of potable water in some districts of Pointe-Noire, especially in the periphery [outside of the center of town], people can consume water from wells and some poorly maintained boreholes that, during the rainy season, serve as homes for multiplication of many parasites, bacteria and viruses that cause epidemics.
*****************************************

The brief description of the disease sounds like an ascending paralysis that is often seen with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) -- an autoimmune disease with an inflammatory demyelination of peripheral nerves. GBS often follows a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness (notably following campylobacteriosis. The illness presents with a subacute onset of progressive and symmetrical weakness in the legs and arms, with loss of reflexes. Sensory abnormalities are seen as well as involvement of cranial nerves, and paralysis of respiratory muscles also can occur.

In areas with good supportive care, there is low case fatality rate. Some notable distinctions between GBS and polio include the observation that 90 percent of those with paralytic disease related to poliovirus infection have residual paralysis, whereas approximately 90 percent of those with GBS have complete recovery from their paralysis. Another distinction is that the neurologic disease seen with poliovirus infection involves pure motor deficit with sensory sparing, whereas GBS typically has significant sensory deficits along with the motor impairment. GBS has also been associated with organophosphate poisoning. Continued: http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn...
 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

More E.coli news...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH...

Cheese sold at Costco in 5 states linked to E. coli

(CNN) -- Federal health officials are warning consumers to avoid a cheese sold in five states over an E. coli outbreak that has left 25 people sick.

The Gouda cheese was sold at Costco stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.

Costco offered the Bravo Farms Dutch Style Raw Milk Gouda Cheese for sale and in-store tasting between October 5 and Monday (November 1).

...more

Concern in Brazil increased incidence of resistant bacteria
The increased incidence of infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which killed at least 18 dead, concerned the government of Brazil, reported local media on Saturday 06/11/2010.

Three new patients with the KCP bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenem) in Pernambuco were in stable condition in intensive care (Snip) This brings to 10 the KCP patients in hospitals in Pernambuco (Snip) Nationally, more than 200 people have been infected with the bacteria this year, most of them last month, had announced few days ago the Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao. At least 18 people died in hospitals in Brasilia, the capital, then noted the minister, who urged people to remain calm and explained that the infections were occurring only in hospitals and affecting patients already debilitated.

The National Health Surveillance Agency took steps to restrict public access to antibiotics, it is believed that their overuse has helped bacteria become resistant to the KPC. http://www.lanacion.com.py/art...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

US: Fla. officials to euthanize 400 pigs
BUNNELL, Fla. (AP) - State officials are planning to euthanize about 400 pigs who have been quarantined for an infectious disease at an animal sanctuary since 2005.

A court order granted the Flagler County State Attorney's Office custody of the pigs Tuesday. The animals have lived on a sanctuary in central Florida for more than a decade. Local officials tried for months to get the facility to comply with regulations or shut down.

(Snip) the Florida Department of Agriculture says there is concern the pigs may have an infectious disease caused by bacteria that can be transmitted to people. Symptoms can be flu like, but can progress to something more serious.

Lory Yazurlo (Snip) says the pigs never tested positive for the bacteria. Officials said the pigs will be euthanized within a week. http://www.fox4now.com/Global/...

(OK, I give up.....what kind of bacteria is it???)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

More on the pig sanctuary
Diseases mentioned (but not necessarily tested for?):
pseudorabies virus
mange
brucellosis

http://flaglerlive.com/14225/p...

Carol, LOL, (OK, I give up.....what kind of bacteria is it???)

The article says the pigs appear to have bred with feral pigs, although feral pigs were supposed to have been fenced out.  

The owner of the sanctuary, a quadraplegic, is a volunteer who started out by rescuing pot-bellied pigs.  There are 400 pigs now, down from 800.  

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
US: Miami has first dengue fever case in 50 years (Florida)
MIAMI (Reuters) - Health authorities in Miami, one of Florida's top tourist attractions, have reported the first case of dengue fever in 50 years, an official said on Friday.

The person diagnosed with the sometimes deadly mosquito-born virus has fully recovered after a brief hospitalization, (Snip) The case comes four months after officials announced more than 1,000 people in Key West, Florida, were believed to have been infected with dengue last year, marking its reemergence in the southeast U.S. state for the first time in decades.

The strands in Key West and Miami are not the same, Rivera said, meaning it did not appear to signal the infection was moving north into the United States.

