Measles Cases and Outbreaks

Updated Jan. 29, 2015

Measles Outbreaks

U.S. Outbreaks

• Some  78 people in 11 California counties, as well as Utah, Arizona, Nebraska, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico have been infected. About a quarter of them have been hospitalized. So far, none have died.

• The majority of cases reported so far during 2015 are part of a large, ongoing outbreak linked to an amusement park in California, said CDC.

• In 2014, some 23 outbreaks were responsible for 89% of the 644 cases reported across 27 states

• The Philippines is experiencing a large, ongoing measles outbreak. Many of the cases in the U.S. in 2014 were associated with cases brought in from the Philippines. see the Measles in the Philippines Travelers’ Health Notice.

China Outbreaks:

An outbreak of measles in downtown Beijing has been reported by Beijing’s disease control and prevention center, reported Xinhua.

Between January 22 – 26, at least 23 people contracted measles in an office building in Chaoyangmen, a busy commercial area in Dongcheng District, Beijing, said a statement released by the center, Xinhua reported.

On January 7, at least 32 cases of measles were confirmed in Datong University in the city of Datong, in north China’s Shanxi Province.

In recent years, large measles outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Europe, eastern Mediterranean, W Pacific and SE Asia. Outbreaks with more than 10,000 reported cases have occurred in the DRC, India, Indonesia, Somalia and Ukraine.

‘Planetary Genesis’ Captured by ALMA

Images of the  Day:

‘Planet formation’ captured in ALMA image

HL Tauri (HL Tau), the infant star at the center, is about a million years old, and is 450 light years (140 pc) from Earth in the constellation Taurus.

The sun-like star is surrounded by vast rings of dust and gas, which will form planets, asteroids and comets, and is trailed by the Herbig-Haro object HH 151.

A new image from ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array, located in northern Chile’s Atacama desert, is said to reveal for the first time ever extraordinarily fine details  in the planet-forming disc around a young star, said researchers at ALMA Observatory.

ALMA’s antennas are spaced up to 15 kilometers apart to provide new high-resolution capabilities, said to be a major leap in the understanding of how protoplanetary discs develop and how planets form.

Top: This is the sharpest image ever taken by ALMA — sharper than is routinely achieved in visible light with the Hubble Space Telescope. It shows the protoplanetary disc surrounding the young star HL Tauri. These new ALMA observations reveal substructures within the disc that have never been seen before and even show the possible positions of planets forming in the dark patches within the system. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) | Download.  Middle: This is a composite image of the young star HL Tauri and its surroundings using data from ALMA (enlarged in box at upper right) and the Hubble Space Telescope (rest of the picture). This is the first ALMA image where the image sharpness exceeds that normally attained with Hubble. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/ESA | Download. Bottom: This image compares the size of the Solar System with HL Tauri and its surrounding protoplanetary disc. Although the star is much smaller than the Sun, the disc around HL Tauri stretches out to almost three times as far from the star as Neptune is from the Sun. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) | Download

“These features are almost certainly the result of young planet-like bodies that are being formed in the disc. This is surprising since such young stars are not expected to have large planetary bodies capable of producing the structures we see in this image,” said Stuartt Corder, ALMA Deputy Director.

“When we first saw this image we were astounded at the spectacular level of detail. HL Tauri is no more than a million years old, yet already its disc appears to be full of forming planets. This one image alone will revolutionize theories of planet formation,” explained Catherine Vlahakis, ALMA Deputy Program Scientist and Lead Program Scientist for the ALMA Long Baseline Campaign. [Source and credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)]

More information posted HERE.

The lamb born with two heads dies

U2 [aka, Lambie, Two Face,] the New Zealand lamb born with two faces, has died of a brain bleed after 41 days in Southland, NZ.

Photo shows Two Face shortly after birth.  Image: Supplied by owner/ Via nzherald

Related Links

• Hermaphrodite Lamb Born With Seven Legs Posted on September 25, 2007

Connecticut Declares Ebola Health Emergency, Authorizes Quarantines

GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA HEALTH EMERGENCY IN CONNECTICUT
EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 333, 080, 011
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CT Gov. authorizes quarantines, after declaring Ebola a ‘public health emergency’

Gov. Malloy has declared a “public health emergency” for the state of Connecticut and signed an order on Tuesday authorizing the Department of Public Health to quarantine potentially infected individuals/groups.

“We are taking this action today to ensure that we are prepared, in advance, to deal with any identified cases in which someone has been exposed to the virus or, worst case, infected,” said Malloy.

“It is essential to be prepared and we need to have the authorities in place that will allow us to move quickly to protect public health, if and when that becomes necessary,” he added.

“While local health officials are certainly on the front lines of this effort, at the ready to address any situation, having this order in place will allow us to have a more coordinated response in the event that someone in Connecticut either tests positive for Ebola or has been identified as someone who is at risk of developing it,” said Commissioner Mullen of the Department of Public Health.

With the the emergency proclamation in place, “we don’t have to scramble in the event I need to take action.” said Mullen.

There are no Ebola cases currently in Connecticut, and the order is meant as a precaution in case someone with either a confirmed infection or suspected of carrying the virus enters the state.

Other U.S. states seem to have been left with little option but to follow the precedent set by the Connecticut governor.

In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the respective state health commissioners have the authority to quarantine anyone suspected of exposure to Ebola virus.

Ebola in Brief

Symptoms of Ebola include

• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

Recovery from Ebola depends on the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. [Source: CDC]

Global Health Emergency

WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa  a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations on August 8, 2014.

Related Links

• Ebola outbreak devastating West Africa could spread globally October 1, 2014

Ebola: 1.4 Million Cases by January 20, 2015?

GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA HF EPIDEMIC
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 333, 080, 011
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Ebola Cases in Sierra Leone and Liberia Could Reach 1.4 Million by January —CDC

Up to 1.4 million people in West Africa could be infected with the Ebola virus by January 20, 2015, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC says it has has developed a dynamic modeling tool called Ebola Response that allows for estimations of projected cases over time in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The agency’s estimate ranges between 550,000 and 1.4 million. The top range assumes that the number of cases, which currently stands at nearly 6,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is underreported by a factor of 2.5 and should be adjusted to 15,000.

Projecting Ebola Case Estimates

CDC has used the Ebola Response modeling tool to calculate Ebola cases through mid-January in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The model estimates a range of between 550,000 and 1.4 million cases by January 20, 2015. The top range of the case estimate, 1.4 million, is explained by the model’s assumption that cases are significantly underreported by a factor of 2.5.

