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Not Influenza but Close News - Feb 2011 to Aug 2011

by: Bronco Bill

Sat Feb 05, 2011 at 08:52:55 AM EST


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

The previous "Not Influenza" diary is located here
Bronco Bill :: Not Influenza but Close News - Feb 2011 to Aug 2011
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Not Influenza but Close News - Feb 2011 to Aug 2011 | 108 comments
CDC: Deadly Superbug "C-Diff" Spreading
......."This epidemic strain is much more aggressive and it produces more toxins or stronger toxins and it's harder to treat," Riccardi said.

C-diff is highly contagious and is spread through contaminated stool, usually by health care workers who don't wash properly. What makes this bug particularly tricky is those alcohol-based hand sanitizers often used in hospitals don't work on C-Diff. Doctors and nurses need to wash with soap and water before and after they visit a patient's room. The microscopic spores can also survive for weeks on hard surfaces like a counter, a phone or a handrail.......

http://boston.cbslocal.com/201...

Have doctors stopped wearing neckties yet?
The microscopic spores can also survive for weeks on hard surfaces like a counter, a phone or a handrail.......

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
maybe some help on the way....
First New C. Difficile Drug in a Generation Superior to Existing Treatments
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant and growing problem in hospitals and other health care facilities, but no new drugs to treat the condition have been developed in several decades. However, a large-scale, phase 3 trial conducted by Canadian and U.S. researchers shows that the new antibiotic Fidaxomicin is superior to existing treatments, demonstrating a 45 percent reduction in recurrences vs. the existing licensed treatment. Their results were published in February, 2011 in The New England Journal of Medicine.......
http://www.sciencedaily.com/re...
[ Parent ]
Madagascar: Pneumonic plague
An epidemic of pneumonic plague has been raging for weeks in the northern region of Madagascar, mainly around Ambilobe.   There are already 16 deaths attributed to this epidemic.  
[snip]

[The authorities are implementing rat control in the area, but unless they carry out flea control first, that will just make matters worse, because infectious fleas will jump from dying rats to humans.  The epidemic seems to be spreading remarkably slowly for an airborne disease, with just 16 deaths in 3 weeks for a disease that is "invariably fatal unless antimicrobial therapy commences within 24 hours of exposure" (actually within 48hrs).

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

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

Uncovering Yemen's contagious killer disease
A contagious disease, popularly known as Mukarfas, has emerged and rapidly spread across various districts and villages of Hodeida governorate, local medical sources have confirmed. It is believed that this contagious disease first appeared in Hodeida in October last year. It has left Hodeida's citizens terrified and most doctors remain perplexed over the changing symptoms and nature of this disease.

(Snip)

Local medical sources confirmed that this disease causes malignant symptoms that are mostly common with the symptoms of both dengue and German fevers. The symptoms start with increasingly abnormal high body temperature that often results in long-term loss of consciousness. In addition, the symptoms are acute and diachronic flu with coughing, headache, face distension, joint pain, body shaking, flow of blood from mouth and nose, skin rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, neck pain and back pain.  Director of the Al-Olafi hospital in Hodeida, Dr. Yasser Jameel Shahir, also said that there was no disease called Mukarfas. This was just a popular word derived from the symptoms commonly related with dengue fever. Dr. Abdullah Al-Hariri, head of the nursing department at the Military Hospital in Hodeida, said that most of the recent medical checkups included Complete Blood Count tests to seek traces of the virus.

Dr. Najeeb Mulhi, head of the Hodeida Medical Doctor's Association, said that this disease can kill an infected person within two days as it causes acute hemorrhage and sudden renal failure. He said that the patient would experience increased body temperature, a high percentage of blood cells and irregular reduction of platelets, leading to sudden renal failure. Mulhi also expressed serious concern that up to now the disease in Hodeida has not clearly been identified and that its symptoms were in fact different from Mukarfas or dengue fever.  

(Snip) the cases of renal failure (Snip) over the past two months totaled 45 and that five patients had died. The center had never seen such cases, he said.  A medical report issued early last week (Snip) revealed that at least 24 persons have died and more than 202 have been infected.

The medical report also stated that all cases showed viral and bacterial infections that were irresponsive to antibiotics. This resulted in neural and circulatory shock, a lack of urine, severe renal failure and high body temperature, in addition to diarrhea and vomiting. (Snip) Al-Thowra and Al-Olafi public hospitals is meanwhile experiencing a rapid increase of patients. http://www.yobserver.com/repor...

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

     

Confusing that they used the term "contagious"
because dengue fever isn't contagious (person-to-person), but anyone and everyone can be bitten by mosquitoes.

Hodeida is on the coast of the Red Sea, 91 miles from the capital, Sana.
http://www.tiptopglobe.com/cit...

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

[ Parent ]
OTOH, if they're seeing it spread like a contagious disease,
then it must not be dengue.  Those symptoms sound horrible.

 Another name for dengue is "break-bone fever" because of muscle and joint pain, but the descriptions don't mention spasms or tension in muscles, which is what must be happening to get distortion in the face.  The symptoms of bleeding and renal failure aren't mentioned in descriptions of dengue, either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu...

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

[ Parent ]
This statement stood out to me:
"Mulhi also expressed serious concern that up to now the disease in Hodeida has not clearly been identified and that its symptoms were in fact different from Mukarfas or dengue fever."    

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

     

[ Parent ]
First case of Pig Flu reported in Burma
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - A serious outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), or swine flu, has occurred in Mandalay, the second largest city in Burma (Snip) located in the center of the country. Swine flu is not usually contagious to humans, but some humans have been infected by the virus. Swine flu is a virus specific to pigs or porcine species. It doesn't usually infect humans, although it has happened on some occasions.

In at least in three townships in Mandalay Division, pigs have exhibited symptoms and died since February 15 (Snip) As of March 4, 559 pigs were diagnosed with PRRS and 210 of them died, the Mandalay Division Health Department (MDHD) told Mizzima. The World Organisation for Animal Health also confirmed that a PRRS outbreak has occurred in Burma.

This is reportedly the first case of PRRS infection in Burma. The outbreak occurred in Aungmyaythasan, Chanayethasan, Mahaaungmyay, Chanmyathasan, Pyigyitagun, Amarapura and Madaya townships in Mandalay Division and Sagaing in Sagaing Division (Snip) Currently, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is inspecting pig farms and preparing to combat the outbreak of the syndrome (Snip)

After news of the outbreak began to spread, most residents in Mandalay have stopped eating pork, according to local residents. 'Some infected pigs died because of the disease, and then some pork butchers reportedly sold the meat at low prices. But now, after many pigs have died because of the syndrome, people aren't eating pork', a resident told Mizzima. A resident in Pyigyitagun Township told Mizzima, 'The pigs swayed as they walked. Their skin turned dark. Then, they died. Some people threw the dead bodies of the pigs on the side of the streets'. http://www.mizzima.com/news/in...

(Note: I think a few farmers in either the Philippines or Vietnam contracted this from pigs about a year or two ago.)

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

     

Red wine to protect against radiation?
As the new week starts and the tragic Japanese earthquake's dust settles and tsunami waves recede back to the oceanic depths, a study from 2008 states that drinking red wine to neutralize toxic effects from potential nuclear plant breeches may be the way to go.

After the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of Ukraine in April, 1986 people were advised to drink red wine or vodka in order to neutralize radio-active toxic effects.
A study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2008 concluded that Resveratrol, the natural antioxidant commonly found in red wine and many plants, might offer protection against radiation exposure, and when altered with acetyl, resveratrol administered before radiation exposure proved to protect cells from radiation in mice.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.co...

...In experiments on mice the scientists found that when combined with the chemical acetyl and administered before radiation exposure it protected the cells and helped prevent death....
The study was overseen by Pitt's Center for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation, which is dedicated to finding radiation protecters that can be administered in the event of a large-scale radiological or nuclear emergency.

The current research is not connected to advice given to workers cleaning up Chernobyl who were told to drink half a glass of vodka after every two hours of exposure to radiation.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...


Red Wine and Other Antioxidants
Resveratrol in red wine and a few other foods may protect against radiation.  I don't know the exact dose.  For general longevity purposes, you would need to drink 750-1500 bottles of red wine a day, however,  Pills would be better for your liver.  For additional antioxidant protection, eat plenty of  blueberries, pomegranates, acai, green tea, black rice, dark green and deep orange veggies and other rich colored plant foods.  Choose organic for improved antioxidant levels.

http://lindaprout.com/nodietbl...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
RWFK...
Red Wine Flu Killer. I've been touting that for years as the perfect cure-all...
Now available as RWRP -- Red Wine Radiation Protection.
[ Parent ]
Flubies are prepared for anything LOL
Except the hangover.
[ Parent ]
Red wine...... "the perfect cure all?"
OMG! I'm going to live forever! LOL

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

     

[ Parent ]
Really?
The probability of you dying from stroke is much higher than radiation.

Website coupons
[ Parent ]
Hi, Kenban, have you been reading here long?
I noticed that you just registered.  http://www.newfluwiki2.com/use...  There are 2 trains of thought going on with the Red Wine Flu Killer idea.  One is the (good) news that resveratrol in red wine does help a person's health in many ways, and the other is that the newshounds here work very hard and occasionally take a break and kid around with each other.  

If you're being totally serious, heart attacks cause more deaths than strokes, according to the CDC, with 2007 figures.  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastat...  Deaths from radiation released by Fukushima can't be assessed yet, and I still have my fingers crossed about the 2 US nuke plants that are in the floodwaters now (or were threatened, at the end of June; is it over?).

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

[ Parent ]
Mysterious Deaths in Chiang Mai, Thailand
On February 7th, 2011, New Zealand news sources announced that a Wellington woman was dead and two others were seriously ill after returning from Chiang Mai, Thailand (Snip). Food poisoning was initially suspected by authorities.

A press conference was held in Chiang Mai on March 8th after it was discovered that the New Zealand native had stayed at the Downtown Inn, in a room neighboring that of a Thai woman who was found dead on February 3rd. (Snip) on February 19th, the bodies of an English couple were discovered inside the hotel. While Thai authorities stated that the investigation was ongoing, it was suspected that the deaths were coincidental.

On March 12th, additional information revealed that the tourist from New Zealand was infected with an echovirus, and likely died of myocarditis. Autopsies on the English husband and wife showed block arteries in both, which may have contributed to their deaths.

Travel warnings for Chiang Mai were issued via media outlets on March 18th after the deaths of an additional two people (an American woman and a French woman) were linked to recent travel to Chiang Mai.  (Snip) the two died suddenly and had similar symptoms as the previous victims, including myocarditis. Speculations began to circulate about the possibility that the deaths were linked to eating at local food markets.

On March 21st, the death toll rose to seven when it was discovered that a 59 y.o. male, Canadian tourist that had used facilities at the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai, died in early January.  As of March 23rd, no confirmation of a common viral infection or other cause has been given. (Snip) http://healthmapblog.blogspot....

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

     

Health Department Probes Anthrax Scare At Hospital
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A patient was brought to Lovelace Westside Hospital with flu-like symptoms Thursday, and hospital officials said there was a possibility of anthrax exposure. The hospital placed the patient in isolation and itself on divert status to minimize traffic into the Emergency Department until given clearance by the New Mexico Department of Health. At 12:15pm, Lovelace Westside Hospital was notified by the New Mexico Department of Health that there was no threat or risk to patients or staff and the Emergency Department was reopened.
(Snip)
The 10-year-old girl is under observation at an Albuquerque hospital for possible exposure to anthrax, but a state Department of Health official says he doesn't expect to find she's been exposed.

The department's deputy director of epidemiology, Mike Landen, says he expects lab tests late this afternoon will eliminate anthrax as a cause of the girl's flu-like illness. Landen also says there's no risk to the public. The child is being checked for what he calls the remote possibility of exposure, because she's the child of a researcher experimenting on a non-disease-causing strain of anthrax. Continued: http://www.koat.com/r/27310519...  

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

     

CRKP...another "superbug"
CRKP joins other superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in a league of bacteria that outwits typical antibiotics......

CRKP is not new to California, or the rest of the country for that matter. The CDC has been tracking it across 35 states since 2009. It is young, however, compared to MRSA, according to Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, associate director of the CDC's health care-associated, infection-prevention programs.....

In a 2010 study by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, for instance, 42 percent of infected patients died within 30 days after infection...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/W...

 

more on CRKP
...The bacterium, called carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), is resistant to almost all antibiotics available to treat the infection. It has been associated with higher rates of death and longer hospitals stays, the researchers say. The bacteria is known to cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections and meningitis. It is difficult, but not impossible, to treat.
CRKP is not new. But previously, it was thought to be limited to the East Coast of the United States, the researchers say. Researchers have not systematically monitored this bacteria on a national scale. This was the first time public health officials in Los Angeles had required laboratories to report the presence of this bacteria.
The bacterium is just one of a growing number of pathogens that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. However, CRKP is not necessarily more serious than other multidrug resistant organisms, Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for Los Angeles County, said in a news conference about the findings....
http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.c...

....Dr. Brad Spellberg, an infectious disease expert at Harbor UCLA Medical Center says there is no current teatment for CRKP bacteria - and there might not be any in the future either.

"There's been a complete collapse in the development of new antibiotics over the last decade...and in the next decade there isn't going to be anything that becomes available that's going to be able to treat these bacteria," said Spellberg.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com...

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

[ Parent ]
Superbug CRKP Increasing in California; 350+ Superbug Infections
Superbug Klebsiella pneumoniae, or CRKP, has been found in a number of Los Angeles County hospitals and nursing homes. (Snip) health officials have urged people not to panic over the outbreaks of the drug-resistant superbug, which is also present elsewhere in the country.

CRKP is an enterobacterium, a relative of E coli, and is resistant to most antibiotics other than colistin - a drug that can cause severe kidney damage. Studies in the U.S. and Israel have shown about 40 per cent of patients infected with CRKP die. About 350 infections were reported over a seven-month period in LA last year (Snip) 53 per cent of these infections came from acute care hospitals, 41 per cent from long-term acute care hospitals and 6 per cent from nursing homes.

We do not know if the presence of CRKP in these long-term acute care settings is the result of improper care, or has more to do with the population they serve," (Snip) We think that this (the bug) is increasing," (Snip) The bug tends to strike elderly patients who often stay in facilities for an extended period of time. Infections also occur among sick patients on ventilators or who take long courses of antibiotics.

Healthy people usually are not affected, according to health experts. Continued: http://www.thirdage.com/news/s...  

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

     

[ Parent ]
China: Cause of Lethal Disease Unmasked
Scientists aren't entirely sure how it infects people or how it kills, but researchers now at least know the face of their enemy. In an article posted online on 16 March in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), a Chinese team describes a new virus that appears to cause a lethal disease, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS).

The virus's identification "is a prime example of the rapid discovery of a truly emerging infectious disease and its cause," Heinz Feldmann of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases's Laboratory of Virology in Hamilton, Montana, writes in an accompanying editorial in NEJM. But the pathogen, a bunyavirus, is still something of a mystery.

SFTS came to light in 2006, when villagers in Anhui Province in central China began dying of an illness characterized by high fever, gastrointestinal distress, and a depressed platelet count. Researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here suspected anaplasmosis, an infection spread by ticks caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. But they found neither bacterial DNA nor antibodies against it. Each spring since then the disease has struck with a vengeance, killing up to 30% of those infected in six provinces of China.
[snip]
[might be spread by ticks; comment suggests that mice might be a vector because ticks bite mice, too.]

http://news.sciencemag.org/sci...

Journal article:
Fever with Thrombocytopenia Associated with a Novel Bunyavirus in China
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/1...