The virus can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches and muscle and joint pains. It can also take on a hemorrhagic form, causing sudden death through internal bleeding and bleeding from body orifices. Florida public health authorities have been on alert after a dengue epidemic took hold in the Caribbean and parts of Latin America earlier this year. Continued: http://thestar.com.my/news/sto...

(Note: "The strands in Key West and Miami are not the same, Rivera said, meaning it did not appear to signal the infection was moving north into the United States." Duh....Miami is north of Key West!)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

Oregon: dead sea lions; leash your dogs
California sea lions dying of leptospirosis off Oregon's coast

Autopsies on dozens of California sea lions that have found off of Oregon's coast have suggested that they may have died from the bacterial infection, leptospirosis.

According to Oregon State University's Jim Rice, they are getting daily calls about sick or dead sea lions.

These findings do set off an alarm concerning a threat to human health. Pet dogs for example can pick up the disease through contact with sick or dead sea lions. Rice strongly recommends that people visiting coastal areas avoid sea lions and keep their dogs on a leash.
[snip]

Recreational activities which involve exposure to fresh water contaminated with infected animal urine are also a risk for leptospirosis.

http://www.examiner.com/infect...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Malaria imported from Ghana among airline employees
In the recent issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly (MMWR), there is a report of 4 cases of malaria from employees of the same airline that had traveled to Ghana in late August/early September and brought the disease back into the United States.

The employees, 2 flight attendants and 2 pilots, not all on the same flight, spent somewhere between 48 to 80 hours in Accra, Ghana. All stayed in the same hotel and spent time outdoors in the evening and night hours.

All four were discovered to have Plasmodium falciparum malaria upon returning to the US. Fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were common symptoms.
[snip]
This case proves that even short stays in malaria endemic areas there is a real risk for malaria transmission.

http://www.examiner.com/infect...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Chicago: Two sentences handed down in honey laundering cases
Two individuals were sentenced recently in Chinese honey laundering cases. "Honey laundering" describes the re-routing of Chinese honey through different countries to avoid tariffs imposed on the Chinese imports. [snip]

In the first case, Fan ducked approximately $5.3 million in taxes by routing Chinese honey through alternative countries.  In 2009 Fan admitted that he imported honey that had been mixed with up to 30% artificial sugar to earn a higher profit margin. [snip]

Yan attempted to bring in Chinese honey by claiming it came from the Philippines and Thailand, which ultimately entered the US through Washington.  Yan's efforts avoided nearly $4 million in fees. Some of the Chinese honey Yan imported was contaminated with antibiotics that have largely been removed from human use in the US. [snip]

http://www.examiner.com/northe...

News release, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
http://www.ice.gov/news/releas...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Uganda: 13 dead, as strange disease spreads
THIRTEEN people have been reported dead in Abim and Agago districts, following an outbreak of a strange disease in Abim. Twenty cases have been reported in Abim district, out of whom eight have already died.

In neighouring Agago district, five cases have been reported in the sub counties of Omiya P'Chua and Paimol, which border Abim district.

Emmanuel Okech, an official from Abim district health Office said out of the twenty cases, eight have died, two quarantined and another ten have been discharged after their conditions improved.

(Snip) the affected persons have high fever, vomit blood, pass bloody stools and also bleed from other openings like the nose and ears. "The victims usually die between three and five days, and are suspected to be highly contagious," (Snip)

Last week, a team from the World Health Organization and the Ministry of health went to Abim, and are investigating the disease. According to Okech, samples were taken to Uganda Virus Research Institute but there is still no clue as to what disease is affecting the people there.

"We were suspecting viral hemorrhagic infection, but results from Uganda Virus Research Institute have ruled out Ebola, Marburg and Lassa," (Snip) He said samples from the affected persons have now been flown to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

On Tuesday, the District health Officer of Agago district Dr Emmanuel Otto announced that five people had died in Paimol and Omiya P'Chua, from infections similar to those reported in Abim.

Dr. Otto said he was also expecting a team of doctors from the World Health Organization and the Health Ministry in Agago, to go to the affected sub counties and conduct tests to ascertain the nature of the disease.

(Snip) more than 10 percent of patients treated in Abim Hospital are from neighboring Agago district, raising suspicions that the five who died in Agago could have contracted the disease while they went for treatment in Abim Hospital.