The World Health Organization has projected that Ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 people by early November, failing rigorous infection control measures, and become an endemic disease in the region.

The death toll is at least 2,811 out of 5,864 reported cases, according to the U.N. agency.

CDC analysis, published in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), projects the cases in Liberia doubling every 15 to 20 days, and those in Sierra Leone doubling every 30 to 40 days.

Global Health Emergency

WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa  a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations on August 8, 2014.

Related Links

• Ebola Outbreak Declared Global Health Emergency  August 8, 2014
• Ebola Outbreak: Public Health Emergency Declared in Sierra Leone July 31, 2014
• EBOLA Epidemic Spreading in West Africa June 19, 2014

UK Food Poverty Causing Massive Rise in Malnutrition Cases

ABSOLUTE POVERTY
FOOD POVERTY
MALNUTRITION
PUBLIC DISORDER
FAILING POLITICS
SOCIETAL COLLAPSE
SCENARIOS 717, 444, 300, 255, 244, 220, 219, 049, 031, 028, 04, 02
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Two-thirds of Brits surveyed wanted to eat healthy food, but couldn’t afford it 

The number of Brits admitted to hospitals for malnutrition has increased by staggering 19% since last year, according to a new report released by the Faculty of Public Health (FPH).

FPH blames the disaster on a combination of a 12% rise UK food prices and a  7.6% decline in wages since 2007.

“It’s getting worse because people can’t afford good quality food. It’s getting worse where malnutrition, rickets and other manifestations of extreme poor diet are becoming apparent.” FPH told the BBC.

Health problems like rickets are becoming more apparent because people could not afford quality food in their diet, said FPH.

[NOTE: FPH is the standard-setting entity for specialists in public health in the United Kingdom. It includes more than 3,300 professionals working in public health. ]

Meantime, a survey of about 2,500 adults conducted by the British Heart Foundation in April found two thirds of UK adults wanted to eat healthy but could not afford healthy food.

About a million Brits rely on food banks, a massive rise of 163% since last year.

According to the Health and Social Information Center the number of patients admitted to hospitals under malnutrition in England and Wales has climbed from 5,469 to 6,520 since last year.

‘Absolute Poverty’

At least a million more working Britons have plunged into poverty as housing costs continue soaring, while wages remain stagnant, according to a UK government report released earlier this year.

The number of working age adults living in “absolute poverty” soared by at least one million, from 7.7 million in 2010-11 to 8.7 million in 2012-13, says a report published by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Meanwhile, the number of children living below the breadline rose from 3.6 million to 4.1 million during the two-year period, said the Child Poverty Action group, citing the Department of Work and Pensions’ report.

Shoplifting ‘Rising Exponentially’

Some people are resorting to shoplifting “simply to live.” Durham Police and Crime Commissioner told BBC.

“The evidence shows that shoplifting and theft in general is rising exponentially and there must be a reason for that,” he said, adding that it was important to address the causes of such crimes.

Related Links

• 1 Mn More Brits Bite Poverty, as Govt Spends $12 Billion on Obsolete White Elephant Posted on July 3, 2014
• Most Unethical Nations in 2011 [and Probably 2012] Posted on December 31, 2011

Vomitoxin Levels Rising in U.S. Wheat

CROP DISEASES
MAJOR DISASTERS
WHEAT & BARLEY BLIGHT
FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT (FHB)
SCENARIOS 808, 444, 277, 013, 02
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Vomitoxin levels rise in wheat samples  across nine U.S. states

Fusarium head blight of wheat (FHB), also known as ‘head scab,’ is caused mainly by the fungus Gibberella zeae (aka Fusarium graminearum). The disease has previously caused significant yield loss and reduced grain quality in the U.S. costing the industry about $3 billion from 1998 to 2000, and more than $4.5 billion in 2011. Gibberella zeae also produces mycotoxins—chemicals that are toxic to humans and livestock.

The fungus has plagued the  soft red winter (SRW) wheat, which develops when it rains during the crop’s key growing stages.

As little as two or three days of light to moderate rainfall can favor infection. Optimum temperatures for infection are between 75°F and 85°F, but during prolonged periods of high humidity and moisture, infection will occur at lower temperatures. The initial infection on the wheat head may produce additional spores that can infect other wheat heads. This secondary infection can be especially problematic in uneven wheat stands with late flowering tillers.

Infection will continue as long as weather conditions are favorable and wheat plants are at susceptible growth stages.

Bleached and shriveled tombstone kernels (left) compared to healthy wheat kernels. Seed infected with Fusarium graminearum can produce seedlings affected by seedling blight when planted. Infected seeds will have poor germination and the resulting seedlings may be slow to emerge. Infected seedlings will be reddish-brown to brown, will lack vigor, and will tiller poorly. Source: Purdue Extension [BP-33-W]

SRW is grown in a large eastern section of the United States, in the south from Louisiana and Arkansas across to the Carolinas and in the north from Missouri across the Midwest to Pennsylvania and Maryland, accounting for a fifth of the U.S. total wheat crop in the last five years, said a report.

A preliminary survey conducted by the U.S. Wheat Associates showed composite vomitoxin level from more than 500 samples across nine states were about twice the five-year average of 1.3 ppm, said the report.

“We’re seeing about 10 ppm and I don’t know that we have seen that before. The elevators are not sure what they’re going to do with that wheat,” said a grain merchant at a milling company based in Illinois.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits vomitoxin levels in finished products such as flour to 1 ppm.

“It is in a lot of the wheat, areas east of the Mississippi River would be the most suspect, all along the U.S. Gulf and through the Eastern Seaboard. There were even high levels coming out of Pennsylvania,” said a livestock nutritionist at a feed company based in Kentucky.

Risk of Mycotoxins

Gibberella zeae produces the mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin.

DON is an extremely stable mycotoxin and drying and storing grain will
not reduce DON levels in harvested grain.

The fungus may also produce another mycotoxin, zearalenone, however this mycotoxin is not as common in wheat as DON. Zearalenone has estrogenic properties, which means it can cause infertility, abortion, or other breeding problems. As little as 1 to 5 ppm zearalenone ina feed ration may produce an estrogenic effect in swine.

Encephalitis Kills Dozens of Children in East India

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
SCENARIO 011
DEADLY ENCEPHALITIS SPREADING IN INDIA
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Encephalitis spreads across east India states of Bihar, West Bengal

At least fifteen children have died in the Indian state of Bihar from suspected encephalitis since Sunday as the disease spreads to new districts, taking the death toll to 92, health officials said.