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

Highly Contagious AIDS-Like Disease Spreading in China
In a small hotel across from the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a reporter from New Express Daily, dressed in an isolation suit, interviewed a dozen "unusual" patients from different areas of China. Their symptoms are painful and debilitating, and AIDS-like, but repeated tests for HIV have come up negative.

Lin Jun, one of the patients interviewed in the March 24 New Express Daily report, said he used to be chubby, but now he is skin and bones, and his joints have become all deformed. (Snip) In 2008 Lin's mother received a blood transfusion at a hospital. Afterwards, she experienced frequent night sweats, numb limbs, aches all over, creaking joints, rashes on her hands, and weight loss. In May of that year, Lin accidentally became infected through contact with his mother's blood. Fourteen days later, he fell ill with swollen lymph nodes on his neck, sore knees that made clicking sounds, and pain all over his body. He also started vomiting after every meal, and the left side of his face swelled up. In half a year, his weight dropped from 82 kilograms (181 lbs) to 52 kilograms (115 lbs). Three months later, his wife and child developed the same symptoms. (Snip) He has taken the HIV test eight times, and each time the test turned out negative.

Then he found an Internet blog called "The Negative Group," which he learned stands for "HIV negative." He realized that writing on this blog were all people like himself, with the same kinds of symptoms, desperate to find a cure.

Several Chinese media have recently reported that the Department of Health of Guangdong Province has confirmed that people in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong have fallen ill after being infected with an unknown virus. The patients think they have AIDS, but they test negative for HIV. Guangdong has organized clinical experts, epidemiologists and psychologists to work together on these cases. The Health Ministry has also selected six provinces with more patients, including Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangsu and Guangdong, to conduct epidemiological studies, but there are no results yet, the reports said.

In most of the 30 cases investigated by New Express Daily for its March 24 report, people said their relatives and friends are also infected. Most of the 30 patients were infected through sexual contact. Some experts diagnosed them as having AIDS phobia. However, the disease seems to be highly contagious and can spread by contact via any bodily fluid-through kissing, shared utensils, sweat, and even protected sex. Once infected, the immune system appears to be attacked, which results in a decrease of white blood cells and the body's ability to defend against infectious disease and foreign materials.

In the past, official health agencies have only conducted HIV tests on these patients and have not checked for other, similarly pathological viruses. With HIV results coming up negative, many patients then stopped taking protective measures with their relatives. Subsequently, all their relatives and friends were infected, many have said.
(Snip)
A retired officer in his 40's told The Epoch Times for a previous June 16, 2010 report that he had been infected with a disease with similar symptoms in 2009, at a get-together at a friend's house. "I thought it was just a cold at the time, so I still participated in all kind of gatherings. Consequently, over 100 of my comrades in the army, relatives and friends were infected by me," he said. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n...

(Note: China just seems to be a huge cesspool of viruses and bacteria, IMO.)

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

     

Argentina and So. Africa: penguin chicks have unknown disease
Mysterious naked penguin chicks turning up on either side of the Atlantic are worrying biologists, who are stumped over what’s causing the birds to lose their feathers. Since 2006, an increasing number of Magellanic penguin chicks completely without feathers have been observed in colonies Punta Tombo, Argentina, and Cape Town, South Africa. Scientists are not only puzzled as to what’s causing the condition, but they’re also worried it could spread to other penguin species. [snip]
Between 2007 and 2010, featherless chicks turned up at four different study sites along Argentina’s coastline. Oddly, the featherless chicks aren’t born bald. When the chicks hatch, they have their feathers, Boersma told the Star. It’s when that coat of down wears off that they become featherless.  She says the suspected cause is a virus, but nothing has been proven. We don’t really know. Viruses are hard to find, Boersma said, adding that samples have been taken from the penguins for testing. What is known is that being featherless doesn’t always result in a death sentence. The researchers found that featherless chicks were smaller in size and weight than the normal penguins, and usually grew more slowly. But they didn’t always die.

They’re paying such a high cost for maintenance, said Boersma. You’ve got to shiver a lot to stay warm. While the condition is relatively rare — Boersma and her team found 12 featherless chicks this year — she says time is of the essence to find the cause of the disorder before it starts to spread. We’ve got to be better stewards of the world we live in if we want to share it with penguins.
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/w...

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

[ Parent ]
Sorry, hit Reply instead of Post a comment.
This story should stand alone.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
Pacific salmon may be dying from a leukemia-type virus
WASHINGTON - In Canada's Fraser River, a mysterious illness has killed millions of Pacific salmon, and scientists have a new hypothesis about why: The wild salmon are suffering from viral infections similar to those linked to some forms of leukemia and lymphoma.

For 60 years before the early 1990s, an average of nearly 8 million wild salmon returned from the Pacific Ocean to the Fraser River each year to spawn.

Now the salmon industry is in a state of collapse, with mortality rates ranging from 40 percent to 95 percent.
[snip]
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/201...

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

Mexico: Discover new varicella and rotavirus in Chiapas
Machine translated

Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas., April 15 - The Ministry of Health in Chiapas discovered new virus of chickenpox and rotavirus in the state, so he warned the reforms Chiapas precautionary health measures. (Snip) the discovery was the result of a "research intensive" by the State Laboratory of Public Health, and confirmed by the National Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference. "

(Snip) in 2010, was discovered in Chiapas a "genotype of rotavirus that had circulated in the country " and most recently was the discovery of a new type varicella virus "that had not circulated in Mexico." The ministry said that both diseases are present in this state. http://www.proceso.com.mx/rv/m...

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

     

Preventing super infections in hospitals
PBS local news story about a hospital requiring HCWs to wear sensors that work with automatic hand-cleaner solution (gel or foam?) dispensers.  The sensor on the doctor's chest vibrates or buzzes when the doctor enters a room unless s/he washes her/his hands within X seconds/minutes.  The sensor is activated by the solution dispenser in every patient room.  It "reads" the presence of the alcohol solution.  This system has been installed in certain ICUs, to ensure hand cleaning where patients have central lines installed.

Channel 11 hasn't posted the story yet.  Probably it will be up tomorrow.  http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p...

Central line: A catheter (tube) that is passed through a vein to end up in the thoracic (chest) portion of the vena cava (the large vein returning blood to the heart) or in the right atrium of the heart.
http://www.medterms.com/script...

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

Chicago: infection-control method
Here's the video:
Preventing potentially deadly infections has become an increasing problem at many hospitals. Eddie Arruza looks at a high-tech way one Chicago hospital is trying out to eliminate health care-related infections and what patients should be asking their doctors and nurses.

http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p...

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

[ Parent ]
Cryptosporidium strikes Sweden again; 1,500 sick
Late in 2010, up to 11,000 people were sickened by cryptosporidium in Ostersund, Sweden.

Today, The Local is reporting as many as 1,500 inhabitants in the municipality of Skellefteå in northern Sweden have confirmed in a survey that they have experienced stomach flu symptoms probably caused by a parasite outbreak. The web survey conducted by Skellefteå and the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control (Snip) had been answered by 2,300 residents of the municipality by Wednesday lunchtime. Of those around 60 percent, 1,500 people, confirmed that they experienced stomach flu symptoms since April 1st.Many complained of having had abdominal pain, diarrhea or gassy stomachs.

The survey has confirmed theories that the stomach flu has probably been caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium could have originated in the municipal water supply Continued: http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu...


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

     

In '93 Milwaukee had an outbreak,
[snip]The root cause of epidemic was never officially identified; initially it was determined to be caused by the cattle genotype versus human genotype of the parasite as originally suggested.[1] MacKenzie et al. showed that this outbreak was caused by cryptosporidium oocysts that passed through the filtration system of one of the city's water-treatment plants.

This abnormal condition at the plant lasted from March 23 through April 8, after which, the plant was shut down. Over the span of approximately two weeks, 403,000[2] of an estimated 1.61 million residents in the Milwaukee area (of which 880,000 were served by the malfunctioning treatment plant) became ill with the stomach cramps, fever, diarrhea and dehydration caused by the pathogen. At least 104[2] deaths have been attributed to this outbreak, mostly among the elderly and immunocompromised people, such as AIDS patients.[snip]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...  and this past December a different Swedish city had one.
[snip]Those responsible at the municipality would not reveal if the area was found in water or on land.
The details of the tests were passed on to police and prosecutors this morning.
Nearly one in ten residents of Östersund has now been hit by a stomach bug caused by the parasite in the municipal water supply.
Two operating rooms at Östersund Hospital are today closed due to the rampaging stomache flu.
The infection has hit hospital staff - with almost 200 workers at home from work on Thursday, according to Sveriges Television (SVT). Hospital management expects an increasing number of sick staff over the next few days.
The hospital has 3000 liters of clean water driven in every day in order to secure water supplies.
http://bites.ksu.edu/news/1454...  
[snip]Unfortunately, Cryptosporidium is one of the most resistant parasites to water chemical treatments ever
encountered. This makes treating water for Cryptosporidium very difficult. The parasite responds
somewhat to chlorine but only in high doses, and it is resistant to many commonly used hospital and
laboratory disinfectants. To date, it seems Cryptosporidium can be removed only by filtration, and
many municipal filtration plants are not efficient enough to take them out. [snip]
NSF-Certified drinking water systems filter out at least 99.95 percent of particles between three and
four microns in size. Cryptosporidium oocysts range in size from four to seven microns.[snip]
 learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/gallery/pop4/Cryptosporidium.pdf  {{the non-pdf version    http://docs.google.com/viewer?...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
Pakistan and Cote d'Ivoire: polio
Wild poliovirus in Coe d'Ivoire - 21 Apr 2011
---------------------------------------------
Cote d'Ivoire is experiencing an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 3
(WPV3) with 3 new cases reported with onset of paralysis on 27 Jan, 24
Feb and 27 Feb this year [2011].
Genetic sequencing of the isolated viruses show that they are linked
to WPV3 last detected in mid-2008 in northern Nigeria. They are the
1st WPV3 recorded in Cote d'Ivoire since 2000. In 2008-2009, Cote
d'Ivoire was affected by a wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) outbreak
affecting west Africa (and which was recently stopped).

There is currently a high risk of further spread of WPV3 -- both
within and from -- Cote d'Ivoire. It is the 1st time since 2000 that
WPV3 has been recorded in this part of west Africa (WPV3 transmission
has been limited to northern Nigeria and parts of Niger, and since
2008 also in parts of Mali and one case in Benin). The outbreak
response may be constrained by the current security situation in Cote
d'Ivoire. Due to the persistence of subnational surveillance gaps in
Cote d'Ivoire and other areas of west Africa, undetected further
circulation cannot be ruled out at this time.[much snipped, including vaccination not being done because the country is in upheaval]
-----
Pakistan
Date: 16 Apr 2011 [snip]

Another polio case detected in Sindh
------------------------------------
An 18 month old girl has been diagnosed with polio in Karachi,
bringing the number of polio cases in Sindh to 7 this year [2011]. The
girl [is a resident of Baluch Colony in Orangi Town].

The case came only days after a 5-day polio immunization drive
concluded in the province. This was the 3rd drive in the province
since the turn of the year. Last year 27 cases of polio were detected
in Sindh.
According to sources, [the girl] contracted the disease after having
received 7 courses of polio drops. As a signatory to the Millennium
Development Goals, Pakistan was supposed to have eradicated the virus
in the year 2000.

[snip]

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

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

Chennai, India: Rabies spreads, govt. lies about it
Rabies kills 15 in Chennai, corporation in denial
-------------------------------------------------
The Chennai Corporation has hidden information on a serial killer.
Rabies, which has no effective treatment, has killed 15 people in the
city in the last 4 months.

The corporation has contributed to the problem by withholding
information about rabies deaths to agencies involved in fighting the
disease. The civic body has also not reported the 12 deaths in 2010
and 13 deaths in 2009.
Experts say that if the corporation had reported the deaths, animal
birth control and vaccination programmes could have been strengthened
for stray dogs in the suburbs. "We would have strengthened awareness
campaigns that would encourage people to take the vaccines after they
are bitten by an animal. These vaccines are available free at all
government and corporation hospitals," said the director of public
health Dr RT Porkai Pandian.
[big snip]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

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

Rice diseases: Costa Rica and Bangladesh
In this posting:
[1] Undiagnosed bacterium - Costa Rica
[2] Blast disease - Bangladesh

Bacteria threaten rice crop in Costa Rica
-----------------------------------------
A bacterium known as a powerful threat is rotting the rice crop in
Costa Rica, said the State Phytosanitary Service today [18 Apr 2011].
Some 30 000 hectares may be lost due to the microscopic enemy,
identified a few weeks ago in the Guanacaste area in the west of the
country.

The agency confirmed that the rice was infected, and they are still
waiting for [the registration of] a product to counteract the damage
caused by the bacteria. The bacterium has affected other countries
like the Dominican Republic.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2] Blast disease - Bangladesh

Thousands of farmers are struggling with a massive crop loss of
hybrid rice 'Jhalak' in Noakhali district. The Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE) said Jhalak was cultivated on 1665
hectares, of which 465 hectares were entirely ruined and the rest
partially. Flower-spikes of most of the plants have dried or are
drying before the paddy ripened.

DAE blamed fluctuating temperature and blast disease for the debacle.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), however, held
[the seed supplier] responsible for the loss.

Jhalak rice cultivation started in the district last monsoon [2010]
with only 12 hectares. A high yield made the other farmers
interested.

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

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

Europe: 6500+ cases of measles
As of 18 Apr 2011, 33 countries in Europe have reported more than 6500 measles cases. Epidemiological investigations and genotyping have confirmed transmission of measles virus among several countries in the Region and to the Americas.

Affected countries:

- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- France
- Serbia
- Spain
- Macedonia
- Turkey
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
[snip]

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

[Comment:  I counted 13 countries.]

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

Russia: cattle deaths
The environmental protection activists in the Republic of Tatarstan have reported mysterious cattle death cases in Spasskiy district since last summer [2010]. The cause of these deaths remains unknown; however, the activists connect it with a recent gamma irradiation experiment of the seeds in the region. The affected animals develop muscle weakness, start limping, and at the end die. A representative of the environmental protection activists has visited one of the affected villages and asked the villagers about these cases. All 3 respondents have had a dead cow in their farm. They have said that the same situation exists in their neighbor's yards. There are no official statistics available for these fatal cattle cases. A local veterinarian considers that the disease could be osteodystrophy due to affected metabolism in these animals. He also thinks that the quality of the local forage could be low because of the very hot summer last year [2010], which led to decreased nutritional value and less vitamins in all vegetation. Such problems with feed sometimes can cause similar health problems in cattle in early spring, he says. The environmental activists consider that seed irradiation also can lead to a low content of vitamins in forage plants. To prove their claims they point out clustering of cattle deaths only in Spasskiy district, where the irradiation experiment took place. The neighboring districts, which had similarly hot summers last year, did not report cattle health problems at all. The environmentalists also cite scientific articles from the 1950s, which document loss of vitamins in irradiated seeds. Additionally, they say, there is evidence about development of radiation sickness in animals if they are fed irradiated forage. There is an ongoing project in Russia to establish a centralized radiation facility for cattle forage and maybe chicken feeds as well. The local environmentalists consider this a dangerous development and are lobbying for local legislative measures against such radiation projects.

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


[This report is rather turbid, lacking quantitative as well as
qualitative data, seemingly belonging to the "hearsay" party. No
epidemiological or clinical information on the population which is
said to be affected are included.