Meanwhile authorities in Abim district have put up an isolation center for those suspected to have contracted the disease. According to Abim district chairman Norman Ochero, the district health sector and its partners have pooled together resources to set up an isolation center in Abim Hospital and Morulem Health Centre. (Snip)  
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

More candidates:
• The Arenaviridae include the viruses responsible for Lassa fever and Argentine, Bolivian, Brazilian and Venezuelan hemorrhagic fevers.
• The Bunyaviridae include the members of the Hantavirus genus that cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus from the Nairovirus genus, and the Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus from the Phlebovirus genus.
• The Filoviridae include Ebola and Marburg viruses.
• Finally, the Flaviviridae include dengue, yellow fever, and two viruses in the tick-borne encephalitis group that cause VHF: Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus and Kyasanur Forest disease virus.
There's a map here.
http://maps.thefullwiki.org/Vi...

Marburg haemorrhagic fever (MHF) was first identified in 1967 during epidemics in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia from importation of infected monkeys from Uganda.
Also in Congo and Angola

Map, Marburg virus:  http://www.who.int/csr/disease...
http://www.who.int/csr/disease...

The Ebola virus was first identified in the western equatorial province of Sudan and in a nearby region of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1976 after significant epidemics in Nzara, southern Sudan and Yambuku, northern Zaire.
---  There are five distinct species of the Ebola virus: Bundibugyo, Côte d'Ivoire, Reston, Sudan and Zaïre. Bundibugyo, Sudan and Zaïre species
Map, Ebola virus:  http://www.who.int/csr/disease...
http://www.who.int/csr/disease...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Hi Jane
The article stated this, "We were suspecting viral hemorrhagic infection, but results from Uganda Virus Research Institute have ruled out Ebola, Marburg and Lassa," (Snip) He said samples from the affected persons have now been flown to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta."

Sure sounds like a hemorrhagic fever to me. Could be a new type..... maybe the CDC can figure it out. The symptoms and the CFR are pretty scary.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Hi Carol!
I didn't know there were so many hemorrhagic fevers.  I never heard of 2 of the three categories in that piece I found in TheFullWiki.    

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
ProMED comments on the "Undiagnosed Deaths, Human - Uganda"
This undiagnosed illness in North Eastern Uganda has a clinical presentation that suggests viral hemorrhagic fever. However tests done at the Uganda Virus Research Institute have ruled out Ebola,Marburg and Lassa fevers. The differential diagnosis is wide and includes other viral infections particularly arbovirus infections; bacterial infections such as typhoid fever and shigellosis;rickettsial diseases; and parasitic infections such as malaria. This cluster definitely warrants a comprehensive epidemiological investigation and further information on the cause of this evolvingoutbreak will be appreciated. http://eafr.promedmail.org/dir...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Sierra Leone: Third lassa fever death in recent weeks
A South African civil engineer has become the third fatal victim of an outbreak of Lassa Fever in northern Sierra Leone, a health ministry official said on Thursday.

While the acute viral haemorrhagic fever causes some 5 000

deaths annually in west Africa, according to World Health Organisation figures, it has usually only affected the eastern part of Sierra Leone and the outbreak has sparked fears it may be spreading.
[snip]
Two people died in October in Makeni, including a woman who ran a restaurant selling rat meat and her six-year-old son.

Of the 153 cases recorded nationwide in the first 10 months of the year, 48 people have died, according to health officials.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/afri...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Cold pneumonia at "epidemic" levels
Danish doctors say the country is facing an epidemic of bacterial pneumonia following a tenfold increase in the number of positive tests for mycoplasma pneumonia (Snip) "We have noted a major increase in numbers for some time, but now numbers have reached proportions that mean we should call it an epidemic," (Snip)  

Mycoplasma pneumonia, or cold pneumonia as it is commonly known in Denmark, gives symptoms such as long-term coughing and weariness. "Although we call it cold pneumonia, you can become feverish. (Snip) "It pops up every so often - normally in intervals of five to six years. The epidemic itself normally lasts longer than a flu epidemic and we expect this one to be with us for about three or four months," said Mølbak. The illness is said to predominantly affect 5 to 15 year-olds and those between the ages of 25 and 45.

"My advice is to go to the doctor if you have a cough that won't go away. Treatment is with antibiotics of a different type than the normal penicillin that is used for pneumonia". http://www.cphpost.dk/news/nat...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

This is Denmark


Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

[ Parent ]
Falling Birds
Sorry - it's been awhile since I've posted, and don't know if you're following such things on a different thread, but just in case...