Thirteen of th victims died from suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) Sunday, and two children died Monday.

Meantime, in the neighboring state of West Bengal, “at least 19 children have died of encephalitis from June 3 to 16. ” said a senor health official.

“The AES is now spreading its tentacles to new areas,” said the health department.

Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES)

Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is a clinical condition caused by infection with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) or other infectious and noninfectious causes.

Transmission of Japanese Encephalitis Virus 

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, a flavivirus, is closely related to West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses. JE virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Culex species mosquitoes, particularly Culex tritaeniorhynchus.

The virus is maintained in a cycle between mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts, primarily pigs and wading birds. Humans are incidental or dead-end hosts, because they usually do not develop high enough concentrations of JE virus in their bloodstreams to infect feeding mosquitoes.

JE virus transmission occurs primarily in rural agricultural areas, often associated with rice production and flooding irrigation. In some areas of Asia, these conditions can occur near urban centers.

In temperate areas of Asia, JE virus transmission is seasonal. Human disease usually peaks in the summer and fall. In the subtropics and tropics, transmission can occur year-round, often with a peak during the rainy season. —CDC

Sierra Leone “Quarantines” Ebola Affected Area

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA HF
SCENARIO 011
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Sierra Leone quarantines Ebola affected area as death toll mounts

Authorities in Sierra Leone have declared an emergency in the Ebola affected district of Kailahun, near Gueckedou, Guinea, ordering closure of all schools.

“All public gatherings and cultural activities are banned and cross-border trade fairs halted until the Ebola virus is contained, ” the health authorities said.

Ebola HF has  killed at least 19 people in Sierra Leone, with 117 suspected cases, CDC reported.

Outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone [CDC]

Highlights
As of June 10, 2014, the Guinea Ministry of Health announced a total of 376 suspect and confirmed cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), including 241 fatal cases, in the districts of Conakry, Guéckédou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola, Djingaraye, Télimélé, Boffa, and Kouroussa (see map).

233 cases across Guinea have been confirmed by laboratory testing to be positive for Ebola virus infection.
In Conakry, 75 suspect cases are reported to meet the clinical definition for EHF, including 32 fatal cases.

June 9, 2014, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone reported 43 laboratory confirmed cases of EHF from 3 districts: Kailahun, Kambia, and Port Loko.

An additional 117 suspect cases and 19 fatal cases were also reported in Sierra Leone on June 9.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia reported 1 new laboratory confirmed case and one death on June 7, 2014. This is the first case reported since early April.

Genetic analysis of the virus indicates that it is closely related (97% identical) to variants of Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus) identified earlier in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon (Baize et al. 2014External Web Site Icon).

The Guinean Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone, and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia are working with national and international partners to investigate and respond to the outbreak.

Guinea at a Glance

Suspected and Confirmed Case Count: 376
Suspected Case Deaths: 241
Laboratory Confirmed Cases: 233

Liberia at a Glance

Suspected and Confirmed Case Count: 13
Suspected Case Deaths: 9
Laboratory Confirmed Cases: 6

Sierra Leone at a Glance

Suspected and Confirmed Case Count: 160
Suspected Case Deaths: 19
Laboratory Confirmed Cases: 43

Outbreak Update
June 11, 2014

On June 10, 2014, The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Guinea reported 376 suspect and confirmed cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), including 241 fatal cases and 233 laboratory confirmed cases. New cases were reported in Gueckedou, Telimele, and Boffa districts and follow-up investigations continue in Conakry, Boke, and Dubreka districts in the west, and Macenta, and Kouroussa districts in the south (see map).

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone reported 117 suspect cases, 19 fatal cases, and 43 laboratory confirmed cases on June 9, 2014. Confirmed cases have been reported from the Kailahun district, near Gueckedou, Guinea, and for the first time in Kambia and Port Loko districts in northwest Sierra Leone. Reports of and investigations of suspect cases continue in Kailahun, Kenema, Kono, Bo, Moyamba , Kambia, Koinadugu, Port Loko, Tonkolili, Bombali, and Western area districts. Laboratory testing is being conducted in Kenema city. Sierra Leone and WHO have sent experts to aid in the response and investigation.

On June 7, 2014, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia reported 1 laboratory confirmed EHF case and 1 new death in the Foya District of Liberia. This is the first reported case since April 6, 2014.

Possible Outbreak in Senegal and Gambia

News of a possible outbreak in Senegal may have been suppressed. As of early April, Gambia had placed at least two people with suspected EHF under quarantine.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever(EHF)

EHF is a highly contagious virus that spreads via close personal contact and kills up to 90% of the victims.

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 current outbreak  is the first known occurrence of Ebola HF in Guinea.

“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 Kills 100 in West Africa April 5, 2014
• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• 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

Mad Cow Disease Kills Texan

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
PRION DISEASES
DEADLY CJD
SCENARIO 011
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Degenerative, fatal brain disorder, variant CJD, kills Texas man, 4th in the U.S.

A diagnosis of variant CJD (a fatal brain disorder) in a patient who recently died in Texas has been confirmed after laboratory tests of an autopsy of the patient’s brain, reported CDC.

Variant CJD is a rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder in humans, first discovered in 1996 in the United Kingdom. It is believed to be caused by consumption of products from cows with the disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow” disease).

At least 220 variant CJD patients have been reported worldwide, with a majority of them in the United Kingdom (177 cases) and France (27 cases).

The latest fatality is the fourth to be reported in the United States. In each of the three previous cases, infection likely occurred outside the United States, including the United Kingdom (2 cases) and Saudi Arabia (1 case).

“The history of this fourth patient, including extensive travel to Europe and the Middle East, supports the likelihood that infection occurred outside the United States.”

The disease also spread to many other European countries, and cases in cattle have been identified outside of Europe, in Canada, Israel and Japan, said CDC.

California dairy cow had mad cow disease

In 2012, health officials confirmed that a dairy cow in California’s Central Valley had bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly referred to as the mad cow disease, but insisted that the US beef and dairy products were safe.

• BSE is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that can be easily passed on to humans; it has an incubation period of up to 8 year in cattle and about 12 years in humans.
• The disease is easily transmitted to humans by eating food contaminated with the brain, spinal cord or digestive tract of infected carcasses.
• An outbreak of BSE in the United Kingdom killed at least 166 people (an additional 50 known fatalities occurred in other countries) and about 180,000 cattle in the 1980s, and forced the authorities to destroy about 4.5 million cows at cost of more than $7 billion.
• BSE prion is not destroyed through cooking and can be transmitted to humans who consume contaminated beef products.
• An estimated half a million cattle infected with BSE entered the human food chain in the 1980s.
• A second strain of BSE prion, discovered in 2004, may have also entered the food chain.
• The diseased animal was he first confirmed case of mad cow disease in the U.S. in 6 years.
• The first known case of BSE infection in North America was reported in Alberta, Canada in 1993.
• South Korea has suspended sales of U.S. beef on Wednesday.