Food irradiation is the process of exposing food/feed to ionizing
radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses or insects that
might be present in the food/feed. There are also other applications,
including sprout inhibition. Irradiated food does not become
radioactive, but in some cases there may be subtle chemical changes. -
Mod.AS]

[The undiagnosed illness/death affecting the cattle is not from
radiation. I am also hard pressed to believe the radiation effect on
the plants. Osteodystrophy and what the vet said sound correct. -
Mod.TG]

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

Osteodystrophy is a general term for a dystrophic growth of the bone. It is defective bone development that is usually attributable to renal disease or to disturbances in calcium and phosphorus metabolism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O...
(Comment:  How quickly would a healthy animal show osteodystrophy and die?  Wouldn't it mainly affect a [growing] calf?  Just wondering.  OTOH, I didn't think that irradiated food would become radioactive, unless the facility was doing something wrong.  There's the alternative explanation that crucial nutritional factors in the food was destroyed.  Could it be mad cow disease?  That's a disease that's discoverable through testing.)

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
Russia: YERSINIA PSEUDOTUBERCULOSIS
According to Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service on Customers' Rights
Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance], 9 people in Krasnoyarsk
krai have been infected by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis since the
beginning of this year [2011].

The clinical picture was variable, and the local public health
services consider the situation to be of no major concern. There have
not been any outbreaks of pseudotuberculosis in Krasnoyarsk since
2007. Since the main source of local infections is rodent-contaminated
vegetables, the specialists recommend against consuming vegetables
kept in cellars over the winter.

[snip]
Y. pseudotuberculosis causes food-borne outbreaks, often in
children in day-care centers and schools, primarily in the northern
hemisphere (e.g., Northern Europe, Russia, and Japan). Transmission of
this zoonotic pathogen of wild and domestic mammals (particularly
rodents) and birds occurs by ingestion of fecal contaminated drinking
water or food, or through direct contact with infected animals.
Clinical illness is characterized by fever and acute abdominal pain
caused by mesenteric lymphadenitis that is often clinically
indistinguishable from acute appendicitis. Postinfectious
complications include erythema nodosum and reactive arthritis. The
illness is often self-limited.

Because Y. pseudotuberculosis does not produce iron-binding
compounds, patients with iron-overload states such as hemochromatosis,
hemolytic anemia, and cirrhosis are at risk for bloodstream infection,
as are patients with underlying immunosuppressive illness or therapy.
Certain strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis cause a syndrome called Far
East scarlet-like fever (FESLF), because of its resemblance to scarlet
fever caused by group A streptococci. The clinical picture of FESLF
includes a scarlet fever-like erythematous skin rash and desquamation,
hyperemic tongue, and toxic shock syndrome
( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu... ). FESLF may be related
to Izumi fever in Japan, which can resemble Kawasaki syndrome (Sato K,
Ouchi K, Taki M: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in children,
resembling Izumi fever and Kawasaki syndrome. Pediatr Infect Dis
1983;2: 123-26.).

[snip]

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

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

[ Parent ]
Oops, didn't mean to post this story as a reply. n/t


"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
OR: Surge of student TB cases in Portland
http://www.katu.com/news/local...

Experts say cases of tuberculosis not connected
PORTLAND, Ore. - More testing will help health officers determine how serious a recent rash of tuberculosis cases is.

Roosevelt High School sent a letter home Thursday about a student diagnosed with TB. Late last month, a student at Covington Middle School in Vancouver came down with the disease. A few weeks ago there was a case at Westview High School in Beaverton and Mountain View Middle School.

Health officers say it's not an outbreak. The introduction of vaccinations practically wiped out tuberculosis in the 1960s. But doctors are seeing a surge
[more]

Government issues Gulf Seafood Warning: US Cholera outbreak
Eight people have been confirmed ill with cholera after eating Gulf seafood contaminated with cholera bacteria according to officials Tuesday and the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to not eat Gulf raw oysters. At least eleven people have become ill after eating Gulf oysters from less than 300 miles from New Orleans.  The outbreak is linked to oyster from Apalachicola Bay, near Panama City, Florida (Snip) While there have been no hospitalizations or deaths reported according to officials, the outbreak is notable. Continued: http://www.examiner.com/human-...

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

     

OR: Whooping cough - 7 cases in one class
Seven students in one class come down with whooping cough

http://gresham.katu.com/news/h...

GRESHAM, Ore. - Several kids at a Gresham elementary school are being treated for whooping cough and now the principal is warning parents to be alert for symptoms.

Three kids last week and four kids on Tuesday were diagnosed with the disease, also known as pertussis. All seven kids are in the same class at Butler Creek Elementary School, Principal Karen Weinert said.

The school sent home a letter to parents on Wednesday warning them to look for symptoms in their own kids. In the letter, the school said any students with confirmed or suspected cases will be held out of school until five days after starting treatment.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease that causes violent coughing, according to the National Institutes of Health. It usually lasts for six weeks and can be especially dangerous for young children.

The disease is spread through the air.

Symptoms at first look like the common cold and usually develop about a week after exposure. Severe coughing starts about 10-12 days later.

Study: Pigs susceptible to deadly Ebola strain
Canadian researchers have shown that an Ebola virus species that can kill humans can also infect pigs and spread among them, raising the specter of Ebola virus as a potential foodborne pathogen. The researchers infected two groups of pigs with a high dose of the Zaire Ebola virus ("ZEBOV"), a strain that is up to 90% fatal in humans, according to a report published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The pigs became ill to varying degrees, with severe signs in some cases, and they transmitted the virus to other pigs that were previously unexposed.

A US expert who wrote a commentary on the findings said the probability of Ebola virus becoming a foodborne pathogen is small but can't be dismissed for now.
(Snip) In the Philippines in 2008, pigs on two farms were found to be infected with Reston Ebola, or "REBOV," a strain that does not sicken humans. That strain was originally identified in monkeys at a breeding facility in the Philippines. The Philippines pigs had a respiratory illness, but it was not clear if the disease was due to Ebola or to another virus the pigs were infected with, Bausch explains.

Severely sick pigs
In the new study, researchers from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency used two groups of young pigs confined in high-containment cubicles. In the first experiment, six pigs were inoculated with ZEBOV in their nostrils, eyes, and mouths. Two other pigs, housed separately, were inoculated with saline solution as a control. In a second experiment, three pigs were inoculated with the virus in the same way as the first group. A day later, four other pigs were put in the same cubicle with them to see if the virus would spread. All the inoculated pigs became ill with a fever within 4 days, had labored breathing, and stopped eating, among other signs, according to the report. The clinical course of disease was less severe in the transmission experiment. In general, however, the virus reproduced abundantly, mainly in the pigs' respiratory tract, causing severe lung disease as shown on necropsy.

The pigs shed the virus from their oral and nasal mucosa for up to 14 days after infection, and in the transmission experiment, all the pigs placed with the inoculated pigs became infected. Continued: 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

     

Ebola outbreak kills one in Uganda, more cases seen
KAMPALA May 14 (Reuters) - A new outbreak of the rare and deadly Ebola virus has killed a 12-year-old Ugandan girl near the capital city Kampala (Snip) The girl from Luwero district, 75 km north of Kampala, died on May 6 (Snip) "Laboratory investigations have confirmed Ebola to be the primary cause of the illness and death. So there is one case reported but we expect other cases," said Mbonye.

The last outbreak in 2007 killed 37 people. http://af.reuters.com/article/...

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

     

Uganda: Ebola virus kills girl of 12 years in Uganda
Machine translated

The death of a girl of 12 years infected by the Ebola virus was announced Saturday by health authorities in Uganda, Africa. The girl died on May 6 in Luwero district, which lies 75 km north of the capital, Kampala.  It is the first outbreak of Ebola in the country in four years.

According to the government of Uganda itself, are expected to more cases, since the girl had contact with at least 33 people. The last time there was an outbreak in the country, 37 people died. The Ebola virus is extremely deadly, depending on the variant, can kill up to 90% of those infected. A handshake is enough to transmit it. According to health authorities in Uganda, the variant of the virus that killed the girl has a mortality between 50 and 60%.

The government of Uganda is urging citizens to avoid eating monkey meat (contaminated meat is a primary source of the virus), and conduct funerals, immediately bury the bodies.

Among the initial symptoms are the sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle aches, headache and sore throat. It is followed by vomiting, severe diarrhea, rashes, impaired kidney and liver and internal and external bleeding.

Apart from humans, gorillas can also be affected by the virus, which got the name because of the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was at the river that the virus was first recognized in 1976.  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

     

[ Parent ]
Kenya: Alert Over Ebola Outbreak
Tight border controls are being put in place following an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and Sudan (Snip) Public Health Director Sharif Shahanaz says the government has been notified of the outbreak by the American Center for Disease control. He says one person has died after developing symptoms of Ebola while 30 others have been isolated and are being monitored by health officials. http://allafrica.com/stories/2...  

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

     

Dominican Republic's capital on alert for cholera
The health ministry has ordered increased monitoring and urged people to take extra care with hygiene.

Some 16 people are in hospital with suspected cholera.

The Dominican Republic has had 14 cholera deaths in recent months, while more than 4,500 have died in neighbouring Haiti since late 2010.
[snip]


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worl...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
Secure Protocol For Data Disclosure Developed By CHEO Research Institute
It is important for health care providers to report health issues, such as influenza outbreaks, to public health authorities. But there is evidence of a reluctance to share patient data for public health purposes due to concerns for both patient privacy and provider confidentiality. Dr. Khaled El-Emam and his research team at the CHEO Research Institute have developed a secure protocol and system that would solve this problem.

The new system would protect the identity of patients and health care providers while providing effective disease surveillance and meet the needs of public health to detect and investigate disease outbreaks. The new system and associated research findings are published in this month's edition of the Journal of American Medical Informatics.

Providers have an obligation to report diseases to public health authorities, but new research shows that under-reporting by hospitals and physicians is common and can hinder effective disease control. Concern for patient privacy is a causal factor, but even when this concern is addressed, physicians feel themselves to be at risk when making such disclosures. For example, many are concerned that the data they report could be used to evaluate their compliance with clinical practice guidelines. Others fear an increased possibility of litigation, due to breach of confidentiality.
[snip]
The secure protocol would encourage full disclosure from health care providers enabling public health officials to accurately track such things as influenza outbreaks and the spread of infection in hospitals. The system also has a "break the glass" mechanism which would allow public health to identify and contact individual patients in case of an outbreak requiring an investigation.

The protocol uses special cryptographic techniques that allow one to perform computations on the encrypted data themselves. Providers share encrypted data and the public health authorities can still compute infection rates over time and detect abnormalities. This gives strong guarantees that patient and provider identity are hidden.

Systems like this will also make it easier for other entities to automatically report to public health. For example, retail pharmacies can report over-the-counter sales data without worrying about revealing competitive store information, and schools can report absenteeism data. With the ability to access more data sources, public health will be in a better position to detect disease outbreaks at their earlier stages.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.co...

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

(Rural) Uganda: Ebola Raids Gombe
Ebola has been recently heard in Bombo and Zirobwe in Luweero district. It has now raided Gombe Sub county and 5 children from the same family have been admitted at Gombe Hospital with Ebola signs and symptoms. Unfortunately one has died before receiving treatment.

Ebola on Saturday killed a 12 year old girl at bombo military hospital (Snip) funds have been assigned at Bombo military hospital.

Ebola signs and symptoms include fever, bleeding through all body openings, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, rash, red eyes and it comes into contact with infected bloody fluids like saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine and sweat.
http://ugandapicks.com/2011/05...

(Note: "Gombe Hospital is a typical rural African hospital with 100 beds. Five non-specialist medical doctors work here, but, for many years, we have had to work without an adequately trained anaesthetist." http://www.nda.ox.ac.uk/wfsa/h... )

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

     

Treatment is mostly supportive.
Treatment

There is no known cure. Existing medicines that fight viruses (antivirals) do not work well against Ebola virus.

The patient is usually hospitalized and will most likely need intensive care. Supportive measures for shock include medications and fluids given through a vein.

Bleeding problems may require transfusions of platelets or fresh blood.


http://health.nytimes.com/heal...

August 25, 2010 3:45 PM EDT

Researchers at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases have found a class of drugs that could provide treatment for Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever.

The new drugs are called "antisense" compounds, and they allow the immune system to attack the viruses before they can do enough damage to kill the patient. Travis Warren, research scientist at USAMRIID, said while the work is still preliminary -- the drugs have been tested only on primates -- the results are so far promising. In the case of Ebola, five of eight monkeys infected with the virus lived, and with Marburg, all survived.
[big snip]

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/article...

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

[ Parent ]
Uganda: Dead Bodies Abandoned After Ebola Outbreak
FRIGHTENED residents of Luwero district have started shunning burials, especially of people who die under mysterious circumstances. This follows an outbreak of Ebola in the area and there are mounting fears that more people are likely to catch the dreaded disease.

At least two bodies have been left to rot in the open over the last six days, after residents linked the deaths to Ebola. In one of the cases, a body of a man who was killed by mob at Kalagala in Bamunanika for reportedly stealing a bicycle, decomposed at Kasana mortuary in Luweero town, after it remained unclaimed for six days. The district health officer, Dr. Joseph Okware, said the mortuary attendant and the medical personnel feared to go near the body.

In Bbulabakulu village in Kalagala sub-county, a body of a 70-year-old man only identified as Sande, who collapsed and died while easing himself in a latrine, remained on the spot where he died for three days, after residents and relatives feared to remove the body. Okware said a combined team of the Police medical personnel from Bombo Hospital was forced to spray and bury Sande's body.

The Resident District Commissioner, Paul Lubowa, said the residents are on the alert after being advised to report all mysterious deaths.

(Snip) a 12-year-old girl died of the disease at Bombo Military Hospital on May 6. The patient (Snip) died at the hospital where she had been referred from Kisakye Clinic in Ziroobwe. The disease, which medical experts have diagnosed as Ebola-Sudan, broke out on May 1. The patient started by feeling headache, for which she received Hedex tablets. However, this did not help. The illness progressed with the patient developing fever and later vomiting on May 5. The patient became very weak and started bleeding from the nose, later developing anal and virginal bleeding the next day. http://allafrica.com/stories/2...  

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

     

Undiagnosed illness, fatal - Somalia
In Hudur, Bakool region, there are reports of an unclassified disease that has affected over 90 people with 53 deaths. Signs and symptoms of the cases include fever for one to 2 months, a high pulse rate, occasionally sore throat, and progressive swelling of joints and limbs including pain. It is observed that patients either recover slowly or die.

Retrospective data collected indicates that the case fatality rate is a major concern. WHO has dispatched additional supplies including antibiotic syrups and tablets to Hudur to support the mobile clinic in the affected villages for a period of one month.

-- Communicated by: Ronan Kelly for FluTrackers.com http://www.flutrackers.com

[This may be the same cluster described in an earlier report (archive number 20110521.1534) reporting 64 deaths in the same region due to an undefined illness. Those deaths were reported to be mainly in women and children. It is hard to fit the clinical syndrome into any one disease entity, and one wonders whether there are multiple contributing etiologies: respiratory viruses, arboviruses (chikungunya?), malaria, enteric infections (including typhoid), and hepatitis   Continued:  http://beta.promedmail.org/dir...

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

     

Q fever test cleared for use in US overseas military
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared the first nucleic acid amplification test to diagnose the early stages of Q fever in overseas military personnel. The unnamed test (Snip) detects Coxiella burnetii, the bacterium that causes Q fever, within 4 hours (Snip) Q fever can be an acute or chronic illness in humans and is an emerging infectious disease in US troops serving in Iraq and other countries. It is typically contracted via exposure to infected animals or contaminated environments. The FDA cleared the test to be used in the Defense Department's Joint Biological Agency Identification and Diagnostic System, which can be used for the rapid detection of a number of bacteria and viruses. (Snip) 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

     

Uganda Government News: Health Ministry warn people on touching carcasses
The ministry of health has asked people to avoid touching carcasses of animals and birds to reduce the risks of being infected with Ebola and other diseases like swine flu.