"Scientists still don't know what's causing flocks of birds to drop from the sky in the South, even as several hundred more fell dead onto a Louisiana highway."

Dead birds falling from sky still mystify experts

Are die-offs like this, with birds falling from the skies, something that happens in influenza outbreaks?  Or would we see something else?

Again, sorry if this is supposed to go somewhere else.  It's been a long time!

No problem kk
This diary is for exactly that...things that are not flu-related, but may have some sort of medical impact.

And welcome back! :-)

[ Parent ]
There are several cases of mass bird deaths in the US
http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

AFAIK none of them turned out to be avian flu, let alone H5N1, though there's no reason why flu couldn't be a factor. The deaths were attributed to a variety of causes, partly disease, partly parasites, partly poisoning, partly weather.

I can't remember any reports of birds falling from the sky with H5N1, most have been found in and around lakes (aquatic) or homes (nesting birds). They probably do die on the wing but possibly not en masse and/or not in places where people notice them.

[ Parent ]
More dead birds found, this time in Sweden
STOCKHOLM - In a week that saw unexplained massive bird deaths in the southern United States, up to 100 birds were found lying in a snow-covered street in Sweden Wednesday, officials said.

"Most were dead," Christer Olofsson of rescue services in the southwestern town of Falkoeping said of the 50 to 100 jackdaw birds, a type of crow.

more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2...

Jackdaws in Sweden, fish in Brazil and New Zealand and crabs in England are new victims of global spate of mysterious animal deaths
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

WITH PICTURES

[snip]

They are the latest in a spate of incidents which are being blamed on New Year fireworks, thunderstorms, cold weather, parasites and even poisoning.

The internet has been abuzz with conspiracy theories about secret government experiments being behind the deaths, or it being a sign of a looming Armageddon at the end of the Mayan calendar next year.

The mass deaths include:

   * 450 red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, grackles and starlings found littering a highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
   * 3,000 blackbirds on roofs and roads in the small town of Beebe, Arkansas
   * Thousands of 'devil crabs' washed up along the Kent coast near Thanet
   * Thousands of drum fish washed along a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River
   * Tens of thousands of small fish in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
   * Hundreds of snapper fish found dead in New Zealand

[cont.]

I don't believe these mass bird deaths are related to weather, fireworks, mining or anything else.

We never got an answer to the "Budgie Holocaust" in Wales last year:

BIRD lovers and exhibitors watched on in horror as 38 prize budgies keeled over and died during a show ... A vet carried out checks on two casualties revealing they died from congestion and haemorrhaging of the lungs.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/n...

One of the 911 callers reports blood coming from the birds' bills: http://www.katv.com/global/cat... and the vet examining the Arkansas birds reports internal bleeding.

If birds were so "flighty" that they started crashing into each other during firework displays or thunderstorms they'd be bloody extinct by now!

I'm not so sure...
No matter the conspiracy theories about 'gas attacks' or 'weather-changing machines', I think the fireworks explanation is most plausible...IF there were several fireworks shows in various areas during these mass die-offs.
Birds in flight are attracted to light when flying at night. That's why there are so many dead pigeons found in cities like NYC, LA, SF, etc., early in the mornings in downtown areas---they fly toward the lights, and smack into windows and walls at full speed.
It IS possible that the birds were attracted by the flashing fireworks lights, then as they got closer, panicked (sp?) and crashed into each other at full speed.
When you watch a huge flock of several thousand birds flying together, there's not a lot of room for maneuvering as they fly at about 40-50 mph, all moving together.  If a few in the lead panic and turn about, it becomes much like a chain-reaction car crash on the highway.

Of course, this explanation WOULD require that there were several fireworks shows in various places at the same time....  :-/

[ Parent ]
Have A Problem with Fireworks Reason!
If fireworks caused this death of birds why has this not happened before or on the 4th of July?  Why has it happened in so many different cities.

If you look at the pattern it follows the Jet Stream.  If whatever it is is airborn it looks like it follows the Jet Stream.  

There are lots of fireworks shows every year in all cities so why is this happened this year only?