Update from APHIS Regarding a Detection of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States

On April 24, 2014 USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the nation’s 4th case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal that was sampled for the disease at a rendering facility in central California.

Through its continuing epidemiological investigation, APHIS–in collaboration with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)–has identified that one progeny born to the positive cow in the last 2 years was stillborn, and another has been located on a site in another state.

Update: Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in a U.K. Citizen Who Had Temporarily Resided in Texas, 2001-2005

In November 2005, the U.K. National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about a probable variant CJD diagnosis in a 30-year-old man who resided in Texas during 2001-2005. The patient had onset of symptoms in early 2005 while in Texas. He then returned to the United Kingdom, where his illness progressed, and a diagnosis of variant CJD was made. This diagnosis was confirmed neuropathologically after the patient’s death.

About BSE [mirrored from CDC site]

BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a progressive neurological disorder of cattle that results from infection by an unusual transmissible agent called a prion. The nature of the transmissible agent is not well understood. Currently, the most accepted theory is that the agent is a modified form of a normal protein known as prion protein. For reasons that are not yet understood, the normal prion protein changes into a pathogenic (harmful) form that then damages the central nervous system of cattle.

Research indicates that the first probable infections of BSE in cows occurred during the 1970’s with two cases of BSE being identified in 1986. BSE possibly originated as a result of feeding cattle meat-and-bone meal that contained BSE-infected products from a spontaneously occurring case of BSE or scrapie-infected sheep products. Scrapie is a prion disease of sheep. There is strong evidence and general agreement that the outbreak was then amplified and spread throughout the United Kingdom cattle industry by feeding rendered, prion-infected, bovine meat-and-bone meal to young calves.

The BSE epizootic in the United Kingdom peaked in January 1993 at almost 1,000 new cases per week. Over the next 17 years, the annual numbers of BSE cases has dropped sharply; 14,562 cases in 1995, 1,443 in 2000, 225 in 2005 and 11 cases in 2010. Cumulatively, through the end of 2010, more than 184,500 cases of BSE had been confirmed in the United Kingdom alone in more than 35,000 herds.

There exists strong epidemiologic and laboratory evidence for a causal association between a new human prion disease called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) that was first reported from the United Kingdom in 1996 and the BSE outbreak in cattle. The interval between the most likely period for the initial extended exposure of the population to potentially BSE-contaminated food (1984-1986) and the onset of initial variant CJD cases (1994-1996) is consistent with known incubation periods for the human forms of prion disease.

Related Links

• Mad Cow Disease Reemerges in California  April 25, 2012
• Global Food Safety Warning: Atypical Scrapie Found in NZ Sheep October 28, 2009

MERS Deaths Surge to 282 in Saudi Arabia

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
DEADLY MERS VIRUS
SCENARIO 011
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Saudi Arabia revises up MERS mortalities

Saudi Arabian health officials finally admitted that many more people have died from the MERS infection than previously reported. 

The Saudi health ministry on Tuesday said that a review of data on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) had shown that there were in fact 688 cases in the country with 282 mortalities reported.

Before the review, the ministry’s latest figures were 575 infections, with 190 deaths.

The new figures increase the official mortality rate from MERS to 41 percent, up from 33 percent previously.

The announcement came a day after the country’s deputy health minister was fired. The sacking followed that of the health minister in April.

MERS-CoV Cases Worldwide

FIRE-EARTH Models project the total cases of MERS-CoV infections worldwide at 804 with 363 mortalities, as of June 3, 2014. See also previous projection.

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 – Reported Cases Since April 2012

• Egypt
• France
• Greece
• Italy
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Netherlands
• Oman
• Philippines
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• United Kingdom (UK)
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Unites States of America (USA)
• Yemen

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 resigned in April after refusing to treat MERS patients for fear of infection, said reports.

MERS a Year Ago

A total of 38 infected cases had been reported in Saudi Arabia, 49 worldwide, as of May 30, 2013.

Related Links

• MERS Infection Kills More People  May 17, 2014
• 2ND Case of MERS Reported in U.S.  May 13, 2014
• First U.S. Case of Deadly MERS Virus Confirmed  May 3, 2014
• Saudi MERS Death Toll Reaches 102 April 28, 2014

Links to Other Infectious Diseases

• Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa April 5, 2014
• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• 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

Disasters, States of Emergency – May 23, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
HISTORIC FLOODING
DEADLY LANDSLIDES
MEGA DISASTER
MASS DISPLACEMENT
THREAT OF DISEASE EPIDEMICS
SCENARIOS 444, 333, 023, 09, 070
STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

Balkans faces risk of disease after flood disasters

Worst floods ever recorded in the Balkans, which triggered thousands of landslides, have devastated large swathes of Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia, destroying or damaging more than 100,000 homes, thousands of other buildings and much of the public infrastructure.

The disasters killed dozens of people across the Balkans; however, the death toll might rise because about 600 people are missing or unaccounted for in Serbia.

Tens of thousands of animals also perished in the disasters, creating a very serious health risk for populations in the devastated areas.

Rotting animal carcasses, food and waste in rising temperatures pose a serious risk of contaminating ground and surface waters.

Serbia’s government has made an appeal for disinfectants, quicklime, chlorine bleach and protection gear.

In Bosnia, there is the added danger posed by hundreds of thousands of landmines left over from the Bosnian War (1992-95) that may have been moved by the floodwaters and landslides from marked minefields.

Cost of Damage

Based on the latest damage data available, FIRE-EARTH Models estimate the total cost of damage caused by the historic flooding and landslides across the Balkans at more than $6 billion.

Related Links, Latest Historic Floods

• Balkan Storm Damage Tops $6 Billion: FIRE-EARTH May 21, 2014
• Mass Evacuations as Floods Submerge Towns in Croatia May 19, 2014
• ‘Terrifying’ Floods Affect 1,000,000 Bosnians May 19, 2014
• Balkan Historic Flood Disaster Update May 17, 2014
• Historic Flooding Turns Deadly in Serbia, Bosnia  May 15, 2014
• ‘Historic’ Flooding Submerges Pensacola, FL  April 30, 2014

Other Disasters, States of Emergency

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, has declared a State of Emergency following widespread damage caused by flooding storms on May 12.