Dr. Issa Makumbi, the Commissioner in charge of Ebola task force says that whether carcasses of domestic animals and birds or wild ones should not be eaten and should be handled with care when dumping them.

Mukumbi says that though cases of Ebola are no long being registered, people should avoid interacting with things that may escalate it. (Snip) http://www.ugpulse.com/article...

Note: Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia and there is much more info here if anyone is interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...

Natural reservoirsBetween 1976 and 1998, from 30,000 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods sampled from outbreak regions, no Ebolavirus was detected apart from some genetic material found in six rodents (Mus setulosus and Praomys) and one shrew (Sylvisorex ollula) collected from the Central African Republic.[44][45] The virus was detected in the carcasses of gorillas, chimpanzees, and duikers during outbreaks in 2001 and 2003, which later became the source of human infections. However, the high mortality from infection in these species makes them unlikely as a natural reservoir.[44]

Plants, arthropods, and birds have also been considered as possible reservoirs; however, bats are considered the most likely candidate.[46] Bats were known to reside in the cotton factory in which the index cases for the 1976 and 1979 outbreaks were employed, and they have also been implicated in Marburg infections in 1975 and 1980.[44] Of 24 plant species and 19 vertebrate species experimentally inoculated with Ebolavirus, only bats became infected.[47] The absence of clinical signs in these bats is characteristic of a reservoir species. In a 2002-2003 survey of 1,030 animals which included 679 bats from Gabon and the Republic of the Congo, 13 fruit bats were found to contain Ebolavirus RNA.[48] As of 2005, three fruit bat species (Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti, and Myonycteris torquata) have been identified as carrying the virus while remaining asymptomatic. They are believed to be a natural host species, or reservoir, of the virus.[49] The existence of integrated genes of filoviruses in some genomes of small rodents, insectivorous bats, shrews, tenrecs, and marsupials indicates a history of infection with filoviruses in these groups as well.[5]
 

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

     

Iowa/Chicago: measles
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Public Health has confirmed a case of the measles in a central Iowa resident who flew from Chicago to Des Moines on May 11, and officials are looking for people who may have been exposed, the department said Tuesday.

The discovery is being treated as a public health emergency because measles spreads easily and can cause serious illness or even death. Symptoms of the measles include a cough, runny nose, pink eye and fever, and a rash can often develop a day or two later, said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the department's medical director. [snip]


http://www.chicagobreakingnews...

...Doctors have reported 118 measles cases in the USA since January - nearly twice as many as the total for all of last year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 90% were unvaccinated, and 40% of patients had to be hospitalized for complications.
[snip]
 Babies too young to be vaccinated are particularly vulnerable, says Gregory Wallace, a measles expert at the CDC.

About 15% of the patients diagnosed with measles this year were under 1 year old, the CDC says. More than half of the children under age 5 with measles have been hospitalized.
[snip]


http://yourlife.usatoday.com/h...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
Pulmonary fibrosis - South Korea (02): Seoul
Another pregnant woman has died of acute pneumonia caused by an unidentified virus, the health authorities confirmed Thursday [26 May 2011]. She was the 2nd death among the 7 pregnant women who had been hospitalized at a Seoul hospital in April 2011 for infection with the unknown virus.

The 36-year-old woman 1st visited the hospital on 21 Apr 2011 with early flu symptoms and breathing difficulty and was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. She died less than a month after hospitalization, like the 9-month pregnant woman who died on 10 May 2011. She was the only woman who tested positive for type-53 adenovirus, but health officials earlier said that they could not find any direct connectivity between her illness and the virus. Despite growing fears among other pregnant patients and their family members, the KCDC and the hospital have yet to find out the cause of the unidentified pneumonia. Considering no similar case has been detected in an investigation covering 43 university hospitals nationwide, health officials said it was unlikely the virus would be infectious.

According to health officials, there were some deaths caused by unidentified types of pneumonia. However, it has rarely happened that previously healthy and young people develop symptoms for such a short period. It was also unusual that the 8 patients, including the 2 who died, suffered breathing difficulty unlike other pneumonia patients, who usually show early symptoms such as fever.

The hospital also started studying a paper on deaths of young children aged 2-5 with similar symptoms over the years. It was investigating the possibility that the mothers could have been infected with a respiratory disease from their babies.
------------------------------------

(Snip)
No progress has been made in attempts to detect and identify the putative viral pathogen (if indeed it is a virus), and no similar cases have been detected in an investigation covering 43 university hospitals nationwide. Health officials now say it was unlikely the virus would be infectious. They are suggesting now that these patients may have been infected with a respiratory disease from their babies. There is no conclusive evidence that a viral pathogen is involved in this phenomenon. Continued: http://beta.promedmail.org/dir...


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

     

CDC issues travel notice: Ebola in Uganda
With the recent news of the death of a 12-year-old child in Uganda from the deadly viral pathogen, Ebola virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice Wednesday for US travelers to the African nation. Continued: http://www.examiner.com/infect...

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

     

Georgia: Atlanta hospital notifies nearly 700 patients about TB exposure
Nearly 700 patients and 100 employees at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta have been exposed to tuberculosis after coming in contact with a hospital employee carrying the disease, a hospital spokesman said Thursday.

The Georgia Department of Community Health and the hospital have identified 680 patients who were exposed to tuberculosis between November and February, said hospital spokesman Lance Skelly.

Patients will begin getting tested for tuberculosis next week, Skelly said. To date, no patients or employees have reported symptoms of tuberculosis, he said.[snip]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HE...

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

Uganda: Give Ebola outbreak countrywide alert
The ministry of Health has confirmed that a twelve-year old girl from Zirobwe in Luwero District died last week from the deadly Ebola fever. More than 30 people who had made contact with the deceased were subsequently quarantined and are being monitored.
Since then reports of the spread of Ebola are being investigated, with ministry officials putting the number of districts being highly at risk, at twelve, including Luwero, Wakiso, Kampala, Mukono, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola. Bugiri has now been added, as well as suspected cases in Butambala.
Ebola is a highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, and it has claimed many lives in Bundibugyo and Gulu in the past, including that of renowned and tenacious Ebola fighter Dr Matthew Lukwiya. Because it is highly contagious and can be transmitted from one place to another fast, there is all the more reason the government to urgently sensitise the populace about the Ebola outbreak in all media.

(Snip) The National Ebola Taskforce should be facilitated to traverse districts where there are suspicious Ebola cases and do fast screening to ascertain the presence or otherwise of the deadly virus. (Snip) all health facilities in the whole country should be put on full alert to watch out and deal decisively with suspected Ebola cases. Everyone should be encouraged to observe simple hygiene (Snip) and desist from close body contact cultures like casual hugging and kissing.

(Snip) school authorities should be on a look-out for any suspected Ebola patients, as schools are opening now throughout the country and the sharing culture of school children can help to spread the malaise within no time. http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/...

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

     

'Killer Cucumber' Bug From Spain Hits Britain
"A person in Britain has been diagnosed with a lethal strain of E.coli, believed to originate in organic cucumbers.
The bacteria has killed nine people in Germany, with almost 300 people being admitted to hospital. Cases have also been reported in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

The outbreak is believed to have originated in organic cucumbers grown in Spain, although there are suggestions that the bacteria has been found in cucumbers grown in the Netherlands."

More....  Here

South Korea: Third pregnant woman dies of virus
http://joongangdaily.joins.com...

Another pregnant woman's death on Thursday, presumed to be the third victim of the mystery virus, was belatedly reported. However, she wasn't one of the seven pregnant women infected by the virus who were being treated at Asan Medical Center. (snip)

According to the Busan Metropolitan City Government, the 35-year-old pregnant woman, identified as "J," was four months pregnant. She visited the hospital on Wednesday after suffering from a severe cold, but died Thursday, Busan city officials said.

J died on the same day as the second victim ? a 32-year-old pregnant woman ? in Seoul. Health authorities are tentatively calling the mystery virus "acute interstitial pneumonia." (snip)

Unlike other cases of pneumonia, this virus is unusual because it has infected healthy, young pregnant women and killed them in a very short period of time, according to health authorities. The first and second victims died only a month after hospitalization. Moreover, unlike regular pneumonia patients who usually show early symptoms such as fever, the two had sudden breathing difficulties.  

WHO issues an International health alert.
Disease: E. coli
Location: Germany; Sweden; Denmark; United Kingdom; Netherlands
Source: World Health Organization

The following health alert may constitute a public health event of international concern per the WHO Interim Guidance for the use of Annex 2 of the International Health Regulations (2005):

-- Outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome in Germany
http://healthmap.org/ln.php?73...

The outbreak is unusual in that it has developed very rapidly, and an unusually high number of cases affect adults (86% are in people aged 18 years or older), particularly women (67%), instead of the normal high-risk groups, which are young children and the elderly. Nevertheless, cases have also been reported in school-aged children.

The unusual E. coli serogroup O104 is suspected of being the pathogen likely to be associated with this outbreak. The epidemiological investigation into the source of the outbreak is under way. Although the source has not yet been determined, cucumbers are under suspicion, and the Robert Koch Institute in Germany is advising people, as a precautionary measure, to avoid eating tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces, in addition to taking the usual hygiene measures in handling fruit and vegetables. Germany notified WHO of the outbreak, under the International Health Regulations (IHR), as a potential public health event of international concern, and WHO is sharing information with health authorities in other countries. WHO has also offered technical assistance and stands ready to facilitate collaboration between laboratories to assist countries without the capacity to detect the unusual E. coli serogroup O104. WHO will maintain close contact with the relevant authorities. EHEC can cause bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain. People who develop these symptoms who are in or have recently visited Germany, particularly northern Germany, should seek medical advice urgently. The complication of HUS can cause acute kidney failure and can develop after the diarrhoea has resolved.

Treatment with anti-diarrhoeal products or antibiotics is not usually recommended, as these may worsen the situation. Regular hand washing, particularly before food preparation or consumption and after toilet contact, is highly recommended, particularly for people who care for
small children or are immunocompromised, as the bacterium can be passed from person to person, as well as through food, water and direct contact with animals.


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

     

Outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome in Germany
(Note: This is from 2 days ago.)

27 May 2011 - An outbreak of severe illness is causing concern in Germany, where 3 women have died and 276 cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) have been reported since the second week of May. HUS, which can lead to kidney failure, is a complication of an infection by particular Escherichia coli bacteria. While most E.coli bacteria are harmless, a group called enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) can produce toxins, known as Shiga toxins or verotoxins, which damage blood cells and the kidneys. EHEC bacteria that produce these toxins are known as Shigatoxin-producing E. coli (STEC) or verocytotoxin-producing E.coli (VTEC), respectively. Many people have been hospitalized, several requiring intensive care, and new cases continue to be identified, the latest having an onset of 25 May. Some other countries have reported cases, notably Sweden, which has reported ten HUS cases, with two in intensive care. All the people affected recently visited Germany, mostly northern Germany. Continued: http://www.newfluwiki2.com/dia...

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

     

[ Parent ]
German Death Toll Rises In Europe's E.coli Outbreak
The death toll from a bacterial outbreak caused by contaminated vegetables rose to at least 11 in Germany on Monday as inspectors in several European nations rushed to check produce. German scientists suspect the bacterium that has sickened hundreds of Europeans came from Spanish organic produce. The Health Ministry in Hamburg said three out of four cucumbers carrying the bacterial strain were from a Spanish shipment.

But there have been no reported cases in Spain and the European Disease Center cautioned that the definite source of the enterohaemorrhagic E.coli, also known as EHEC, is not yet known. Spain's Secretary of State for European Affairs, Diego Lopez Garrido, said Madrid might take action against those pointing fingers at his southern European nation. "You can't attribute the origin of this sickness to Spain," (Snip) "There is no proof and that's why we are going to demand accountability from those who have blamed Spain for this matter."

Germany has been hit hardest by the outbreak, but some E.coli cases have also been reported in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In Poland, officials said Monday that a woman has been hospitalized in serious condition after returning from a trip to the northern German city of Hamburg, where at least 467 cases of intestinal infection have been recorded. Continued: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/30/...

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

     

Outbreak is new form of E. coli
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/heal...

The World Health Organization says the E. coli outbreak in Germany is a new form of the bacterium.

The infection can cause the deadly complication - haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) - affecting the blood and kidneys.

More than 1,500 people have been infected and 17 have died: 16 in Germany and one in Sweden.

In the UK, three British nationals have been infected - all had visited Germany.

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, a WHO spokesperson, is reported as saying: "This strain has never been seen in an outbreak situation before."
Scientists at the Beijing Genomics Institute in China are also reported as saying: "This E.coli is a new strain of bacteria that is highly infectious and toxic."

Preliminary genetic analysis suggests the bacterium has genes from two distinct groups of E. coli: enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC).

Dr Paul Wigley, reader in foodborne diseases at Liverpool University, said: "One nasty bacteria seems to have acquired a toxin from another nasty bacteria which has resulted in an even nastier bug.

"It seems it is producing two toxins which cause the damage and lead to bloody diarrhoea and damage to tissues including the kidneys."

The Health Protection Agency told the BBC it was only beginning to understand what this means.
Europe

The outbreak remains centred on Germany, where there have been 1,064 cases of bloody diarrhoea and 470 cases of the potentially deadly complication in the blood and kidneys.

The source of the infection, originally blamed on Spanish cucumbers, is unclear.

HUS cases and deaths, by country

Germany: 470 cases, 16 deaths
Sweden: 15 cases, one death
Denmark: Seven cases
The Netherlands: Three cases
UK: Three cases
Spain: One case
Sources: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Robert Koch Institute, UK Health Protection Agency

The head of the Robert Koch Institute, which monitors the infection in Germany, said the outbreak could last for months and that "we may never know" the original source.

Fresh vegetables from the European Union have been banned in Russia and the country's chief medical officer said such produce will be seized.

[snip]
The HPA continues to advise that people travelling to Germany should not eat raw cucumber, lettuce or tomatoes and that they should seek medical advice if they have bloody diarrhoea.

It said one of the strange things about the outbreak was the number of cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome. It is a very severe kidney complication which destroys red blood cells and can also affect the central nervous system.

Dr Dilys Morgan, from the Health Protection Agency, said: "It's very unusual for adults to have HUS anyway.

Dr Dilys Morgan from the Health Protection Agency says the E. coli outbreak is 'alarming'
"It mainly affects young children and older adults, but what we've seen is predominantly young females getting this condition.

"It's a very rare organism that's causing this and it's thought it has particular properties where the toxin it produces is particularly virulent and therefore is affecting this population more than we would normally expect."

[snip]

[ Parent ]
E. Coli Outbreak Caused By New Strain: WHO
LONDON -- Scientists on Thursday blamed Europe's worst recorded food-poisoning outbreak on a "super-toxic" strain of E. coli bacteria that may be brand new. But while suspicion has fallen on raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce as the source of the germ, researchers have been unable to pinpoint the food responsible for the frightening illness, which has killed at least 18 people, sickened more than 1,600 and spread to least 10 European countries. An alarmingly large number of victims - about 500 - have developed kidney complications that can be deadly.