[ Parent ]
These bird deaths weren't all on New Year's Eve,
were they?  If some of the big die-offs were, I can imagine that the air blast that accompanies the booming sound could knock out birds in the air nearby.  One factor could be local government economies cutting out their fireworks displays, and citizens here and there around town doing their own fireworks.  Wish we had more facts.  Do we know that the interior bleeding occurred before they crashed into the ground or as a result of crashing?  Could the booming explosion rupture their lungs if the birds were very close to it?

FluMom's Jet Stream theory is creeping me out.  I want an alternative explanation.  :-{

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Not all fireworks are limited to set dates.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...

Veterinarian Robert ter Horst says the cause of jackdaws' deaths was unclear but that fireworks were set off near the scene on Tuesday night.

The birds were found dead on Wednesday.

Mr Ter Horst says cold weather, difficulties finding food and possible shock from the fireworks could be responsible, leading to the stressed birds either dying from the stress or being run over by vehicles.

Five of the dead jackdaws found in the city of Falkoping were tested. The institute said they died due to "sudden, hard external blows". There were no signs of infection or other illnesses, and there were no external signs indicating a cause of death.

Mass bird deaths aren't uncommon.

cont.

COMMENT: Jetstream - it's more likly that a freak series of weather events affected the birds than that the Jetstream is carrying anything scary. If a tornado can make it rain fish, something similar could make it rain birds. Then there's hailstones that could melt leaving no 'weapon'.

[ Parent ]
Presumably
they can only test for pathogens that have previously been identified, though.

In the Welsh budgie show incident last year ("Aflockalypse") 38 show budgies, presumably in peak condition and owned by different people, died within minutes of each other inside a building. I am guessing that the deaths occurred at the end of the event because the organiser was writing out the certificates: if these things work like other animal shows then the birds would have been on diplay for some hours whilst the exhibitors walked about and admired the competition. There was no gas or toxin within the bodies, no fireworks, no weather extremes and the deaths remain a mystery.

I can't believe that some governmental organisation has not been commissioned to investigate this: the fact that no report seems to be publicly available - even the budgie owners are none the wiser - suggests to me that TPTB either don't have the technology to find out what caused the mass die-off, or they do and they aren't prepared to tell anybody what they discovered.

[ Parent ]
Or maybe they won't investigate until there is some evidence of a pattern.
Birds can and do die of fright, I've even seen it happen. That is not to say that these birds couldn't have died of a common infection but there's no logical physical connection between all these bird death stories. The budgies could have been killed by very small amounts of toxic fumes. They're hardly going to go all CSI for a few birds to find the exact cause. If there had been a spate of show deaths then they'd probably investigate further. Little birds are notoriously fragile. They didn't take canaries down mines for nothing.

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/av...

Non-stick cookware ... even with normal usage, some fumes may also be released, so non-stick cookware, drip pans, irons, ironing board covers and heat-lamps with a PTFE coating should not be used around birds.

Many common disinfectants and household cleaning agents release fumes that can be toxic or fatal to birds. Chlorine bleach, phenols and ammonia can all have dangerous vapors that can cause irritation, toxicosis and even death.

Common household aerosol products, such as perfume, deodorant and hairspray, can cause respiratory problems in birds. They may cause severe inflammation and difficulty breathing, and after large or direct exposure, death can occur. Any pump spray or aerosol using a propellant can be dangerous to birds, and these should not be used around birds.

Natural gas leaks can cause sudden death in birds. Any type of heater, used improperly or with inadequate ventilation can be deadly to birds. Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, can also be fatal to birds. Anyone with pet birds should have a working carbon monoxide monitoring device in the home, preferably in the room where the birds are kept. Second-hand smoke from marijuana can also cause severe depression and regurgitation. Burning foods, overheated cooking oils and smoke from a fire can cause fatal inhalations.

[ Parent ]
Fair enough, UK-Bird
But if they inhaled something toxic enough to cause congestion and haemorrhage in the lungs, would it not show up in post-mortem toxicology tests?

I'm keeping an open mind, but I think cross-species virus mutation is a far more likely explanation than unseen hailstorms or tectonic movements.

Would I be right in saying that vets are able to detect and sub-type pathogens only in animals of commercial interest - salmon, pigs, horses, poultry, and so on? If H38Y247 is making starlings sick who is going to pay to isolate this bug, let alone produce a test for it?

[ Parent ]
Open minds are the best :-)
And since there have been several mass bird deaths in the Houston area, it's possible that they've got a common cause. If it happens again there will be concerns from the poultry sector to determine if there is a new bug on the block.