At least 736 homes have reported flood damage in Summit County, with nine of the homes suffering significant structural damage, according to the Falls Mayor.

Siberian Irkutsk region has declared a state of emergency after forest fires spread to local villages, prompting mass evacuations.

Some 77 forest fires have consumed more than 40,000 hectares of land in the region.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the village of Dalny, where fires have destroyed two dozen homes, the the Emergency Situations Ministry said, Interfax reported.

MERS Infection Kills More People

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
DEADLY MERS
SCENARIO 011
.

Saudi Arabia reports five new MERS cases and three additional deaths

Saudi health authorities reported five new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases and three additional deaths from the infection on Friday.

The latest figures raise the total number of reported cases in Saudi Arabia to at least 520, including 163 fatalities

MERS Cases Worldwide

FIRE-EARTH Models project the total cases of MERS-CoV infections worldwide at 650 with 210 fatalities, as of May 17, 2014.

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 – Reported Cases Since April 2012

• Egypt
• France
• Greece
• Italy
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Netherlands
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• United Kingdom (UK)
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Unites States of America (USA)
• Yemen

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 resigned in April after refusing to treat MERS patients for fear of infection, said reports.

MERS a Year Ago

A total of 38 infected cases had been reported in Saudi Arabia, 49 worldwide, as of May 30, 2013.

Related Links

• 2ND Case of MERS Reported in U.S.  May 13, 2014
• First U.S. Case of Deadly MERS Virus Confirmed  May 3, 2014
• Saudi MERS Death Toll Reaches 102 April 28, 2014

Links to Other Infectious Diseases

• Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa April 5, 2014
• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• 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

Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa

DEADLY VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA KILLS 100 IN W. AFRICA
MALI SUSPECTS EBOLA HF
.

Mali suspects EHF cases as death toll reaches 100 in W. Africa

Mali health authorities say they have identified possible cases of Ebola HF since the epidemic outbreak in neighboring Guinea.

The outbreak, which originated in Guinea in early March, has since spread to the neighbors Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Guinea has reported an increased total of 127 probable and suspect cases, including 86 deaths (case fatality ratio: 68%), as of April 4, 2014. Of the suspect cases, 35 have been laboratory confirmed positive cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), including 14 health care workers and 11 cases in Conakry, the capital, according to various sources.

Liberia has reported 14 suspect cases, which include 7 deaths and 2 laboratory-confirmed cases of EHF from persons with recent travel history to Guinea. Authorities are investigating reports of additional suspect cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak, Guinea and Liberia 2014

Source:  CDC/National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)

Possible Outbreak in Senegal and Gambia

News of a possible outbreak in Senegal may have been suppressed.

Gambia has placed at least two people with suspected EHF under quarantine.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever(EHF)

EHF is a highly contagious virus that spreads via close personal contact and kills up to 90% of the victims.

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 current outbreak  is the first known occurrence of Ebola HF in Guinea.

“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 Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• 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 Octob

Name One Other Species …

TOXIC AIR POLLUTION
CRIMES AGAINST NATURE
.

No other species makes their habitat unlivable!

Extremely high levels of air pollution are spreading across parts of England.

The pollution is a cocktail of emissions from the UK and Europe, rich in toxic pollutants, including high concentration of the atmospheric particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone, mixed with dust from the Sahara—the proverbial icing.

The elderly, those with respiratory problems, asthma, lung or heart disease, have been warned against venturing outside, said a report.

The latest episode follows the legal proceedings launched against the UK by the European Commission in February for failing to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air after 15 consecutive years of warning, said the report.

The head of Asthma UK organization has warned that about 70 percent of asthma sufferers who find air pollution makes their condition worse “will be at an increased risk of an attack.” Even healthy people could experience symptoms including sore throat, eye irritation, nasal discomfort, burning lungs and dry cough.

UK capital London cloaked in smog. Image source: Clean Air in London.

Air pollution the world’s worst environmental hazard: WHO

“[About] 1 in 8 of total global deaths [occurs] as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Based on its environmental models, FIRE-EARTH science team believes the figure released by WHO is grossly underestimated.

Outdoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

• 40% – ischaemic heart disease;
• 40% – stroke;
• 11% – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• 6% – lung cancer; and
• 3% – acute lower respiratory infections in children.

Indoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

• 34% – stroke;
• 26% – ischaemic heart disease;
• 22% – COPD;
• 12% – acute lower respiratory infections in children; and
• 6% – lung cancer.

Related Links

• 7 Million People Killed by Air Pollution in 2012 March 25, 2014
• Air Pollution Kills May 2, 2009
• Pollution Kills, OK? Posted on May 11, 2010

Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border

VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA CONFIRMED IN LIBERIA
.

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

U.S. Drought Conditions Continue to Worsen

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

Drought spreads to nearly 52 percent of Contiguous US

Drought conditions D0 (Abnormally Dry) to D4 (Exceptional Drought) cover 51.95 percent of land area in the U.S., up more than 0.5 percent since last week, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Drought Monitor

US Drought Conditions D0 – D4

• West:  71.88% (up from 71.51% last week)
• South: 66.29% (up from 65.34%; D3 and D4 conditions rapidly expanding)
• High Plains: 47.65% (from 46.94%;  D1, D2 and D3 spreading)
• Midwest: 35.15%  (D1 condition spreading)
• Southeast: 6.02% (from 5.07%; D1 spreading from 0.0 to 0.61%)
• Northeast: 3.95% (unchanged)
• Contiguous US: 51.95% (from 51.47%)

Weekly Drought Map for the Contiguous United States. Sourced from US Drought Monitor. Map Enhanced by FIRE-EARTH Blog.

Crop Disasters Caused by Drought

Since January 10, 2014, at least 864 counties across 16 states have been declared as crop disaster areas by USDA due to worsening drought.

• Those states are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. A number of counties may have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

iv. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

v. The latest disaster designations were issued by USDA for a total of 59 counties in five states—Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Arizona—on March 26, 2014.

Related Links

• California Drought Continues to Intensify March 20, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared for Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho March 21, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

7 Million People Killed by Air Pollution in 2012

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
DEADLY AIR POLLUTION
.

Air pollution the world’s worst environmental hazard: WHO

Based on its environmental models, FIRE-EARTH team believes the estimate by World Health Organization (WHO) is grossly underestimated.

“[About] 1 in 8 of total global deaths – as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk,” said WHO.