Chinese and German scientists analyzed the DNA of the E. coli bacteria and determined that the outbreak was caused by "an entirely new, super-toxic" strain that contains several antibiotic-resistant genes (Snip) It said the strain appeared to be a combination of two types of E. coli. "This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before," Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the World Health Organization, told The Associated Press. The new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing" than the many E. coli strains people naturally carry in their intestines.

However, Dr. Robert Tauxe, a foodborne-disease expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, questioned whether the strain is truly new, saying it had previously caused a single case in Korea in the 1990s. He said genetic fingerprints may vary from specimen to specimen, but that is not necessarily enough to constitute a new strain. "Though it appears to have been around awhile, it hasn't called attention to itself as a major public health problem before," Tauxe said. Continued: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...  

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

     

[ Parent ]
4 cases of plague in Libya and fears of its spread to Egypt
Machine translated

Recorded the Libyan city of Tobruk the emergence of several infectious disease, injuries plague, and a medical source said the city's central hospital, said that at least four cases have been isolated medical hospital. He pointed out that there are 17 other case being in theprocess of medical tests on suspicion of being infected with the disease, said medical source, who preferred anonymity, that the state may ause panic and fear, (Snip) The source added that the Egyptian authorities need to take the necessary action on the Egyptian-Libyan border to prevent the transmission of the disease in Egypt. (Snip) The fear of the spread of the disease in Egypt will be the biggest focus of the emergence of the former (outbreak) in 2009, and attributed to the Egyptian official lawlessness taking place in the Libyan-Egyptian border at the moment. (Snip) the border city of Tobruk, has many difficulties in the field of health services, where it lost contact in the capital Tripoli since the outbreak of the revolution on February 17 last year.  http://www.youm7.com/News.asp?...

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

     

Libya: bubonic plague
The emergence of several infectious diseases, including plague, has
been reported in the Libyan city of Tobruk. A medical source at the
city's central hospital, said that at least 4 cases [of plague] have
been isolated at the medical hospital.

He pointed out that there are 17 other cases which are undergoing
medical tests on suspicion of being infected with the disease, said
the medical source, who preferred anonymity. There is a state of panic
and fear, which has hit the city, and it is not the 1st time this has
occurred, as, in mid-June 2009, there was an outbreak of bubonic
plague on the outskirts of Tobruk, which resulted in deaths.

The source added that the Egyptian authorities are taking necessary
action on the Egyptian-Libyan border to prevent the transmission of
the disease into Egypt.
An official quarantine [has been imposed] at the alternate port of
Salloum. The fear of the spread of the disease in Egypt will be the
biggest focus with the re-emergence of the disease plague, and this
has contributed to the lawlessness taking place on the Libyan-Egyptian
border at the moment.

The border city of Tobruk is experiencing many difficulties in the
field of health services because it has lost contact with the capital,
Tripoli, since the outbreak of the revolution on 17 Feb 2011.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...
(This is nearly the same report as above, with the addition of the official quarantine information.)

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

[ Parent ]
ProMED: Measles Update 2011 (16)
In this update:

Europe
[1] UK (vaccination appeal)
[2] UK (London)
[3] UK (Yorkshire)
[4] Spain (Aragon)
[5] Spain (Ceuta)
[6] Spain (Seville)
[7] Spain (national)
[8] Switzerland (east)

The Americas
[9] Guatemala (alert)
[10] Peru (Tacna)
[11] USA (Massachusetts}
[12] USA (New Mexico]
[13] USA (New York)
[14] USA (Virginia)

Parents in England and Wales are being urged to have their children vaccinated after a 10-fold rise in measles cases in the 1st 4 months of the year. The Health Protection Agency [HPA] reported 334 cases compared with 33 in the similar period last year [2010]. The outbreak is thought to be linked to an epidemic in France, where 7000 cases have been reported since January 2011, more than in the whole of 2010. The HPA says it is "crucial" that those at risk are fully immunised. It says the latest cases are mainly among unvaccinated people under 25 years old and are centred on "small clusters in universities, schools or families or associated with travel abroad."

Worst-hit are London and the South East, with 104 and 102 confirmed cases respectively in the 1st quarter of this year [2011]. Continued with much more info: http://beta.promedmail.org/dir...

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

     

US: Typhoid Fever at Simsbury School (Connecticut)
Parents in Simsbury received an email Tuesday informing them a case of typhoid fever has been diagnosed at the Squadron Line Elementary School. The email said it was a physician/hospital-confirmed case of typhoid, but that the diagnosis had not yet been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It did not say if the person infected was a student or a staff member. "The individual is making a good recovery, and to the best of our knowledge, no other members of your school community have shown symptoms of the disease," (Snip)

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the Salmonella Typhi bacteria, according to the CDC. It is very rare, with about 400 cases in the United States each year. It is usually spread by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. The disease is still common in developing countries, and about 75 percent of the U.S. cases are acquired while traveling internationally, the CDC says. It is unclear if the infected person in Simsbury got the disease overseas.

Symptoms include a sustained fever as high as 104 degrees, weakness, stomach pains, headache and some patients may exhibit a rash, according to the CDC. It can usually be treated with antibiotics. Continued: http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/...

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

     

Michigan: mushroom poisoning
A spike in poison mushroom cases -- including a Kalamazoo 2-year-old
-- has prompted the Michigan Department of Community Health to issue
this warning to mushroom hunters: Be sure you know what you're eating
and how to prepare it correctly.

At least 11 Michigan people have been hospitalized so far this year
[2011] with severe toxicity after eating [poisonous] mushrooms. Last
year, there were no hospitalizations.

"We've had 53 calls so far this year [2011]," said Susan Smolinske,
director of the Children's Hospital of Michigan Regional Poison
Control Center in Detroit, the poison center for the state. "Last year
at this time, we had 26 (calls)."[snip]

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

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

New Mexico: bubonic plague
Rodent-related diseases are making themselves known in 2011 in the
'Land of Enchantment' with cases of hantavirus and plague finding
their way into the human population.

The latest is the 2nd case of bubonic plague reported by the New
Mexico Department of Health on Fri 27 May 2011. The patient is a
78-year-old man from Santa Fe County [also where the 1st case of 2011
was from. - Mod.LL] who is recovering in the hospital.

New Mexico Health Secretary Dr Catherine Torres warns that health
officials are seeing plague activity in both humans and animals in
parts of north-central New Mexico and precautions need to be taken to
avoid rodents and their fleas.

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

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

CIDRAP: Cholera stalks Haiti, Dominican Republic, Somalia
Cholera cases are on the rise again in Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic, and Somalia is also fighting an epidemic, according to press reports. The disease is increasing in Haiti's West department, and health agencies are responding quickly in an effort to keep the pathogen from spreading to Port-au-Prince (Snip)  More than 300,000 Haitians have had cholera and more than 5,000 have died in the epidemic that began there in 2010.
(Snip)
Meanwhile, the cholera death toll in the Dominican Republic has risen to 23 out of 1,288 cases that have occurred since the disease erupted there last November (Snip) The health ministry said more than 400 cases and 10 deaths had occurred in the preceding 3 weeks, AFP reported. The head of the Dominican Medical College disputed the health ministry's figures, asserting that 30 people have died and 5,000 have been infected.
(Snip)
In Somalia, the WHO said at least 85 people have died in a cholera outbreak that began in April (Snip) the 85 deaths were in just one hospital in Mogadishu, and the outbreak also has struck two other cities, Afgoye and Baidoa. The story said 2,403 cases involving acute watery diarrhea and cholera have been reported in Somalia this year, most of them in children under the age of 5. 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

     

UK: New strain of MRSA superbug found in cows
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/heal...

A new strain of the MRSA "superbug" has been found in British cows and is believed to be infecting humans.

Environmental campaigners say the new strain has emerged because of the over-use of antibiotics by dairy farmers.

Dr Mark Holmes of Cambridge University, who led the research, said this was a "credible hypothesis".

[snip]

The 35 or so strains of antibiotic-resistant superbugs are genetically fairly similar. However, this new variety is very different and it is thought that it might have first emerged from cows.

Its discoverers have dubbed it "New MRSA"

[snip]

Dr Holmes and his colleague Dr Laura Garcia-Alvarez discovered the new strain while studying a bacterium known to cause mastitis in cows.

They found that, like other MRSA strains, it was resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics. However, the bug was found to be genetically very different.

Subsequent research showed that the strain was also present in humans.

Dr Garcia-Alvarez says that finding a new strain in both in humans and cows is "very worrying".

[more]

Amount of people sickened by E. coli bacteria still rising: Germany
BERLIN - Nearly 200 new cases of E. coli infection were reported in Germany in the first two days of June, the national disease control centre reported Friday, but officials say there are signs the European bacterial outbreak that has killed 18 people could be slowing. The Robert Koch Institute said that there are now 1,733 people in Germany - the epicentre of the outbreak - who have been sickened, including 520 suffering from a life-threatening complication that can cause kidney failure.

The World Health Organization said that as of May 31, nine other European nations have reported a total of 80 people sick from the bacteria, most of whom had recently visited northern Germany. While suspicion has fallen on raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce as the source of the germ, researchers have been unable to pinpoint the food responsible. The outbreak is considered the third-largest involving E. coli in recent world history, and it is already the deadliest. Twelve people died in a 1996 Japanese outbreak that reportedly sickened more than 9,000, and seven died in a Canadian outbreak in 2000.

Kidney specialist Dr. Reinhard Brunkhorst, the president of the German Nephrology Society, told reporters in Hamburg that hospitals are now seeing fewer new infections reported each day, though cautioned that "it may be less, but it's not over yet." "There is no reason for hysteria, because it's not spreading and it's not increasing - it's decreasing," he said. Continued: http://www.healthzone.ca/healt...

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

     

US: Tick-born diseases reach endemic level in Mohawk Valley (New York)
MOHAWK VALLEY, N.Y. (WKTV) Is your pet ready for summer? Veterinarian Dr. Frank Mondi of the New Hartford Animal Hospital says that tick-born diseases have reached endemic level in the Mohawk Valley. That means it is quite prevalent in the area. Of the three tick-born diseases that have become increasingly prevalent, Dr. Mondi says the most common is Lyme disease.

All tick diseases are transmitted by the deer tick, which is why animals are most vulnerable (Snip) Lyme disease is becoming a growing problem locally, and that animal owners need to be pro-active. "The first line of defense is to vaccinate your pets," Dr. Mondi said. "The second line of defense is try to control the ticks by using product on a monthly basis. Nothing is 100%, so you want to make sure your pets are vaccinated." (Snip) http://www.wktv.com/news/local...  

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

     

E coli deaths in Germany rises to 18
As the death toll in Germany's E coli outbreak rose to 18 and the number of infections climbed to more than 1,830, health authorities are investigating the possibility that the killer bacteria may have spread from a restaurant in Luebeck, near Hamburg, where some of the sickened people dined last month.

A local newspaper in Luebeck reported that 17 people became infected with the bacteria after visiting the restaurant in the Hanseatic port city between May 12 and 14. Among them were eight women in a group of tourists from Denmark and eight women from different parts of Germany who took part in a seminar. One of them died of infection caused by the Escherichia coli bacteria while two others and a child from southern Germany, who ate in the restaurant, are in critical condition, the newspaper said.

Specialists of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's national disease prevention and control centre and the Federal Institute for Risk Evaluation searched the restaurant on Saturday and they are now investigating its supply chains to look for clues on how the deadly bacteria came into circulation. The owner of the restaurant told ZDF TV network that he received his supplies of fresh vegetables from Hamburg's vegetable wholesale market where cucumbers imported from Spain were initially suspected as the prime source of the epidemic three weeks ago, prompting Hamburg state authorities to ban their imports.

However, investigations later showed that even though the Spanish cucumbers carried the E coli bacteria, they were not the highly virulent strain which causes the lethal infection. The RKI dismissed speculation that the birthday party of the Hamburg port at the beginning of last month, which was attended by more than 1.5 million people, could have contributed to the rapid spreading of the Enterohaemorrhagic E coli bacteria.

The area in and around Hamburg has been the epicentre of the epidemic and most of 17 casualties in this country and the largest number of infections are in northern Germany. Most of around 70 infected people in eleven European countries have either visited Germany shortly or came in contract with those returned from this country. The first only casualty outside Germany so far was a Danish woman who died shortly after returning from a visit to this country.

Meanwhile, scientists who deciphered the genetic code of the killer bacteria have discovered that it is a cross between an extremely dangerous strain from central Africa and a hitherto unknown strain in Europe. Scientists said through genetic transfer, the new strain has acquired the capability not only to produce deadly toxins in large quantities, but also to colonise the bowel more effectively. The new strain is also reported to be resistant against several medicines, including some antibiotics.

Even though it is not uncommon for bacteria to evolve and swap genes, scientists are baffled how the African and European strains came together to produce the most aggressive E coli bacteria ever surfaced. It can cause the potentially deadly haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), which results in acute kidney failures, seizures, strokes and coma. More than 520 patients have been diagnosed with HUS symptoms all over Germany. Continued: http://www.deccanchronicle.com...

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

     

Death toll now 22; beansprouts blamed now
German health authorities claim that locally grown beansprouts have been identified as the likely cause of an outbreak of E coli that has killed 22 people and infected 1,700 people across Europe.
[snip]
German hospitals have been struggling to cope with the flood of E coli victims, said Daniel Bahr, the health minister. Hospitals in the northern city of Hamburg, where the outbreak began three weeks ago, have been discharging patients with less serious illnesses to handle the surge of people stricken by a rare, highly toxic strain of the bacteria.

"We're facing a tense situation with patient care," Bahr told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. He said hospitals outside Hamburg could be used to make up for "insufficient capacity" in Germany's second-largest city.
[snip]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...
"Insufficient capacity" for a surge of patients with diarrhea:  eek... and ick.  Can they get porta-potties brought in?  Does any hospital have a plan for this?

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

[ Parent ]
Not sprouts after all; still unknown cause
Sprouts may not be cause of E. coli outbreak, experts say

What's the source of the E. coli bacteria that have caused the deadly outbreak in Europe? Officials can't seem to get their story straight.

After early reports that seemed to pin the blame on cucumbers from Spain, officials said they thought the cause was sprouts from Germany. But test results released Monday put the kibosh on that theory, sending scientists scrambling once again to find cause of outbreak that has killed 22 people and sickened more than 2,200.

Authorities were almost certain that 18 types of sprouts from a farm in northern Germany were the source of the outbreak, after previously blaming Spanish cucumbers. [snip]


http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-50...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
Hmmm, makes me wonder
if there are multiple sources of infection by that new strain of E. coli.

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

     

[ Parent ]
Dangers of distant health threats
Europe, and in particular Germany, is reeling from an outbreak of what was initially thought to be a routine Escherichia coli infection. It has since proven to be especially virulent - with a number of fatal cases.
(Snip)
The strain causing the illness and deaths in Germany and other countries is previously unidentified and has potentially severe consequences for those infected. Its source had until yesterday also proved elusive: investigators, some of whom had originally pointed the finger at organic cucumbers from Spain, now believe German-grown bean sprouts could be the cause of the outbreak.

Regardless, far from being simply a medical and public health emergency, the outbreak has serious economic and political implications. There are warnings and lessons in this for the rest of the world and especially for a country such as New Zealand, the economy of which is so heavily dependent on primary produce.

By last night, 22 deaths and up to 2000 cases of infection had been reported. Most were in northern Germany, but cases have now been reported from 12 countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. Continued: http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/e...

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

     

Initial tests negative for outbreak E coli in German sprouts
Jun 6, 2011 (CIDRAP News) - German authorities investigating a possible sprout link to a large Escherichia coli outbreak said today that lab samples are negative so far, dashing hopes for a quick end to the investigation and adding more confusion to the search for the source.