If the budgies died of a lung reaction to a chemical and or carbon monoxide poisoning there might not be much to test for. I certainly doubt anyone would cough up (sorry) the money to test for minute traces of chemical.

There are too many different species and too many different locations for there to be a common cause for all of them. At some point someone will blame climate change, but it won't be that either.

[ Parent ]
Maybe it does.
However, birds are usually in better condition in the summer.
[ Parent ]
"Aflockalypse" - Mass Animal Deaths Now Mapped on Google
Quebec bird deaths stump wildlife officials
MONTREAL - More than 80 pigeons have keeled over and died at a farm near Quebec City for unknown reasons, the latest in a string of mysterious animal deaths around the world.

(Snip)

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said tests are currently being performed at the animal pathology lab in the provincial capital.

(Snip)

In Quebec, firefighters and police visited Turmel's property to check for fumes or criminal activity. Wildlife officials assured him the birds weren't killed by the avian flu or the West Nile virus, but he's been wary about touching them without gloves.

He said wildlife officials took seven of the dead birds for analysis and told him not to speak with the media. Still, the feisty landowner called a local radio station to recount the incident.

"There's something going on," he said. "This is not normal."

http://www.torontosun.com/news...

Also, he saw them dying.
In the time it took us to collect them, five more had fallen.

More:

"I opened the door and there were 25 pigeons on the ground," he said Thursday.

Turmel said the pigeons flapped their wings for a while, then died.


(from a tv news story)
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/...
Comments here are skeptical about this being a problem or being unusual, guessing that someone poisoned the "flying rats".

This is weeks after the incident.  If the deaths don't continue, it's less alarming, IMO.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
'Aflockalypse' Not Now: Mass Bird Deaths Rare, Not End of World, Experts Say

Birds falling from the sky worldwide -- like the 700 turtledoves that mysteriously fell in the northwestern Italian city of Faenza -- are freak events without unusual but not apocalyptic causes, experts say.

(Snip)

In the latest incident, turtledoves that are often seen throughout the area left behind a scene evocative of a Hitchcock movie as their carcasses piled up over the last five days, according to local news agency Corriere della Sera.

The cause of death had yet to be determined, but a researcher at a local zoological institute, Dr. Frasnelli, said people should not be alarmed, noting that the birds' bodies were found near a distillery and a chemical plant. The turtledoves would be checked for diseases and toxins, he added.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech...

Experts Close In On What Killed Fish
Monday [3 Jan 2011], officers with the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission said an investigation into what killed nearly 100 000 fresh water drum fish has turned up the possibility of a virus or bacteria.

9snip)

The dead fish seemed to only be limited to fresh water drum fish. Game officers said the type of disease will be determined by further testing.

The results are expected to be available in about 3 weeks.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

Undiagnosed die-off, avian - Sweden: jackdaws
The cause of death of the jackdaws found dead on the streets of Falkoping, in central Sweden, was external force, not infection or disease, showed the autopsy completed on Wednesday [5 Jan 2011]. 5 of the dead birds were autopsied by the National Veterinary Institute, (Statens veterinarmedicinska anstalt, SVA) and results showed that
the birds had died of acute blunt force.

According to Marianne Elvander, zoologist at SVA, the jackdaws were killed by severe internal bleeding. None of the birds showed sign of infection or illness.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

Tough winter vs. being run over by cars
"This winter has been unusually tough and jackdaws may be in poor condition. That makes it easier for them to fly into different objects. There is very little food in the wild compared with previous years and I see dying birds every day," he said.

"Blunt force" isn't the way I'd describe a bird flattened by being driven over by a car.  I wonder if blunt force includes broken bones, or just internal (lung?) damage.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

[ Parent ]
Still waiting for any path reports on any of these events....

"Also, while blunt-force trauma may be the direct cause of death, it is not necessarily the underlying cause, and there should be further investigation to rule out various etiologies, unless this has already been done and not yet reported to the public.

--
Eran Kopel, M.D.

http://promedmail.com/pls/apex...

[ Parent ]
The mystery of mass bird deaths
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worl...

[snip]

But Grahame Madge, conservation spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), describes the Arkansas case as "bizarre and mysterious", and says that it would be "almost unique" in the UK.

He suggests that the birds may have in fact been poisoned, arguing that it was a strange coincidence that the mass deaths involved the red-wing blackbird, which is considered an "agricultural pest".