The latest data reveal a more robust link between air pollution and cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and ischaemic heart disease, “in addition to air pollution’s role in the development of respiratory diseases, including acute respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases,” as well as between air pollution and cancer, said WHO.

Unsustainable Policies

“Excessive air pollution is often a by-product of unsustainable policies in sectors such as transport, energy, waste management and industry,” said a WHO public health expert.

“In most cases, healthier strategies will also be more economical in the long term due to healthcare cost savings as well as climate gains.”

Outdoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

• 40% – ischaemic heart disease;
• 40% – stroke;
• 11% – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• 6% – lung cancer; and
• 3% – acute lower respiratory infections in children.

Indoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

• 34% – stroke;
• 26% – ischaemic heart disease;
• 22% – COPD;
• 12% – acute lower respiratory infections in children; and
• 6% – lung cancer.

Related Links

• Air Pollution Kills May 2, 2009
• Pollution Kills, OK? Posted on May 11, 2010

EU Capitals Rivaling Beijing Air Pollution

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
TOXIC AIR POLLUTION
.

In case the toxic air pollution didn’t kill you…

You don’t have to be a Martian to realize not only homo erectus remain non-extinct, they go around masquerading as intelligent species…

Take the toxic air pollution, for example, which is plaguing all major cities in the world.

France restricts driving in Paris to reduce hazardous smog

The French are introducing alternative driving days in the City of Lights in an attempt to reduce hazardous levels of air pollution.

Starting Monday, drivers can only use their vehicles in Paris and surrounding areas every other day.

The government decided to curb driving after air pollution remained at hazardous levels for five consecutive days in the metropolitan Paris [population: ~ 13 million.]

The PM pollution was so severe on Friday, the authorities waved public transport fees for three days to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

The PM10 figures for Paris topped 180 micro-grams per cubic meter (μgm–³), while Brussels recorded 160, Amsterdam 110, Berlin 85 and London exceeded 80.

Smog is expected to worsen on Monday, reports said.

Beijing AQI

The Beijing AQI on Sunday was between 200 and 255, or “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy.”

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – March 6, 2014

Avian Flu Strikes 40 Percent of Vietnam

Avian flu epidemic outbreaks have struck at least 22 of Vietnam’s 58 provinces, so far this year, forcing the authorities to destroy tens of thousands of chickens.

The Animal Health authorities in Vietnam plan to import 60 million doses of H5N1 vaccine, according to reports.

-0O0-

Extreme Weather Events Impacted U.S. Economy in Early 2014: FED

New York and Philadelphia experienced a decline in economic activity, which was mostly attributed to the “unusually severe weather” experienced in those regions, said the Federal Reserve in its latest Beige book report.

“Agricultural conditions softened since the previous report. Severe winter weather affected several Districts with some crop damage being reported by Richmond and Atlanta, while Chicago noted disruptions in the flow of agricultural products. Both Kansas City and Dallas cited dry conditions adversely affecting wheat crops, while San Francisco reported concerns about water shortages and water costs.”

Manufacturing was affected in multiple regions including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond and St. Louis due to extreme weather utility outages.

Although the word “weather” appeared 119 times in the report, as noted by Reuters, economists say the report unhelpful because it did not clarify the extent to which weather was responsible for the soft economic data.

-0O0-

Crimean parliament votes to join Russia

“The Supreme Council of the Crimea on its session has made a fundamental decision for the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea to join Russia as a federal subject,” reported Itar-Tass.

First Deputy Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea announced on Thursday the legislature had approved in principle the republic’s accession to Russia. A referendum to ratify the vote is scheduled for March 16.

The Crimean parliament has [unanimously] resolved “to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation,” he said, and has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin “to start the procedure.”

Reunited

“This means we have reunited with our motherland which we have been a part of for so long,” said Crimea’s deputy parliamentary speaker.

Illegitimate

Ukraine’s interim Economy Minister has called the Crimea vote to join the Russian Federation “unconstitutional.”

However, Crimea’s Deputy PM has dismissed the suggestion, saying Crimea views the new government in Kiev as illegitimate.

Guided Missile Destroyer

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy reveled that a guided missile destroyer, the USS Truxton, was heading to the Black Sea, as part of a long-planned training exercise.

Continued …

“Breathtaken” Beijing Brown

THE TWILIGHT ZONE
.

Beijing air pollution zooms off the chart AGAIN!

Do NOT Adjust Your Sets! This time there’s no glitch or system error; it’s pure, unadulterated smog!

Beijing Air Pollution Chart: Near Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI). Source: http://aqicn.org/city/beijing/

The PM2.5 pollution in Beijing rocketed off the chart again earlier today, hitting the 614 mark, as dense smog enveloped the entire city.

A health alert is issued at a level above 300 because the pollution becomes hazardous to health, and everyone may experience serious health effects.

Last year Beijing reported 58 days of mega pollution, an average of more than one day each week, according to an official, Xinhua reported.

This year, sky is no limit!

Air Pollution Chart based on EPA recommendations.

The twilight zone is the line between the day side and night side of a planetary body, also referred to as the terminator.

Original caption: Buildings are blanketed in heavy smog in Beijing, capital of China, 16, 2014. The municipal government issued a yellow smog alert Thursday morning, as smog blanketed the city with air quality readings reaching the most polluted level. (Xinhua/Li Xin). More images…

Related Links

• “Apocalyptic” Smog Smothers China January 14, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Paralyzes Much of China December 6, 2013
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China December 5, 2013
• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013

• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• It won’t get any better, before it gets a lot worse! October 22, 2013
• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures October 6, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013
• Air Pollution: Visibility Down to 10 Meters in E China September 30, 2013

For earlier posts, search blog content.

Hundreds of Children Hospitalized in Houston due to RSV

Dangerous respiratory virus lands more than 800 Children in Houston hospitals

Hundreds of children have been hospitalized in Houston, Texas, suffering from the highly contagious respiratory virus Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to health officials.

Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages. Most otherwise healthy people recover from RSV infection in 1 to 2 weeks. However, infection can be severe in some people, such as certain infants, young children, and older adults.  —CDC

RSV is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to serious health problems—especially among young children and older adults.

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for a common childhood illness. There is no vaccine available to prevent RSV infection. Credit: NIAID

The virus is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia among infants up to 12 months of age in the United States. Additionally, RSV is more often regarded as an important cause of respiratory illness in older adults, according to CDC.

Meanwhile, health officials said at least 13 patients have died from H1N1 virus in Houston, and more than 20 from flu in north Texas since late December.

At least 600 patients tested positive in December for RSV, officials with Texas Children’s Hospital told the Houston Chronicle.