Yesterday officials in Germany's Lower Saxony state said at a press conference that they found clear signs that sprouts produced by an organic farm in the northern part of the country were responsible for the illnesses, but today the area's agriculture ministry said 23 of 40 samples taken from the facility have tested negative for the outbreak strain, the UK-based Guardian newspaper reported today. Testing is still under way on 17 more samples.

In a statement today, Germany's health ministry said the negative tests don't exclude sprouts as a source, and it warned consumers not to expect a quick identification of the outbreak source, the Guardian reported.

The outbreak strain, E coli O104:H4, has so far been linked to 1,672 enterohemorrhagic infections and 661 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe and potentially fatal kidney complication, according to the latest update today from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The number of fatalities stands at 22.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in its updated background information today that the outbreak cases have been reported from 12 countries, and all but one patient lived in or traveled to Germany. In one case, an individual got sick after having contact with an infected visitor from northern Germany. Continued: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

(Note: Multiple sources say the number of infected people is around 2200.)

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

     

E. coli confirmed in......child that died
E. coli confirmed in SW Virginia child that died, possible "outbreak" in NE Tennessee under investigation

DRYDEN, Va. --
UPDATE:  5:16 pm

Lab results confirm the presence of E. coli in the child that died this weekend and the presence of the bacteria in a close contact of the child, Virginia Department of Health Public Information Officer Robert Parker said.

"The lab results confirm the presence of E. coli 0157:H7," Parker said. "That's a strain of E. coli that causes severe illness."

[snip]

"We've interviewed all of the people," Dr. Kirschke said. "Some people have eaten ground beef, others have not. Some have eaten fresh fruits, but not everybody. Some have swam in lakes and rivers, but not everybody."

http://www2.tricities.com/news...

Germany must show regret for destroying trust
The German government has made a bad situation worse. The E. coli outbreak, which has so far killed 26 people and made dozens of other people very sick, is serious enough in itself. But that cannot excuse the way the Hamburg regional government and the German federal government have mishandled the outbreak of the disease.

The outbreak does appear to have been geographically contained - those in other countries who became infected had some fairly direct contact with northern Germany. Yet the consequences of the outbreak have been spread far and wide across Europe, by poor communication and lazy thinking. Ironically, the European Union's well-established procedures for handling diseases (which usually have no respect for national boundaries) have in this case amplified the effects of the outbreak.

The German government put an alert out about Spanish cucumbers on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, which they retracted after one week. Too late. By that time, the damage had been done and the livelihoods of hundreds of farmers had been put in danger. Continued: http://www.europeanvoice.com/a...

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

     

Australia: Renewed Legionnaires' disease warning for Bali travellers
With Bali always being a popular spot for holidaying for us Aussies, the Department of Health has reissued a warning to travellers who have recently returned from Bali to be alert for symptoms consistent with Legionnaires' disease. WA Health has been notified of a new case of Legionnaires' in a Western Australian woman who has recently returned from Bali, the second case identified in Australia in the past week. There have now been 15 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease in Australians returning from Bali since August 2010; 10 from Western Australia.

Communicable Disease Control Director, Dr Paul Armstrong said while the exact source of the disease remained unknown all infected Western Australians had stayed in the central Kuta area of Bali.
(Snip)
"The early symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are typically similar to severe 'flu-like' illness. "Early symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle soreness, headaches, tiredness, reduced appetite and diarrhoea, along with dry cough and breathlessness." Continued: http://pilbaraecho.com.au/?p=518

(Note: IMO, if the culture for Legionella pneumophilia is negative then you better ask the doctor to collect swabs and send them off to make sure it isn't H5N1! If you have flu like symptoms and you've been to Indonesia, better to be safe than sorry.)

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

     

India: Modi directive on mysterious disease
(Note: Unfortunately, this article doesn't state the symptoms but since they mention Japanese encephalitis then they probably are experiencing high fevers.)

PATNA: Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday directed principal secretary, health, Amarjeet Sinha to send specialized doctors to Muzaffarpur to treat children of a mysterious disease detected in the district.

He also directed the principal secretary to remain in constant touch with the Muzaffarpur district administration in this regard. Sinha, who earlier on Friday visited Muzaffarpur, briefed Modi about the disease.

(Snip) the cases detected did not seem to be `Japanese encephalitis' as it affects people of all age group residing in a particular area whereas in this case only children have fallen ill. He informed Modi that a team of Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, Patna, doctors would visit Muzaffarpur on Saturday and collect samples which would be sent outside the state for investigation. (Snip) http://articles.timesofindia.i...

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

     

India, Bihar: 17 children dead of encephalitis
Encephalitis has claimed the lives of 17 children so far in Bihar's
Muzaffarpur district over the last 2 weeks.

Alarmed by the situation, the Bihar government dispatched the health
secretary to the Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Blood
samples have been collected from 4 children who are said to be in a
serious condition. Another 30 children have been admitted to the same
hospital. [snip]

Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org

[There is no indication in this report as to the etiology of these
encephalitis cases. ProMED would appreciate additional information,
particularly when the blood samples are tested in the laboratory. It
is possible that these cases are ones occurring at the beginning of
the Japanese encephalitis virus transmission season.
[snip]   - Mod.TY]

[A review of prior ProMED-mail posts reveals recurrent threads on
undiagnosed encephalitis reports in India without clear resolution.
There are also thread reporting outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis.
ProMED-mail would greatly appreciate receiving more information on
both this current outbreak report, as well as prior undiagnosed
encephalitis outbreaks in India. - Mod.MPP]
[snipped list of previous cases]

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

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

[ Parent ]
Tenn. & Va.: e coli O157/non-O157
A potential E. coli outbreak that's plagued Northeast Tennessee
since mid-May 2011 has sickened 2 more people, bringing the total
number of confirmed cases in the 8-county Northeast Tennessee region
so far in 2011 to 15. On Fri 17 Jun 2011 the Northeast Tennessee
Regional Health Office announced that it confirmed the presence of the
potentially fatal infection in 2 people who started showing symptoms
of a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection on 7 and 9 Jun 2011.
One is from Sullivan County, said Health Office Director David
Kirshke.
"We are working on all of these cases," Kirshke said, adding that his
office is trying to find out whether these 2 new cases are in any way
related to a series of 11 other confirmed cases that hit the region
between 15 May and 2 Jun 2011. "But so far we have not found a common
link between them."

On 5 Jun 2011, a 2-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother from
Dryden, VA, were rushed to the Johnson City Medical Center's Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit after they developed an E. coli infection. The
girl died at the hospital that day while her brother was sent to
another hospital for further treatment and later released. Kirshke
said his staff is diligently working with the Virginia Department of
Health to figure out if there is any connection between these 2
children and the 13 Northeast Tennessee residents with confirmed
cases.

Even though no common links have been found, the health officer said
he is treating the situation like an outbreak because the dates these
symptoms started showing up are in such a small period of time. He
hopes test results from the 2 new cases that are due back next week
will help his office solve the puzzle.


[2]
Date: Mon 13 Jun 2011
Source: Food Safety News [edited]
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/...

Clusters of E. coli infection reported in Eastern Tennessee could
be the "new normal" as non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
take their place beside O157, making outbreaks all that more difficult
to sort out. "It is very confusing," said Tennessee's State
Epidemiologist, Dr. Tim F. Jones on Mon 13 Jun 2011, as he explained
that in addition to 3 O157:H7 cases, 2 cases of E. coli O103 and 1
of O169 have been confirmed in the eastern end of the state. Tennessee
is being assisted by the CDC in investigating a total of 11 cases of
E. coli infection.

Dr. Jones said further complicating the investigation is the fact
that in the DNA "fingerprinting" by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis,
none of the PFGE patterns are the same for any of the E. coli
strains. PFGE patterns of bacteria isolated from the people who are
ill are often used to link cases to a common source.

Jones said the lab-test results have left Tennessee health officials
with a difficult investigation, trying to determine common foods and
activities for victims. At this point, he said, sources of
contamination could be anything from exposure to petting farm animals
or swallowing water from the wrong swimming hole.

After health officials confirmed they were dealing with STEC
bacteria, 2 western Virginia siblings turned up in Tennessee hospitals
on 5 Jun 2011 with illnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7.  The
2-year-old girl died, while her 5-year-old brother recovered after
being treated at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Knoxville, TN.

But Jones said there appears to be no connection between those 2
cases from western Virginia and the 11 eastern Tennessee cases, not
even the O157 cases in Tennessee.

[Byline: Dan Flynn]



[The genetic differences between each of the strains suggest that the
association between cases is their closeness in time only, rather than
being epidemiologically connected. No definite vehicle or vehicles
have been yet elucidated although summertime is hamburger time and
undercooked ground beef may well play a role here. - Mod.LL]

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

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

China: Hong Kong declares scarlet fever outbreak
HONG KONG: Hong Kong has declared an outbreak of scarlet fever, an illness potentially fatal among children, after hundreds were infected in the teeming city, the government said today. A seven-year-old girl in the southern Chinese city died late last month while there have been more than 400 cases so far this year, a Centre for Health Protection spokesman told AFP today.

Hong Kong's 419 scarlet fever infections in 2011 are already the highest annual total in the city, and more than three times the figure for the whole of last year. There were 142 cases in the first half of June. "We have seen an unusually high number of infection cases this year," the spokesman said, describing the situation as an "outbreak".

Local scientists said the outbreak may be linked to a deadly new strain of the disease which could make it more contagious than in the past. A unique gene fragment was present in the bacteria's genome "which might contribute to increased transmissibility of this strain," said the health protection centre statement, released late Monday. The new strain, discovered by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, appears to be resistant to antibiotics traditionally used to fight the illness, the spokesman added.
Children under 10 made up 93% of the reported cases and most of the infections were mild, the statement said. Continued: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.c...

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

     

China: Mutated Scarlet Fever Kills Second Child In Hong Kong
HONG KONG -- A mutated strain of scarlet fever more resistant to antibiotics has killed a second child in Hong Kong, the first deaths from the illness in the southern Chinese city in at least a decade (Snip) Certain characteristics of the new strain likely make it more contagious, and it may be responsible for an outbreak sweeping Hong Kong (Snip)

The new strain has about 60 percent resistance to antibiotics used to treat it, compared with 10 to 30 percent in previous strains, he said. A 5-year-old boy who died at a hospital Tuesday was confirmed to have scarlet fever Wednesday. A 7-year-old girl who died in May was the first patient in Hong Kong to die of the illness in at least 10 years.

Hong Kong has had 466 reported cases of scarlet fever so far this year, about double the annual total. The outbreak may have spread to neighboring Macau and mainland China. About 9,000 cases have been reported on the mainland, about double the average from recent years, although no information is available on deaths, the Hong Kong Standard newspaper reported, citing health officials. Macau has 49 cases, a jump from 29 cases in 2009 and 16 in 2010, but no deaths have been reported, the Macau Daily Times said. "We are facing an epidemic because the bacteria causing scarlet fever is widely circulating in the region - not only in Hong Kong but neighboring places such as the mainland and Macau," (Snip)

Scarlet fever is a streptococcal disease characterized by a bright red skin rash, fever and sore throat. It's most common in children under 10. (Snip) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

(Note: I will not be at all surprised to soon see this in other Asian countries or even spread farther. More contagious and 60% resistant to antibiotics makes it a very serious outbreak.)

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

     

[ Parent ]
New England, upper Midwest: tick-borne disease babesiosis
A potentially devastating infection caused by tick bites has gained a foothold in the Lower Hudson Valley and in coastal areas of the Northeast, government researchers have found.

The condition, called babesiosis, is a malaria-like illness that results from infection with Babesia microti, a parasite that lives in red blood cells and is carried by deer ticks. Though far less common than Lyme disease, babesiosis can be fatal, particularly in people with compromised immune systems.

Because there is no widely used screening test for babesiosis, its spread poses a particular threat to the blood supply, scientists said. "We are very worried about it and are doing everything in our power to address this," said Sanjai Kumar, chief of the laboratory of emerging pathogens at the Food and Drug Administration.
[snip]
Experts fear that many undiagnosed patients may be donating blood. Currently, blood banks do not screen for Babesia because the Food and Drug Administration has not licensed a test for this purpose. The only way to screen a patient is by using a questionnaire, which simply asks blood donors if they are infected.

Babesiosis already is the most frequently reported infection transmitted through transfusion in the United States, responsible for at least 12 deaths.  In New York City, six transfusion-associated cases of babesiosis were reported in 2009. Infection by this route can be serious: One study found approximately 30 percent of people who were infected by a transfusion died.
[snip]


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06...

Where is babesiosis found?

Babesiosis occurs mainly in coastal areas in the northeastern United States, especially the offshore islands of New York and Massachusetts. Cases have also been reported in Wisconsin, California, Georgia, and in some European countries.

How do people get babesiosis?

Babesiosis is most commonly spread to people by the bite of a tick infected with the Babesia parasite. Babesiosis is spread by deer ticks, which are carried mainly by deer, meadow voles, and mice. Deer ticks also spread Lyme disease. People can be infected with both babesiosis and Lyme disease at the same time. People can also get babesiosis from a contaminated blood transfusion.

What are the signs and symptoms of babesiosis?

The parasite attacks the red blood cells. Symptoms, if any, begin with tiredness, loss of appetite, and a general ill feeling. As the infection progresses, these symptoms are followed by fever, drenching sweats, muscle aches, and headache. The symptoms can last from several days to several months.

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?

It can take from 1 to 12 months for the first symptoms to appear, but less time for persons with weakened immune systems.


http://www.dhpe.org/infect/Bab...

What can be done to prevent babesiosis?

When in tick-infested habitat - wooded and grassy areas - take special precautions to prevent tick bites, such as wearing light-colored clothing (for easy tick discovery) and tucking pants into socks and shirt into pants. Check after every two to three hours of outdoor activity for ticks on clothing or skin. Brush off any ticks on clothing before skin attachment occurs. A thorough check of body surfaces for attached ticks should be done at the end of the day. If removal of attached ticks occurs within 36 hours, the risk of tick-borne infection is minimal.

Repellents can be effective at reducing bites from ticks that can transmit disease. But their use is not without risk of health effects, especially if repellents are applied in large amounts or improperly. Repellents commonly available to consumers contain the active ingredients DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), picaridin (also known as KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus, permethrin, or botanical oils. DEET products have been widely used for many years, but have occasionally been associated with health effects. Skin reactions (particularly at DEET concentrations of 50 percent and above) and eye irritation are the most frequently reported health problems. Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus have been shown to offer long-lasting protection against mosquitoes but there are limited data regarding their ability to repel ticks. Products containing permethrin are for use on clothing only, not on skin. Rather than acting as a repellent, permethrin kills ticks and insects that come in contact with treated clothes. Permethrin can cause eye irritation. Insect repellents containing botanical oils, such as oil of geranium, cedar, lemongrass, soy or citronella are also available, but there is limited information on their effectiveness and toxicity. If you decide to use a repellent, use only what and how much you need for your situation. In addition:

   * Be sure to follow label directions.
   * Use repellents only in small amounts, avoiding unnecessary repeat application. Try to reduce the use of repellents by dressing in long sleeves and pants tucked into socks or boots.
   * Children may be at greater risk for reactions to repellents, in part, because their exposure may be greater. Do not apply repellents directly to children. Apply to your own hands and then put it on the child.
   * Do not apply near eyes, nose or mouth and use sparingly around ears. Do not apply to the hands of small children.
   * After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.

How should a tick be removed?

