Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border

VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA CONFIRMED IN LIBERIA
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Ebola HF cases confirmed in Liberia

At least two cases of Ebola have been confirmed in Liberia, apparently spreading from neighboring Guinea, where the deadly virus has killed 78 people.

The two confirmed cases in Liberia are sisters, one of whom had recently returned from Guinea, said officials.

The highly contagious virus is spread via close personal contact and kills between 25% and 90% of victims.

The first known outbreak in Guinea started in the remote southeastern Forest Region but had recently spread to the capital, Conakry [Population 2.2 million.]

Senegal shuts border with Guinea

Senegal government closed its border with neighboring Guinea soon after confirmation that the virus had reached Conakry.

“When it used to be only in the south of Guinea, we didn’t do anything special. But now that it’s reached Conakry, we believe it’s safer to close our borders,” said Senegal’s Health Minister.

“We have also closed all weekly markets, known as luma, in the south. And we’re having some discussions with religious leaders regarding big religious events,” she added.

Suspected cases of Ebola have also been reported in neighboring Sierra Leone.

Five subspecies of Ebolavirus have so far been found. Four of those have caused disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans, according to CDC.

There are no known cure or vaccine for the Ebola virus.

In Africa, confirmed cases of Ebola HF have previously been reported in the following countries:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Gabon
• South Sudan
• Ivory Coast
• Uganda
• Republic of the Congo (ROC)
• South Africa (imported)

“The natural reservoir host of ebolaviruses, and the manner in which transmission of the virus to humans occurs, remain unknown. This makes risk assessment in endemic areas difficult. With the exception of several laboratory contamination cases (one in England and two in Russia), all cases of human illness or death have occurred in Africa; no case has been reported in the United States,” said CDC.

Ebola virions (image 2 colorized 1), diagnostic specimen from the first passage in Vero cells of a specimen from a human patient — this image is from the first isolation and visualization of Ebola virus, 1976. In this case, some of the filamentous virions are fused together, end-to-end, giving the appearance of a “bowl of spaghetti.” Negatively stained virions. Magnification: approximately x40,000.  Micrograph from F. A. Murphy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

12 deadly pathogens could spread into new regions aided by climate change

A report by Wildlife Conservation Society released on October 7, 2008 lists 12 deadly pathogens that could spread globally as a result of climate change. “All have potential impacts to both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.” Report said.

Titled ‘The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change,’ the report illustrates examples of diseases that could spread due to temperatures changes and variations in regional precipitation levels.

The “Deadly Dozen” list [ABC]

1. Avian influenza
2. Babesia
3. Cholera
4. Ebola
5. Intestinal and external parasites
6. Lyme disease
7. Plague
8. Red tides
9. Rift Valley fever
10. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis)
11. Tuberculosis
12. Yellow fever

RELATED LINKS

• Ebola Outbreak Kills Dozens March 23, 2014
• Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Breaks Out in SW Uganda October 20, 2012
• Disaster Calendar – 28 July 2012 July 28, 2012
• Climate Change Spreads “Deadly Dozen” Diseases October 8, 2008
• GEO-4: Another ‘Optimistic’ Report October 26, 2007

Japan Whaling ‘Not Scientific’ —ICJ

Whaling in the Antarctic ‘Illegal’
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ICJ Orders Japan to Halt Whaling

The Hague. International Court of Justice (ICJ) has finally ruled that Japan’s Antarctic whaling program is not for scientific purposes.

Japan had claimed that the 1,000 or so whales harpooned by its whalers each year are for “scientific research.”

In May 2010, Australia filed a case with the ICJ arguing that Japan’s whaling program is nothing but commercial whaling in disguise.

The Presiding Judge Peter Tomka said the court had decided, by 12 votes to four, “that Japan shall revoke any extant authorization, permit or license granted in relation to JARPA II [Japan’s whaling program in the Antarctic] and refrain from granting any further permits in pursuance of that program,” ordering a temporary halt to the whaling.

The court’s decision “is final, without appeal and binding on the Parties.”

Whale meat exported by Iceland and Norway  for sale in Japan. Photo: via BBC. Image may be subject to copyright.