More than 140 pediatric patients have been admitted to another Houston hospital since October 2013, the Chronicle said.

RSV causes influenza-like symptoms and can be life-threatening to infants. The virus is most active during the winter months and has no vaccine.

Record Radiation Detected at Fukushima [AGAIN]

At least two of the links posted below have been censored by Google/WordPress

Record 1.9 million becquerels (Bq) per liter of radioactivity detected at Fukushima No.2 reactor: TEPCO

Radioactive substances have been found in water samples taken from deep underground layers at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, reported Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

This is the first time TEPCO has admitted to detecting radioactivity in groundwater taken from a layer 25 meters beneath the No. 4 reactor well that faces the ocean, which implies radioactive substances have been leaking into the sea from yet another source.

No. 2 reactor buildings at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear power plant seen at the center of the above screen dump taken from a news video clip.

Water sample taken on December 17, showed 6.7 becquerels per liter of Cesium 137 and 89 becquerels per liter of strontium and other beta ray-emitting radioactive substances.

“TEPCO officials are putting a new spin over their own report, saying that radioactive substances may have been accidentally mixed during the, according to a report.

Since July, TEPCO has admitted to three major incidents of contaminated water escaping from the power plant into the ocean, including two major leaks of highly radioactive water from storage tanks—a 300-ton spill in August followed by at least 430 liters in October this year.

Meantime, the company reported that density of beta ray-emitting radioactivity in groundwater has been rising since November. On December 19, the activity reached a record 1.9 million becquerels per liter.

[Note: The becquerel, the SI unit of radioactivity, is equivalent to one disintegration per second.]

On November 7, 2013 FIRE-EARTH said:

Scale of potential catastrophe at Fukushima could dwarf a limited nuclear war.

Related Links

• Japan Renews Nuke Ambitions Despite Fukushima, Common Sense December 14, 2013 [CENSORED]

• Record Outdoor Radiation Level Detected at Nuked Fukushima Plant December 9, 2013 [CENSORED]

• TEPCO Continues to Contaminate the World October 3, 2013
• 80 Percent Chance of Major Catastrophe at Fukushima NPP November 7, 2013

• Crimes Against Nature: Water Overflows from 12 Fukushima Barriers October 21, 2013
• Fukushima Potentially More Disastrous Than Hiroshima October 18, 2013
• Fukushima Fatal Farce Turns Deadlier September 1, 2013

For additional links to Fukushima disasters, search blog content.

Outbreak of Pneumonic Plague Kills Dozens in Madagascar

Ninety percent of the cases are pneumonic plague

“There is an epidemic in Madagascar which is currently affecting five districts [out of 112.] Eighty-six people have been inflicted by the plague, of which 39 have died,” the health ministry was reported as saying.

Pneumonic plague is a severe type of lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and is more virulent and rarer than bubonic plague.

Although the deadly disease claimed its first victim sometime in October, the authorities didn’t declare the plague outbreak until November 23, said reports.

In 2012, plague killed more than 60 people in Madagascar, the highest toll globally.

What’s Plague?

Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are found mainly in rodents, particularly rats, and in the fleas that feed on them. Other animals and humans usually contract the bacteria from rodent or flea bites, the US National Institute of Health (NIH) said. The bacteria can also spread from person to person through the air by coughing. When transmission occurs through the air, Y. pestis infects the lungs. [See below for the disease forms.]

Historically, plague destroyed entire civilizations. In the 1300s, the “Black Death,” as it was called, killed approximately one-third (20 to 30 million) of Europe’s population. In the mid-1800s, it killed 12 million people in China. Today, thanks to better living conditions, antibiotics, and improved sanitation, current World Health Organization statistics show there were only 2,118 cases in 2003 worldwide.

About 20 people in the United States are diagnosed with bubonic plague each year caused by flea or rodent bites—mostly from infected prairie dogs—in countryside in the southwestern United States, according to NIH.  “About 1 in 7 of those infected die from the disease. There has not been a case of person-to-person infection in the United States since 1924.”

There have also been small plague outbreaks in Asia, Africa, and South America.

What’s Pneumonic Plague?

Image: Yersinia pestis. Fluorescence antibody positivity is seen as bright, intense green staining around the bacterial cell. [Source: CDC]

Facts about Pneumonic Plague [Information Sourced from CDC]

Image: Wayson stain of Yersinia pestis. Wayson stain of Yersinia pestis. Note the characteristic “safety pin” appearance of the bacteria. [Source: CDC]

Plague is an infectious disease that affects animals and humans. It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This bacterium is found in rodents and their fleas and occurs in many areas of the world, including the United States.

Y. pestis is easily destroyed by sunlight and drying. Even so, when released into air, the bacterium will survive for up to one hour, although this could vary depending on conditions.

This patient presented with symptoms of plague that included gangrene of the right hand causing necrosis of the fingers. In this case, the presence of systemically disseminated plague bacteria Y. pestis, i.e. septicemia, predisposed this patient to abnormal coagulation within the blood vessels of his fingers. Photo: CDC 1975. Caption: CDC/ CDC/Dr. Jack Poland

Pneumonic plague is one of several forms of plague. Depending on circumstances, these forms may occur separately or in combination:

• Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. This type of plague can spread from person to person through the air. Transmission can take place if someone breathes in aerosolized bacteria, which could happen in a bioterrorist attack. Pneumonic plague is also spread by breathing in Y. pestis suspended in respiratory droplets from a person (or animal) with pneumonic plague. Becoming infected in this way usually requires direct and close contact with the ill person or animal. Pneumonic plague may also occur if a person with bubonic or septicemic plague is untreated and the bacteria spread to the lungs.
• Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague. This occurs when an infected flea bites a person or when materials contaminated with Y. pestis enter through a break in a person’s skin. Patients develop swollen, tender lymph glands (called buboes) and fever, headache, chills, and weakness. Bubonic plague does not spread from person to person.
• Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in the blood. It can be a complication of pneumonic or bubonic plague or it can occur by itself. When it occurs alone, it is caused in the same ways as bubonic plague; however, buboes do not develop. Patients have fever, chills, prostration, abdominal pain, shock, and bleeding into skin and other organs. Septicemic plague does not spread from person to person.

Symptoms and Treatment

This patient presented with symptoms of plague that included gangrene of the right foot causing necrosis of the toes. In this case, the presence of systemically disseminated plague bacteria Y. pestis, i.e. septicemia, predisposed this patient to abnormal coagulation within the blood vessels of his toes. Photo CDC. Caption: CDC/William Archibald

With pneumonic plague, the first signs of illness are fever, headache, weakness, and rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery sputum. The pneumonia progresses for 2 to 4 days and may cause respiratory failure and shock. Without early treatment, patients may die.