Grasp the mouthparts with tweezers as close as possible to the attachment (skin) site. Be careful not to squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick, which may contain infectious fluids. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash hands. See or call a doctor if there are concerns about incomplete tick removal. Do not attempt to remove ticks by using petroleum jelly, lit cigarettes or other home remedies because these may actually increase the chance of contracting a tick-borne disease.


http://www.health.state.ny.us/...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
France: e coli VTEC O157 in frozen ground beef patties
The outbreak strain of Escherichia coli O157 that sent 8 children
to hospital suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) earlier in
June 2011 has been found in a sample of "Steak Country chez Lidl"
frozen hamburger patties. The contaminated hamburger carried a "best
if used by" date of 11 May 2012, one of the 3 production dates
recalled by La societe SEB, the manufacturer.

[snip]
Investigators are working to determine the origin of the
contamination, to trace the distribution of the recalled meat, and to
monitor the effectiveness of the recall. Italy's Ministry of Health
reported this morning that no E. coli was found in 8 samples of
Steak Country products seized from a Lidl distribution center in
Arcole (Verona Province).

Of the 8 children who were hospitalized at the CHU de Lille due to
HUS, 6 are still in hospital, one in a coma.

[The VTEC is confirmed to be the most typical O157:H7 strain and a
"smoking" hamburger is reported.

Since most outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 disease cause no more than
10 per cent of cases to develop HUS, more non-HUS cases should be
present. - Mod.LL


Comment:  This isn't the same strain as the e coli in Germany.

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

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

WA & MT: Q fever goat disease spreads to humans
http://www.katu.com/news/local...

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A bacterial infection called Q fever has apparently spread from goats to humans and sickened people in Washington and Montana, agriculture officials said.

The illness has stricken five people in the Moses Lake area with flulike symptoms. Officials also have traced infected goats to Cascade and Teton counties in Montana, where six people have become ill, officials said.

Washington Agriculture Department spokesman Jason Kelly told The Spokesman-Review that goats at a Moses Lake farm that had trouble birthing in April were found to be infected with the Q fever bacteria. Goats from that farm have been traced to nine other counties in Washington: Spokane, Adams, Pend Oreille, Walla Walla, Franklin, Clark, Thurston, Kittitas and Chelan.

"We have established a direct link to the herd in Montana," Kelly said.

State Health Department spokesman Donn Moyer said human cases of Q fever are rare, with no more than three confirmed cases per year. People associated with the goat farms became ill starting in May, he said.

Investigators are trying to determine if the rise in cases is due to awareness of Q fever or something different.
People can become ill with the bacteria if they inhale barnyard dust particles contaminated by infected animals.
[snip]

E. coli O104: Germany, Sweden, France, Brazil?
In this update:
[1] ECDC update with French cases without German link
[2] Possible Brazil ex Germany report
[3] Swedish case without Germany link
[4] German school cluster

Update since 27 Jun 2011
------------------------
In the EU/EEA, 885 HUS [hemolytic uremic syndrome] cases, including
31 deaths, and 3138 non-HUS cases, including 17 deaths have so far
been reported. Germany reports 4 additional HUS cases since the last
update, as well as 96 non-HUS STEC [Shiga toxin producing _Escherichia
coli_] cases and 1 non-HUS STEC death. Sweden reports 1 new non-HUS
STEC cases. The latest known date of onset of diarrhea for cases is 22
Jun 2011.

On Fri 24 Jun 2011, France reported a cluster of patients with bloody
diarrhea, who had participated in an event in the commune of Begles
around Bordeaux on 8 Jun 2011. As of 27 Jun 2011, 9 people have been
hospitalized. 8 of these have developed HUS, a severe complication of
E. coli infection. The 9th hospitalized case has bloody diarrhea but
not HUS, and epidemiological investigations have shown no link with
the event in Begles. An additional 4 cases of bloody diarrhoea, all
participants to the event, have been notified and are under clinical
follow-up. In 3 cases, infection with E. coli O104:H4 has been
confirmed.

The French authorities are investigating this new cluster. 6 of the
cases reported having eaten sprouts at the event on 8 Jun 2011, and
leftovers are currently being analyzed. These suspected sprouts were
locally produced, and were not imported from the farm implicated in
the outbreak in Germany.
[snip]
Total cases: 4023 with 48  deaths -- 1.19 percent case fatality rate.
Cases have continued to occur as the last onset of symptoms to date is
only 6 days ago, 22 Jun 2011!

[snip]
Brazil
Two persons from the city of Campinas, Sao Paulo state, were
suspected of infection by E. coli, Brazilian health authorities
reported today, 25 Jun 2011. These are 2 people who recently returned
from a stay in Germany, where since May 2011 reported an outbreak of
infection with E. coli O104.

However, the Ministry of Health of Brazil, recently disclosed in a
footnote, dismissed the possibility of epidemic risk and said that one
of the travelers was hospitalized, but both are in good health.

[snip]
Sweden
Swedish health authorities said Tuesday, 28 Jun 2011, they had
detected a case of infection with the E. coli strain that caused a
deadly outbreak in Germany, in a man who had not been to that country.
It is the 1st time that a case has turned up in Sweden in a person
with no direct link to Germany, Doctor Karin Tegmark Wisell of the
Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control told AFP.

[snip]
Germany
German officials closed a primary school in the west of the country
on Tuesday, 28 Jun 2011, after students fell ill with the rare strain
of E. coli responsible for an outbreak that has killed 48 people.

The school in the town of Altenbeken will be shut for a week, about
the length of the E. coli incubation period, to prevent a possible
spread of the bacteria, local officials said.
[snip]
3 male students have been infected and 4 workers who prepare food for
the students at the school appeared to have been infected and are
undergoing further testing, the county said
[snip]

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


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

Rinderpest (cattle plague) has been eradicated
Rinderpest caused hundreds of millions of animal deaths that preceded famines in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

After centuries of efforts to prevent outbreaks of the disease, international authorities announced in May that the disease was the second, after smallpox, to be eradicated through human efforts.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) proclaimed May 25 that all 198 countries and territories with rinderpest-susceptible animals were free of the disease, and, at press time, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was expected to declare June 28 that the disease has been eradicated. The announcements indicate the morbillivirus that caused rinderpest remains only in laboratories.

Efforts to fight the "cattle plague" were connected with the 1761 founding of the world's first veterinary school in Lyon, France, and the 1924 founding of the OIE. FAO information indicates rinderpest epizootics were also associated with the fall of the Roman Empire, the conquest of Christian Europe by Charlemagne, the French Revolution, the impoverishment of Russia, and extensive famines in Africa.
[snip]
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/ja...

From Pro-Med Mail
Date: Tue 28 Jun 2011
Source: 37th FAO Conference Plenary Session, FAO Headquarters, Rome
[edited]

[A special session of FAO's Annual Conference, assembled in Rome on
28 Jun 2011, composed of Ministers of Agriculture of member countries,
officially adopted the FAO-OIE declaration on global freedom from
Rinderpest. The keynote speech in he adoption session was delivered by
Prof Peter C. Doherty, Nobel Laureate 1996, Melbourne. We find it
appropriate to reproduce this remarkable speech, addressing a
remarkable achievement.]

(A good read; he talks about smallpox, measles, anti-vax parents, HIV, avian flu, and more.)

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...
-----
(ProMedMail includes this article from the New York Times.)
Date: 28 Jun 2011
Source: New York Times [summarised, edited]
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06...

Rinderpest, Scourge of Cattle, Is Vanquished
--------------------------------------------
On Tuesday [28 Jun 2011] in a ceremony in Rome, the United Nations is
officially declaring that for only the 2nd time in history, a disease
has been wiped off the face of the earth.

The disease is rinderpest.

Everyone has heard of smallpox. Very few have heard of the runner-up.

That's because rinderpest is an epizootic, an animal disease. The
name means "cattle plague" in German, and it is a relative of the
measles virus that infects cloven-hoofed beasts, including cattle,
buffaloes, large antelopes and deer, pigs and warthogs, even giraffes
and wildebeests. The most virulent strains killed 95 percent of the
herds they attacked. [snip]

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

Community-based efforts in rural areas helped eradicate rinderpest.
[snip]
Attending the ceremony were Jeffrey Mariner, a former student and faculty member of the Cummings School, as well as Andy Catley, PhD and Berhanu Admassu, DVM, MSC, of Tufts' Feinstein International Center (FIC).

While a student at Tufts' veterinary school, Mariner, now with the International Livestock Research Institute, repurposed a rinderpest vaccine that could be transported to rural areas without refrigeration. Delivery of the previous vaccine was problematic due to heat sensitivity. Admassu and Darlington Akabwai, DVM, also of the FIC, assisted the Ethiopian government with removing distribution barriers by developing novel community-based approaches to vaccination.
[snip]
Community participation involved training pastoral livestock owners living in remote, marginalized areas of Ethiopia as community-based animal health workers (CAHWs). Most could not read or write, but mastered the cattle vaccination process by attending special training courses in the field, designed by Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) and Tufts veterinarians. The CAHWs cared for cattle on a daily basis and provided invaluable insight into the history of the disease in Ethiopia. The CAHWs also demonstrated for Ethiopian government workers and the Tufts veterinarians their indigenous knowledge of rinderpest symptoms and patterns of transmission. Their ability to monitor for flare-ups following the vaccinations was crucial to conquering rinderpest.

Similar tactics were used to eradicate rinderpest in other African countries including Uganda, Sudan, and Kenya. Rinderpest surfaced in Africa in colonial times, initially killing up to 90 percent of the cattle population in Ethiopia, where an estimated one-third of the human population starved to death. In the years that followed, periodic epidemics severely damaged the food supply and the economy.
[snip]


http://www.thedailygrafton.com...


"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor
[ Parent ]
Europe: E. coli O104
Wed 29 Jun: 0 [HUS cases] / 29 [new non-HUS cases] / snip / 48 [total deaths]

Total cases: 4055 with 48 deaths -- 1.18 percent case fatality rate.
Cases have continued to occur as the last onset of symptoms to date
is only 6 days ago, 23 Jun 2011!

The cases do not necessarily reflect date of onset of disease but
rather when the diagnosis was made and reported. The number of newly
reported cases per day clearly decreased from the corresponding day in
the previous week. - Mod.LL]


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

(The updated chart is at the link.)

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

Multiple sclerosis, virus: Monkeys in Oregon
Monkey multiple sclerosis discovered in Oregon suggests virus may
cause human disease

In 1986, an unknown disease began killing monkeys at the Oregon
National Primate Research Center in Hillsboro. Affected animals
developed an unsteady gait and a rapidly advancing paralysis of the
limbs. Caregivers could do nothing to stop the disease and euthanized
most of the helpless animals within a week of symptom onset.

The disease, researchers now report, is the monkey equivalent of
multiple sclerosis. And it appears to be caused by a virus -- adding
support to the possibility that multiple sclerosis in humans can be
triggered by a viral infection. Experts say the discovery could help
expedite the search for more effective treatments. "That's the
ultimate goal," said co-author Scott Wong, a scientist at the primate
center and Oregon Health & Science University's [OHSU] Vaccine and
Gene Therapy Institute.

Since the 1st case appeared at the primate center, 56 monkeys in the
Japanese macaque colony have fallen ill with the neurological disease.
In most years, no more than 4 cases appear in the population of more
than 300 monkeys. In a few cases, the monkeys recovered and lived
normally for many months before relapsing -- a course often seen in
people with multiple sclerosis, or MS.

Wong and colleagues studied brain and spinal cord samples from nearly
all of the monkeys after death. Microscopic examination revealed
damage very similar to that in MS patients, including nerve fibers
stripped of their protective sheath. Brain scans performed on 8 living
monkeys showed scattered patches of dead and damaged nerve cells also
similar to those seen in people with MS.

The researchers isolated a previously unknown virus from a sample of
damaged spinal nerve tissue taken from one animal. DNA analysis showed
that the virus belongs to the herpes family of viruses. Wong's team
developed a sensitive test for the virus and used it to screen samples
from healthy and diseased monkeys. So far, they have detected the
virus in samples of damaged nerve tissue from 6 monkeys that died from
the disorder. The virus has not showed up in healthy samples.

[snip]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

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

A word of caution on making conclusions prematurely, from mods at ProMedMail
[In the original article the authors report the isolation of a
previously uncharacterised simian herpesvirus from some animals in a
colony of Japanese macaques afflicted by a neurological condition
involving demyelinisation of neurons similar to that observed in human
multiple sclerosis. The evidence reported so far falls short of
confirming that this simian herpesvirus is the cause of the
demyelinisation in the affected animals, and in the past there have
been many false trails in attempts to associate virus infection (and
herpesvirus infection in particular) with human multiple sclerosis.
However, if the Oregon scientists can confirm such an association, at
the very least they will have discovered an experimental model which
would assist research into treatment of multiple sclerosis in humans.
- Mod.CP]

[This interesting report raises some key questions. The researchers
are correct -- they have to go back to Koch's postulates, isolate the
virus, inoculate susceptibles and reproduce the disease so show that
the presence of the virus is not just a coincidence. The mention that
a herpesvirus -- herpesvirus encephalitis (similar to herpes B
infections in people?) -- has been detected is interesting. Nor is
there mention of in increase in antibodies in recently infected
individuals. The demyelinization might be an autoimmune response
induced by the virus infection. The possible relationship of the virus
with MS is premature, but worth following up. - Mod.TY]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

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

[ Parent ]
Colombia: rice blight
Bacteria may reduce rice production by nearly 40 percent
--------------------------------------------------------
Rafael Hernandez, president of Fedearroz [National Federation of Rice
Growers], said that the production of rice in some parts of the
country might be reduced by up to 40 percent because of the bacterium
Burkholderia glumae.

He indicated that this bacterium has been affecting plantations since
last year [2010] and there are several producers in Meta and Tolima
[departments] who have expressed concern about the issue.

However, he noted that Fedearroz has been providing support and
stressed that the B. glumae is not fought with [agro]chemicals, but
with proper management of the crop.
---
[_Burkholderia glumae_ causes bacterial panicle blight of rice as
well as bacterial wilts in a number of other field crops. It has been
known in Japan since 1955 and has more recently also been reported in
other rice-producing countries around the world. For example, in the
late 1990's it caused devastating yield losses in India (Bengal), and
several outbreaks have resulted in severe crop losses in the southern
USA.

Symptoms may include sheath, seedling and grain rots, as well as
abortion of florets resulting in greatly reduced grain filling and
potential yield losses of up to 40 percent (this figure may have been
used to estimate possible losses above). Disease development is
favoured by warm temperatures. Despite its economic importance,
virulence mechanisms of B. glumae are poorly understood.

The pathogen is carried on the seed and is often present in
commercial rice seed. No complete resistance has been identified in
rice cultivars anywhere in the world, but varieties with reduced
sensitivity are available and resistance breeding programmes are in
progress.
(links to descriptions of the disease, earlier occurences and photos here also)
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

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

E. coli update Germany
Number of Deads: 50 person(s)
Number of Infected: 4051 person(s)

Situation:

In the EU/EEA, 892 HUS [hemolytic uremic syndrome] cases, including 32 deaths, and 3233 non-HUS cases, including 17 deaths, have so far been reported. Since the last update, Germany reports 4 additional HUS cases, 44 additional non-HUS STEC [Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli] cases and a new HUS fatality. The latest known date of onset of diarrhea for cases is 26 Jun 2011 in Germany.

With regards to the outbreak in France (Bordeaux Region), 8 cases of bloody diarrhea and a further 8 HUS cases have been identified as of 30 Jun 2011. Infection with E. coli O104:H4 has been confirmed for 6 patients with HUS. 11 of the patients had attended the event in Begles, where 9 reported having eaten sprouts; it concerns 7 women and 4 men, between 31 and 64 years of age.