"It is intriguing that the bird at the epicentre of this particular incident is also the most hated," he says.

He says they are sometimes targeted with a poison that affects the water repellency of the birds. As a result, they get wet and cold and develop pneumonia.

"If they took flight and were experiencing extreme cold or suffering the effects of the poison, it is possible that that brought them down," he adds.

[snip]

Kristen Schuler, a scientist at the US Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, told the Associated Press that the incidents of the past week were "not that unusual".

"There is nothing apocalyptic or anything that is necessarily out of the ordinary for what we would see in any given week," she says.

The USGS tracks mass deaths among birds, fish and other creatures. It says they range in size from the dozens to the thousands.

The UN Environment Program (UNEP), however, has called for more research into animal deaths in general.

[cont.]

UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, SEAL - CANADA: (NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR)
Hundreds of dead seals in Labrador
----------------------------------
People on the north coast of Labrador say scores of dead seals have been washing ashore since early December [2010].

A conservation officer with the area's Inuit government estimated late last week [week of 10 Jan 2011] that hundreds of adult and young seals have died in the area between Hopedale and Makkovik this winter [2010-2011].

(Snip)

Last month [December 2010], people in northern Labrador found the bodies of dead seal pups on the coast. At the time, a federal seal researcher said the early birth of seal pups in Labrador may be an indication the area's seal population has grown too large.

[So the question may be, why are they birthing on land, not on the ice flows? Are the pups premature? What has induced labor?

More than just looking at populations, why not do a necropsy on the seal pups and see if there is something there? Are there any viruses that cause abortion? How long are the pups living and are they full term? Are they nursing? It seems these are basic investigative questions that should be answered.

Hopefully an authoritative report will be conducted and results released soon. - Mod.TG]

http://promedmail.com/pls/apex...

Aren't seals one of the animals that share flu with humns ? n/t

[ Parent ]
humans. n/t

[ Parent ]
This is the chart I was thinking of.
[ Parent ]
UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, BOVINE - USA (WISCONSIN), SUSPECTED RESPIRATORY DISEASE
200 dead cows found in Portage County field
-------------------------------------------
An investigation is under way after 200 dead cows were found in a field in the Town of Stockton.

The Portage County sheriff's office says the owner of the cattle has been working with a local veterinarian and it's believed the animals died from the infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/bovine viral diarrhea (IBR/BVD)
virus. The virus can cause respiratory and reproductive problems.

WSAW reports samples from the dead cows have been sent to Madison for testing. Authorities say there is no threat to humans or other animals.

Love how they keep saying that before they know what has killed the animals :-D

http://promedmail.com/pls/apex...

Some causes of bird deaths, including deliberate poisonings
http://media-newswire.com/rele...

Whether it's a single death or a mass die-off, experts from Texas A&M AgriLife and other agencies say almost all bird mortality in Texas and elsewhere is due to natural - or at least explicable - causes.

cont.

Funding gaps leave many schools lacking nurses
[snipped account of nurse who saved a boy's life]
"Kids need services while they are at school," said Nancy Spradling, executive director of the California School Nurses Organization. "Those services are not just to make them feel better, but to allow them to continue to live."

Only 45% of public schools across the country have a full-time nurse, according to a 2007 study conducted by the National Assn. of School Nurses, or NASN. Another 30% rely on a part-time nurse, leaving 25% with no nurse at all.
[snip]
Though 32 states have increased the number of nurses in schools over the last decade, a report issued by NASN in 2009 found that only 12 met the Department of Health and Human Services' recommendation of one nurse for every 750 healthy students.

Vermont had the best ratio, with an average of one nurse for 311 students, and Michigan had the worst - one nurse for 4,836 children. Nationwide, the average is about one nurse for every 1,378 healthy students.
[snip]
In some cities, the pay gap is only part of the problem. Uncertain funding also makes it difficult for schools to recruit the nurses they need.

"In parts of the Bay Area, nurses don't want to work for a school district," Spradling said. "If you're only going to be making $60,000, and there is no job security because the district has a history of letting its nurses go every other year, wouldn't you rather make $110,000 in a hospital setting?"

The dearth of nurses has left many schools struggling to cope with rising rates of childhood illnesses such as asthma, food allergies, diabetes and seizure disorders.