Early treatment of pneumonic plague is essential. To reduce the chance of death, antibiotics must be given within 24 hours of first symptoms. Streptomycin, gentamicin, the tetracyclines, and chloramphenicol are all effective against pneumonic plague.

Antibiotic treatment for 7 days will protect people who have had direct, close contact with infected patients. Wearing a close-fitting surgical mask also protects against infection.

A plague vaccine is not currently available for use in the United States.

Plague Information: Infection Control

During the 1975 Rhodesian, (now Zimbabwe), Marburg epidemiologic investigation, health officials came across this African farmer with an inguinal bubo. Photo: CDC 1975. Caption: CDC/ Dr. J. Lyle Conrad

The epidemiologists uncovered an outbreak of plague amongst the local farmers, and treated these patients with oral antibiotics. Sanitarians were quickly dispatched to spray huts for fleas, and then trap rats carrying the pathogenic agent, Yersinia pestis bacterium.

• Plague: Prevention & Control
  From the CDC Plague Home Page, provided by the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, NCID, CDC
• Community-Based Mass Prophylaxis: A Planning Guide for Public Health Preparedness
  Planning guide to help state, county, & local officials meet federal requirements to prepare for public health emergencies. Outlines five components of mass prophylaxis response to epidemic outbreaks. Addresses dispensing operations using a comprehensive operational structure for Dispensing/Vaccination Centers (DVCs) based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). (Developed by Weill Medical College of Cornell University for the Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality [AHRQ].)
• Recognition of Illness Associated with the Intentional Release of a Biologic Agent (PDF 168 KB/20 pages)
• Bioterrorism Readiness Plan: A Template for Healthcare Facilities (PDF 1.5 MB/34 pages) See Section II: Agent-Specific Recommendations, Plague; pages 19-25.

This patient acquired a plague infection through abrasions on his upper right leg. Bubonic plague is transmitted through the bite of an infected flea, or as in this case, exposure to inoculated material through a break in the skin. Symptoms include swollen, tender lymph glands known as buboes. Photo: CDC 1975. Caption: CDC/ CDC/Dr. Jack Poland

This photograph depicts the shaved anterior thoracoabdominal region of a rock squirrel, Spermophilus variegatus, formerly known as Citellus variegatus, which is afflicted with the plague. This squirrel is displaying a petechial rash, which is similar in appearance to those found on humans also afflicted with Yersinia pestis. A petechial rash refers to small, pinpoint, flat lesions of the skin and mucous membranes that are associated with hemorrhages beneath the skin surface. Photo: CDC 1977. Caption: CDC/ William Archibald; Laboratory/ Ft. Collins

Related Links

• Epidemic of Pneumonic Plague in Ukraine? October 30, 2009
• Pneumonic Plague Strikes Chinese Town August 2, 2009

14 Million Cancer Cases Reported Globally

Cancer cases jump by more than 10 percent since 2008: WHO

Total number of victims being diagnosed with cancer globally each year has jumped from 12.7 million in 2008 to more than 14 million last year, said the World Health Organization (WHO).

The number of deaths has also risen during that period, from 7.6 million to 8.2 million.

Lung cancer is identified as the most common cancer, about 13% of the total, with more than 1.8 million cases reported globally, followed by stomach, liver, colorectal, breast and cervical cancer.

Chest x-ray of lung cancer, the leading cause of death among cancer victims.

Since 2008, a sharp increase in cases of breast cancer, both the incidence and mortality,   has made the disease the most common cancer in women across 140 countries, said WHO.

“Breast cancer is also a leading cause of cancer death in the less developed countries of the world,” said a spokesman for WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

“This is partly because a shift in lifestyles is causing an increase in incidence, and partly because clinical advances to combat the disease are not reaching women living in these regions.”

Key facts (WHO, 2008)

• Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008.

• Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year.

• The most frequent types of cancer differ between men and women.

• About 30% of cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol use.

• Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer causing 22% of global cancer deaths and 71% of global lung cancer deaths.

• Cancer causing viral infections such as HBV/HCV and HPV are responsible for up to 20% of cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries.

• About 70% of all cancer deaths in 2008 occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

• Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising.
• More than 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors, including:
  • tobacco use
  • being overweight or obese
  • unhealthy diet with low fruit and vegetable intake
  • lack of physical activity
  • alcohol use
  • sexually transmitted HPV-infection
  • urban air pollution
  • indoor smoke from household use of solid fuels.

Causes of Cancer (WHO Fact Sheet 2008)

Cancer arises from one single cell. The transformation from a normal cell into a tumour cell is a multistage process, typically a progression from a pre-cancerous lesion to malignant tumours. These changes are the result of the interaction between a person’s genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including

• Physical carcinogens: Ultraviolet and ionizing radiation.
• Chemical carcinogens: Asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, aflatoxin (a food contaminant) and arsenic (a drinking water contaminant).
• Biological carcinogens:  Infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites.

“Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China

Choking smog engulfs much of east and north China, forcing school closures in at least two cities

Nanjing (population: 8.2 million), the capital of Jiangsu Province, issued a “red alert” after color of the sky turned mustard yellow. The PM10 pollution level was 467 (from a peak of 502) with PM2.5 at 433 (peak of 498), as of posting.

“The National Meteorological Center on Thursday renewed a yellow alert for fog and smog as dense air continued to choke eastern and northern provinces, including Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi. The yellow alert is the third highest in China’s four-level alert system,” said a report.

Social media users in China described the environment in deserted cities with the sky turning pale yellow as “apocalyptic,” reported Reuters.

Meantime, visibility reduced to less than 50 meters in many places, forcing highways to shut in east China’s Jiangxi Province on Thursday morning. Xinhua said its reporter had seen thousands of drivers stranded on the Changdong Highway in Nanchang (population: 5.3 million), the capital of Jiangxi Province.

In October, smog forced the shutdown of Harbin, one of northeastern China’s largest cities, as Visibility dropped to under 10 meters.

PM2.5 concentration of about 15 – 25 micrograms per cubic meter pose little or no risk, according to the World Health Organization.

Related Links

• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013
• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013

• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency  October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures Posted on October 6, 2013
• Hazardous Smog Chokes Northern China Posted on February 28, 2013
• Beijing Buried in Smog – Again! Posted on February 17, 2013
• Dense Smog Continues Choking Much of China Posted on February 1, 2013