Thorough investigations are ongoing. Strains from 3 patients tested by the French authorities were compared to strains from patients linked to the outbreak in Germany. The comparison showed that the 2 strains were indistinguishable. This suggests that these 2 events are related to a common source.

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

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

Philippines: Mystery disease afflicts Zamboanga del Norte village
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines Health officials in Western Mindanao are in a quandary as to what has killed at least four people and downed more than two dozen other people in a fishing village in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, since late April. (Snip) they have been searching for answers to the mystery.
"We are very puzzled. Even our toxicologists are wondering what this disease is," (Snip) laboratory samples from the victims and the village's surroundings had been gathered and sent to Manila for analysis.

Dr. Romeo Ong, director of the Zamboanga City Medical Center where at least 16 residents of Mantebo village have been admitted since May, said they were expecting the results from Manila to come in next week. Ong said the patients showed the same symptoms, such as coughing, fever and mild paralysis of the lower body.

Those who succumbed to the mysterious illness died within a short period after being hospitalized, Sibuco health chief Derileen Edding said. She cited the case of  Hadjiban Abdurahman, 23, who died 18 hours after being hospitalized on June 11.

"All the patients, according to their relatives, complained of cough, fever then numbness of the lower parts of their bodies," (Snip) "The illness progresses so fast." (Snip) they had initially suspected, based on the symptoms manifested by the patients, that it the ailment could have been caused by be some kind of marine toxin. But then the manifestations were also symptoms of heavy metal poisoning and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The latter is a serious disorder that occurs when the body's immune system attacks parts of the nervous system. This would result in nerve inflammation and causes muscle weakness, Tan said.

"That is why we need to determine first what is causing the problem so we can address it," Tan said, adding that the samples extracted from patients for laboratory analysis included spinal fluids. (Snip) health experts were expected to go to Mantebo on July 7 to conduct further investigation. He said the local government was informed that at least 20 more patients were being treated by relatives at home.

Mantebo is a remote village in Sibuco and residents travel by sea because the road that leads to it from the town's center was so dilapidated nobody uses it. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2...

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

     

Germany E.Coli update for USA
Severe E. coli infection has caused the death of one elderly male adult in Arizona and five cases of hospitalization in the USA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The man who died had recently been to Germany, which has been ravaged by the deadly food poisoning outbreak. Authorities have not released the dead man's name, but say he is over 65 years old and comes from Northern Arizona. The CDC has confirmed that so far there have been six cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli 10104:H4, five of whom had recently travelled to Germany.

Experts believe the sixth person became ill after close contact with one of the other five in Michigan. Five of the infected Americans, including the one who died, developed HUS (hemolytic uremic syndrome), a severe kidney-damaging complication. Illnesses have been reported in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Arizona and Michigan.

Public health authorities in Europe believe the most likely source of the E. coli outbreak were fenugreek seeds from Egypt that were imported and then used to grow sprouts in Europe. Fifty infected people have died so far in Europe, only one of them outside Germany. The EU (European Union) has recalled all fenugreek seeds and has also temporarily banned their importation.

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

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

India: Unidentified animal Disease (Mass Die-off)
State of Manipur

A mysterious animal disease which broke out less than two weeks ago in Senapati district in Manipur has reportedly claimed more than fifty cows and buffaloes, said a source. The epidemic continues to claim the lives of about 6-7 animals in and around Makhan village in Tadubi block of Senapati district, a villager informed Newmai News Network today while adding that the symptoms of the mysterious animal disease include excessive urinating and saliva.

Animals that show signs of infection and symptom do not live for more than three days, he added. The villagers are aggrieved that despite complaints being made before Maram and Senapati vet departments no one from the departments has turned up quoting lack of medicine and equipment to handle such eventuality. The villagers of the areas and its vicinity have appealed to concerned authorities and departments and other concern agencies, societies, companies and individuals who might be able to help in reversing the situation.

The villagers also feared that the disease might be transferable onto human if not addressed forthwith.

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

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

Similar symptoms in two diseases
One caused by the animal's food
Black Patch Disease

Causing Foaming, Slobbering, & Excessive Salivation In Llamas
This is a fungal disease caused by Rhizoctonia leguminicola occurring in the entire upper part of the red or crimson clover. The lesions are blackish brown and irregular shaped on the leaf. They soon fuse mutually and become large lesion which covers the whole leaf. The black and fluffy sclerotia are produced in the center part of the lesion. Black hyphae extends to the entire plant when occurring severely and cause plant death.  Hyphae is the part of the fungus that feeds, grows, and ultimately may produce a mushroom or some other kind of reproductive structure.  It is a  threadlike tubular filament possessed by many fungi that function in nutrient absorption and transfer .  It often looks white and web-like.

The slobbering is associated with black patch disease caused by Rhizoctonia leguminicola.  The specific causal agent is slaframine which is an indolizidine alkaloid and a metabolite of Rhizoctonia leguminicola.  Conditions were right for its development this year, rainy conditions and high humidity.

Interestingly, the compound does decrease in red clover hay while in storage.  One study sites a decrease in 10 months of storage from 50-100 ppm to 7 ppm.

Reading about the associated biological effects in Peter Cheeke's "Natural Toxicants in Feeds, Forages, and Poisonous Plants" book makes one raise their eyebrows as to why we even use potentially infectious clovers at all.  In cattle, concerns include excessive salivation, eye discharge, bloat, frequent urination, watery diarrhea, reduced milk production, weight loss and abortion.  Other things noted include increased pancreatic flow, bile flow, and gastric acidity, and decreased heart rate, cardiac output, respiration rate, body temperature, and metabolic rate.  With use of guinea pigs as an assay animal, the LD50 was less than 1 mg of slaframine/kg (1 kg=approximately 2.2 lbs.) of body weight.[snip]

(Other possible causes of excessive salivation are described in the article.)
http://www.shagbarkridge.com/i...

One is more scary

Chronic Wasting Disease

Several studies are currently taking place to research this disease. It is of particular interest to Coloradans as cases of chronic wasting disease have been confirmed among deer and elk since 1981. The current research in Colorado is looking at the possibility of chronic wasting disease being transferable to cattle.
What is it?

A "chronic wasting disease" has been diagnosed sporadically in wild mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk in north-central Colorado since 1981. This disease causes damage to portions of the brain of deer and elk.

Affected animals show progressive loss of body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, depression and eventual death. Chronic wasting disease is fatal. The pathogen that causes this disease has not been identified.[snip]

How is it transmitted?

Neither the agent causing chronic wasting disease nor its mode of transmission have been identified. Experimental and circumstantial evidence suggests infected deer and elk probably transmit the disease through animal-to-animal contact and/or contamination of feed or water sources with saliva, urine, and/or feces. Chronic wasting disease seems more likely to occur in areas where deer or elk are crowded or where they congregate at man-made feed and water stations.[snip]

Is it transmissible to humans?

According to experts and public health officials, there's no evidence that chronic wasting disease can be naturally transmitted to humans, or to animals other than deer and elk. As a general precaution, however, it's a good idea for people to avoid contact with any wild animal that appears sick.

Is the disease transmissible to domestic livestock?

According to experts, there's no evidence that chronic wasting disease can be naturally transmitted to domestic livestock. Chronic wasting disease is similar in some respects to two livestock diseases: 1) scrapie, which affects domestic sheep and goats world-wide and has been recognized for over 200 years, and 2) bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which is a more recent disease of cattle in the United Kingdom and other European countries. Though there are similarities, there is no evidence suggesting either scrapie or BSE are caused by contact with wild deer or elk.[snip]


http://www.ext.colostate.edu/s...

Comment: this post may be totally off the wall, but every article on this news item uses the same wording, no new info anywhere, so I had to go hunting, because it's 50 animal deaths.

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

[ Parent ]
Bat disease spreading: extinction event?
The deadly bat disease known as white-nose syndrome is probably
present in Buncombe County, according to a new report from the N.C.
Wildlife Resources Commission. The news raises the number of affected
counties in western North Carolina to 4. Since its initial appearance
in a New York cave in 2006, the fungal disease has killed bats at a
startling rate. Biologists worry that mortality from the disease is so
high, we may be witnessing an extinction event.[snip]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/...

Bat White-Nose Syndrome in North America

Since 2007, infections by a previously unrecognized, perhaps imported fungus killed an estimated 1 million bats in North America

David S. Blehert, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Anne E. Ballmann, Paul M. Cryan, and Carol U. Meteyer

Summary

· The newly described fungus, Geomyces destructans, causes an invasive skin infection in bats and is the likely agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS).

· With immune system functions and body temperatures reduced during hibernation, bats may be unusually susceptible to a pathogenic fungus such as G. destructans.

· WNS was first observed in a popular show cave near Albany, New York, leading some investigators to suspect that a visitor inadvertently introduced G. destructans at this site, triggering a wider WNS outbreak in North America.

· Biologists trying to manage WNS within North American bat populations face major challenges, including the variety of susceptible host species, incredible dispersal capabilities of bats, difficulties in treating such populations, and persistence of the pathogen in their vulnerable underground habitats.

In 2007 bats in eastern North America began dying in unprecedented numbers from a previously undocumented disease, now called white-nose syndrome (WNS). Although the ecological and economic impacts of this disease are not fully elucidated, this severe loss of insectivorous bats threatens decreased crop yields, forest defoliation, and a rise in insect-borne diseases. The recent emergence of WNS in bats of eastern North America, its rapid spread, and the severity of the outbreak highlight the importance of wildlife disease as an integral component of ecosystem health.
[snip]
Bat conservation efforts have historically focused mainly on reducing human causes of bat mortality, including habitat destruction, detrimental intrusions into roosts, and intentional extermination of colonies. Bat census figures prior to the emergence of WNS in North America indicate many populations of cave-hibernating bats were stable or increasing. However, the current WNS outbreak brings an even more serious threat to bat populations of North America, confronting biologists with a new set of conservation and management challenges.

Mitigating diseases in free-ranging wildlife populations requires very different approaches from those applied in agriculture for domestic animals. Once established, diseases in free-ranging wildlife are rarely, if ever, eradicated. Biologists trying to manage WNS within bat populations face multiple challenges, including the need to deal with numerous host species, long-distance migrations of infected hosts, poor access to some host populations, impracticalities associated with treating individual wild animals, infected hosts that are sensitive to being disturbed and that inhabit fragile ecosystems, and environmental persistence of the pathogen.

The guiding principle for physicians and veterinarians, "first, do no harm," will help to prevent WNS management efforts from having unintended adverse consequences. For example: depopulating an infected colony would not be effective unless all infectious animals are removed and all hibernacula used by the population are decontaminated-conditions unlikely to be achieved among free-ranging wildlife; using disinfectants to decontaminate hibernacula could have toxic effects on other organisms reliant on those environments; treating individual bats with antifungal agents is labor intensive, is not self-sustaining, and could be toxic for treated animals or their symbionts; and careless intervention could disrupt natural selective processes that might yield behaviorally or immunologically resistant bats.

However, "first, do no harm" does not mean "do nothing." State and federal agencies already are taking measures to combat WNS, including closing caves and mandating decontamination procedures. Such steps are intended to prevent people from disturbing hibernating bats and to reduce the chance that intruding humans will transfer G. destructans from one hibernaculum to another. For example, taking a proactive approach prior to the appearance of WNS, state wildlife officials in Wisconsin conferred threatened status on four cave bat species that hibernate within its borders and designated G. destructans a prohibited invasive species providing state resource managers with legal authorities to take disease management actions.
[snip]


[Comment: Whole article is a good read.]
http://www.microbemagazine.org...

Map showing spread of the disease over time:
http://www.microbemagazine.org...

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

Treat it like bird flu?
Shoe dips before entering a cave?  Or close caves to tourists and spelunkers?  Or at least disinfect spelunkers' equipment and clothing?

Extinction is forever, as they say.

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

[ Parent ]
Denmark: leptospirosis (one fatal) from cleaning flooded basement
Date: Thu 21 Jul 2011
Source: Statens Serum Institut [in Danish, machine trans., edited]
< http://www.ssi.dk/Aktuelt/Nyhe... >

Two men from the Copenhagen area have been diagnosed with
leptospirosis, one of whom, a 62-year-old man, has died. The infection
has probably occurred through contact with sewer water in cleanup of
flooded basements.

After a heavy rainfall in Copenhagen on 2 Jul 2011, Statens Serum
Institut became aware of 2 cases of leptospirosis or Weil's disease
among men living in the Copenhagen area. In both cases these are
people who have cleaned up the basement after rain. For cleanup, these
people probably came into contact with sewer water that was
contaminated with rat urine, which may contain the bacteria that cause
leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is a rare disease caused by infection with bacteria of
the genus Leptospira. These bacteria are found in many animals, but
in Denmark it is usually bacteria from rats that cause the disease.
Infected animals excrete the bacteria in large numbers in the urine.
Transmission to humans occurs either through direct contact with urine
from infected animals or indirectly, through contact with freshwater
that has been contaminated with infected urine.

In connection with clearing and cleaning the basement, where there is
standing water after a flood, it is important to protect yourself by
using personal protective equipment, such as boots and rubber gloves.
After work is completed, a bath should be taken, dry thoroughly with a
clean towel, and put on clean clothes.

The clothes you have worn during cleanup work should be placed in the
washing machine and washed at as high a temperature as possible --
preferably above 80 deg C [176 deg F]. Alternatively, discard clothing
in a sealed black plastic bag and disposed of as ordinary waste.

The initial symptoms of leptospirosis are non-specific. There can be
high fever, headache, muscle pain (especially calves and lower back)
and bloodshot eyes. In severe cases (Weil's disease), failure of vital
organs, particularly the liver, kidney, and the coagulation system
occurs. The lungs are also affected in severe cases. The disease can
be treated with penicillin or other antibiotics. The best effect is
achieved if treatment is started within the 1st 4 days of illness. In
severe cases, the mortality rate is 5-15 percent.

--
Communicated by:
Jas Mantero, MD MPH PhD
Expert Epidemic Intelligence
Surveillance and Response Support Unit
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
[snip]

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

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

Canada: 17th (or 35th) death from Clostridium difficile
{some snips from the first report}
Another death has been tied to an outbreak of the _Clostridium
difficile_ superbug in Ontario's Niagara region, hospital officials
say. A 3rd patient related to the C. difficile outbreak at a
Welland, Ontario, hospital died Wednesday afternoon [6 Jul 2011], the
Niagara Health System said Thursday [7 Jul 2011]. At least 17 people
-- mainly elderly -- have died in the Niagara region since the
outbreak was declared 28 May 2011.
[snip]
Matthews said there are still people who refuse to wash their hands
when entering the hospitals. Some have even gone so far as to cross
their arms, telling staff to "make me" when asked to clean their hands
before entering, she said. The NHS "cannot say enough, cannot remind
people enough" about the importance of proper hand washing to help
stop the spread of CDAD, she said. Whether it's in the hospital or out
in the community, hand washing will help to keep the disease under
control, she added.
[snip]

{some snips from the second report on the same web page}
Another patient has died in relation to the Clostridium difficile
outbreak, the latest Friday [29 Jul 2011] morning at St Catharine's
General Hospital.

This brings the total of C. difficile-related deaths in Niagara to
35 -- including 6 community-acquired cases -- since the 1st outbreak
was declared by Niagara Health System (NHS) on 28 May [2011].

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

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

New "Not Influenza..." diary
It's located here
Not Influenza but Close News - Feb 2011 to Aug 2011 | 108 comments
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