ICJ Statement: The Court finds that Japan’s whaling program in the Antarctic (JARPAII) is not in accordance with three provisions of the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague

(1) finds, unanimously, that it has jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by Australia on 31 May 2010;

(2) finds, by twelve votes to four, that the special permits granted by Japan in connection with JARPA II do not fall within the provisions of Article VIII, paragraph 1, of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling;

(3) finds, by twelve votes to four, that Japan, by granting special permits to kill, take and treat fin, humpback and Antarctic minke whales in pursuance of JARPA II, has not acted in conformity with its obligations under paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling;

(4) finds, by twelve votes to four, that Japan has not acted in conformity with its obligations under paragraph 10(d) of the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling in relation to the killing, taking and treating of fin whales in pursuance of JARPA II;

(5) finds, by twelve votes to four, that Japan has not acted in conformity with its obligations under paragraph 7(b) of the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling in relation to the killing, taking and treating of fin whales in the “Southern Ocean Sanctuary” in pursuance of JARPA II;

(6) finds, by thirteen votes to three, that Japan has complied with its obligations under paragraph 30 of the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling with regard to JARPA II;

(7) decides, by twelve votes to four, that Japan shall revoke any extant authorization, permit or licence granted in relation to JARPA II, and refrain from granting any further permits in pursuance of that program

The Court therefore concludes that Japan has violated:

(i) the moratorium on commercial whaling in each of the years during which it has set catch limits above zero for minke whales, fin whales and humpback whales under JARPAII;

(ii) the factory ship moratorium in each of the seasons during which fin whales were taken, killed and treated under JARPA II; and (iii)the prohibition of commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary in each of the seasons during which fin whales have been taken under JARPA II.

Fishermen slaughter a 10m-long bottlenose whale at the Wada port in Minami-Boso city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Related Links

• Japan Starts Annual Mass Killing of Whales January 6, 2014
• Whale of a Story February 19, 2010
• WhaleWatch [INDEX PAGE]

‘Black Storm’ Warning as XL Hail Hammer HK

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
LARGE HAIL STORM
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
BLACK RAINSTORM WARNING
SEVERE FLOODING
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Huge Hailstones Hammer Hong Kong

Hong Kong residents have been warned of more extreme weather as torrential rains and near hurricane-force winds batter the region.

Hong Kong Observatory issued the “Black Rainstorm” warning, their highest, after the system dumped more than 70mm of rain over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in less than an hour, causing flash flooding.

The system unleashed fierce thunderstorms accompanied by 8,703 lightning strikes, with more than 3,500 in an one hour, said the observatory.

“Because of a low pressure trough affecting the south east region of Guangdong, we are expecting the region to continue to be affected with this weather over the next couple of days,” said a senior forecaster at the Observatory, warning of more thunderstorms, heavy rain, high winds , flooding and landslides.

“Over the next few days, heavier rain is expected to persist around the coastal region, including Hong Kong.”

 

 

Cyclone HELLEN Striking Madagascar

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
SEVERE COASTAL FLOODING
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Major Tropical Cyclone HELLEN (21S) Striking Populated NW Madagascar

Latest Position

Tropical cyclone HELLEN (21S) was located near 15.6ºS, 45.7ºE , about 445km NNW of Antananarivo, Madagascar, at 05:30UTC on March 31, 2014, tracking southeastward at 9 km/h, according to JTWC.

The powerful typhoon was packing maximum wind speeds of more than 230 km/h, with max. wind gusts of 280 km/hr, but had begun weakening over the past few hours.

HELLEN was generating significant waves of about 12-meters high. Storm surges could inundate low-lying, populated coastal areas.

Tropical cyclone HELLEN (21S). IR (NHC Enhancement) Satellite Image.  Source: UW/CIMSS

More than Two Dozen Quakes Strike YNP

SEISMIC HAZARD
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Swarm of earthquakes rattle Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The quakes included a magnitude 4.8Mw shock, the largest shock at Yellowstone since February 22, 1980, according to Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO).

The swarm, which began striking the area on March 27, also included a magnitude 3.1Mw event.

The seismicity occurred in an area of uplift that has been elevated for about 7 months, said YVO.

Elevated seismicity was also observed in the same region during a previous period of uplift between 1996 and 2003.

YVO says there is no indication of other geologic activity, i.e., a volcanic eruption, except for the continuing seismicity (!)

Hawaii Earthquake

Meanwhile, a shallow 3.0Mw earthquake struck about 62km west of Kalaoa, Hawaii.

The quake, centered at 19.825°N 156.570°W, struck at a depth of 5.6km and was timed at 02:08:02 UTC on Monday, March 31, 2014, said USGS/EHP.

Related Links

• Significant Quakes Strike Oklahoma, Wyoming March 30, 2014