The prevalence of asthma in children under 18 increased from 3.6% in 1980 to 9.6% in 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food allergies in this age group rose from 3.3% in 1997 to 3.9% in 2007. And though historical data on diabetes in children is thin, the CDC reports that approximately154,000 children now have the disease - a figure which, by most accounts, is on the rise.

"When I first started as a school nurse, we didn't have one insulin-dependant diabetic in the school," said Owens, who is now the lead school nurse in Murrieta Valley Unified School District. "We now have nearly 100 in our district.

To cope, some school districts are training secretaries and teachers to give medications to students. That solution doesn't sit well with the nursing community. Allowing unlicensed, non-medical school staffers to administer drugs like insulin is too dangerous, some say.

"Insulin is something that you have to calculate, and it's easy to make mistakes," Spradling said. "Even in the hospital setting, insulin doses have to be checked twice - if someone gets too much insulin they can go into very low blood sugar and die."
[snip]
http://articles.latimes.com/20...
Comment:  This nursing shortage is bad enough in normal times (and "normal" has become not-so-good nowadays, with many more chronic health problems seen in children).  Haven't emergency planners factored in having a professional health-care provider in the nation's schools?

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

UK: Dog illness probed in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire
An online questionnaire has been set up to try to find why dogs became ill - some fatally - while walking in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

The Animal Health Trust (AHL) has set up the website for people to report relevant incidents.

The first reports of seasonal canine illness (SCI) were made in 2009. It appears to happen only the autumn.

(Snip)

"We have ruled out man-made poisons and we believe that the problem is a natural one and it also appears to be seasonal."

(Snip)

The most common symptoms are sickness, diarrhoea and lethargy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-e...

Taken a long time to rule out poisoning, publicly at least.

Parrot deaths remain mysterious
731 African grey parrots were discovered dead after a short flight from Johannesburg to Durban, South Africa, on Christmas eve. The circumstances surrounding these birds deaths remain mysterious and suspicious.

(Snip)

In the official report (which is unavailable), the state veterinarian, Dr Naidoo, described massive hemorrhaging around the parrots' eyes and grey, collapsed lungs. But Dr Steve Boyes, director of the World Parrot Trust Africa and a postdoctoral fellow at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, says that his "lengthy conversations" with Dr Naidoo revealed symptoms that are not consistent with the official cause of death.

At this point, it appears that veterinarians only know what did not kill these parrots, but what did kill them remains mysterious -- and potentially devastating. A few of the more "exciting" possibilities include Exotic Newcastle's Disease or "bird flu", either of which could enter the poultry industry in surrounding areas and cause serious harm to the local food industry.

More comprehensive necropsy investigations are rumoured to have been carried out, where blood, tissue and feed samples were collected and sent to a pathologist for further testing. However, no one knows the identity of the so-called "bird expert veterinarian" that conducted these comprehensive examinations, the pathology reports are unavailable, and an unknown number of the birds' bodies have already been incinerated -- in short, there is no proof as to the cause of these parrots' deaths.

But on the other hand, this eagerness to burn the evidence might be a costly mistake: it is impossible to legally prove that at least some of these disputed wild African grey parrots ever existed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/scie...

Cow die-off solved
Maybe.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01...

Authorities investigating the deaths of 200 cows in Wisconsin have come up with an unlikely culprit: the sweet potato.

The cows were found dead in a Stockton pasture two weeks ago. Locals were left scratching their heads about what caused the mass die-off.

Investigators from the University of Wisconsin have determined that the animals were killed by a poison found in spoiled sweet potatoes that were part of the cattle's feed.

...more

Some bird deaths solved, too.
South Dakota bird deaths from poisoning by USDA (!) and Arkansas from flying blind after being startled awake by fireworks.  (Although weren't they found on non-ceremonial days?)

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
India: Deadly 'Congo fever'' kills one more
A rare virus has killed its fourth victim in India, health officials say.

A 25-year-old doctor died from the Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, also known as the "Congo fever", in the western city of Ahmedabad.

The dead include a woman who was infected with the virus, and the doctor and nurse who treated her at a hospital in the city.

It is the first time the virus has been detected in India, health officials say.

The doctor who died on Monday was an intern working in a government hospital. It is not clear whether he came in contact with any of the previous victims of the disease.

Twenty teams of health officials fanned out within 5km of Kolat village in Gujarat state last month after the disease was detected, but no fresh cases were found. [snip]

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

Not Influenza but Close news April 2010 to ... | 155 comments
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