Saudi MERS Death Toll Reaches 102

EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
DEADLY MERS
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 011
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8 more deaths and 16 new cases of MERS reported over 24 hrs in Arabia

The Saudi health ministry reported eight additional deaths and 16 new cases of MERS infections late Sunday.

The acting health minister said the latest fatalities had raised the total to 102 deaths. Meanwhile, the number of recorded infections have climbed to 339, with 143 new cases reported since April 1, a massive rise of 73 percent in just four weeks.

The previous Saudi health minister was fired last Monday amid the rising death toll, and a “lack of transparency.”

What’s MERS?

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness  caused by a coronavirus called “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus” (MERS-CoV).

Symptoms

MERS symptoms include fever and pneumonia leading to kidney failure and often death. Most victims who got infected with MERS-CoV developed severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About half of them died. Some people were reported as having a mild respiratory illness within 14 days after traveling from countries in the Arabian Peninsula or neighboring countries.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

MERS was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. Most people who have been confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection developed severe acute respiratory illness. They had fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About half of these people died.

MERS-CoV is not the same coronavirus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. However, like the SARS virus, MERS-CoV is most similar to coronaviruses found in bats. –CDC

Countries With Lab-Confirmed MERS Cases – Since April 2012

• Egypt (see below)
• France
• Italy
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Malaysia
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Tunisia
• United Kingdom (UK)
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Source of MERS

MERS-CoV has been “extraordinarily common” in camels since the 1990s, and it may have evolved after being passed to humans, according to a recent study.  The virus has been found in camels in Qatar and a bat in Saudi Arabia. Camels in a few other countries have also tested positive for antibodies to MERS-CoV.

Doctors Resigning for Fear of Infection

At least four doctors at a Jeddah hospital have resigned so far this month after refusing to treat MERS patients for fear of infection, said reports.

Egypt’s Reports First Case of MERS-CoV

Egypt reported its first case  of MERS last week. A man in his twenties who  had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, and showed symptoms of the infection, tested positive for MERS-CoV, according to a report.

Deadly Tornadoes Rake Through Central U.S.

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DEADLY STORMS
DEADLY TORNADOES
TORNADO EMERGENCIES
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Severe Thunderstorms Spawning Deadly Tornadoes Kill at least Two Dozen People in Central U.S.

Gov. Sam Brownback declared a state of disaster emergency for Baxter Springs, Kansas Sunday evening.

At least a dozen fatalities reported in Arkansas, with many more injuries caused by up to 14 confirmed tornadoes.

Tornadoes have also claimed lives in other parts of America’s midsection.

• At least 30 tornadoes (29 confirmed) have swooped across six states, as of posting.

• Tornado reports received by SPC from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Mississippi.

• A twister hit Quapaw, Ottawa County, Okla., about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, killing at least two people and causing damage, according to the sheriff’s office. The extent of damage was unknown, as of posting.

• The tornado destroyed the fire station in Quapaw, and caused heavy damage to north end of the town.

• Arkansas Game and Fish HQ east of Mayflower has been heavily damaged, said SPC.

• A “mass casualty situation” has been reported by the Faulkner County Sheriff’s office, after a half-mile wide tornado touched down in Vilonia, AR.

• A massive tornado touched down west of Little Rock, AR, leaving a 30-mile path of destruction.

• Parts of Pulaski County were devastated with numerous homes completely destroyed, said the sheriff’s office.

• A powerful tornado damaged or destroyed numerous homes and several buildings in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas. (Also unconfirmed reports of multiple deaths, 25 people injured.)

• Another tornado produced an intermittent damage path to the northeast of Hammond, Kansas, after toppling a grain elevator onto railroad tracks, overturning 6 rail cars.

• A tornado damaged or destroyed several houses in Saltillo, Arkansas.

• Numerous trees were uprooted in White County, AR.

• Town of Ferndale, AR, is one of the worst hit areas,  said the sheriff’s office.

Tornado touches down in Baxter Springs, photo by Trevor Burrows.

Numerous reports of Damaging Winds and/or Destructive Hail have also been sent to the SPC from the above states as well as Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee and Kentucky.

• Numerous trees and powerlines were down with  quarter size hail reported in Todd County, Kentucky. (The trees are down on cars and houses).

• Heavy damage to farmhouses and barns reported across Missouri.

• Thousands of trees, large and small, uprooted or snapped across Iowa.

• Trees blown onto powerlines and buildings damaged across Carroll, MO.  Quarter sized hail also reported.

• Farm animals reported missing in Lafayette, MO.

• Baseball size hail was smashing windows out of vehicles west of Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas.

• Large hail damaged many vehicles in Wood County, TX.

• “Tonight, I walked around what was only hours earlier a thriving neighborhood that is now gone. An entire neighborhood of 50 or so homes has been destroyed – many homes are completely gone except the foundation,”  U.S. Representative for Arkansas Tim Griffin told Reuters. “And there is more devastation like this in other parts of Arkansas.”

The national Weather Service (NWS) has also issued the following forecast.

Another round of severe weather and heavy precipitation expected on Monday

The threat for severe weather will last overnight Sunday into Monday morning in the Central and Southern U.S. Another significant outbreak, that could include strong tornadoes, is possible Monday afternoon and night in the Mid-South and Lower Miss. Valley. Severe weather could also impact parts of the Mid/Upper Miss. and Ohio Valleys. Heavy rainfall in the Midwest and South could cause flooding.

Related Links

• Tornadoes Strike OK, KS, MS, AR, NE, IA April 28, 2014
• Tornadoes Destroy or Damage Hundreds of N.C. Homes April 26, 2014

Tornadoes Strike OK, KS, MS, AR, NE, IA

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DEADLY TORNADOES
TORNADO EMERGENCIES
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Deadly Tornadoes Swoop on Central U.S., Oklahoma and Arkansas Declare Emergencies

A twister hit Quapaw, Ottawa County, Okla., about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, killing at least two people and causing damage, according to the sheriff’s office. The extent of damage was unknown, as of posting.

• The tornado destroyed the fire station in Quapaw, and caused heavy damage to north end of the town.

• Arkansas Game and Fish HQ east of Mayflower has been heavily damaged, said SPC.

• At least 17 confirmed tornado reports in six states were received by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), as of posting.

Tornadoes, Wind and Hail Reports (Filtered) received by SPC as of 1:25UTC on Monday 28, April, 2014.

Tornado Warnings

NWS has issued a Tornado Warning for Polk County, MO.

• A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL WHITE, WEST CENTRAL JACKSON AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDEPENDENCE COUNTIES, AR, UNTIL 915 PM CDT, April 27.

• AT 845 PM CDT, STORM SPOTTERS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A CONFIRMED TORNADO WITH REPORTS OF DAMAGE. THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF STEPROCK, OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF SEARCY, MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

• THIS IS A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR THIDA AND OIL TROUGH. TAKE COVER NOW.

The national Weather Service (NWS) has also issued the following forecast.

High Risk of severe weather for Arkansas and adjacent areas

Severe weather will affect large portions of Central and Southern U.S. well into Sunday night. The greatest tornado risk (indicated by the High Risk area issued by the NWS Storm Prediction Center) will be centered on Arkansas, where a few strong and long-track tornadoes will be possible late into the night. Also, heavy rainfall could cause flooding in parts of the Miss. & Tenn. Valleys.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap) for April 28, 2014. UPDATE.