Schmallenberg Virus Continues to Surge in Europe

More EU farms infected by Schmallenberg virus

• Germany.  Some 1,481 farms across Germany had reported animals testing positive for the virus as of May 14, 2012, including 92 new farms.
• France.  France reported infections on 1,471 farms on May 11, including 105 new cases.
• Belgium.  Some 477  farms had reported SBV by May 2, 2012, including 33 new farms from a week earlier.
• Netherlands.  At least 339 farms have reported SBV  as of May 11, 2012.
• U.K. As of May 14, some 258 UK farms had reported SBV including two new farms, one in the Channel Islands and one in Buckinghamshire, a new addition to the list of counties reporting affected animals, said DEFRA.
• Luxemburg, Spain, Italy and other European countries. No reliable statistics available!

Related Links

• Next Mutations of SBV May Be Even Deadlier Posted on May 8, 201

• Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak: April 3 Update Posted on April 3, 2012
• Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak – UPDATE: March 25
• Schmallenberg virus up by more than 10 percent in 7 days
• Schmallenberg Virus Continues Spreading Posted on March 15, 2012

• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 10
• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 6
• Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries posted on February 22, 2012

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Hunan Province, China. At least 20,078 cases of HFMD infections were reported in Hunan province in April, with 19 fatalities.
  • Continuous rain has affected more than 2.91 million people in 50 of the province’s counties as of May 14, said a report.

Original caption: Photo taken on May 13, 2012 shows a bridge that collapsed after being hit by flood in Pingjiang County, central-south China’s Hunan Province, May 13, 2012. Torrential rain that struck south China since May 11 has affected the daily lives of 2.91 million residents within Hunan as of Monday noon. Direct economic losses caused by the flood reached 2.88 billion yuan (456.2 million U.S. dollars), according to provincial flood control authorities. (Xinhua/Bai Yu). Image may be subject to copyright.  More images…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Next Mutations of SBV May Be Even Deadlier

Schmallenberg Virus: “This is a warning to the whole world”

Schmallenberg virus is a new front in human’s losing war against the unknown. “This is a warning to the whole world,” said Alberto Laddomada, head of the European Commission’s Animal Health Unit.

The European Center of Disease Prevention and Control says it is “unlikely” that SBV could infect humans; however, the possibility “cannot be excluded at this stage.”

The numbers of reported SBV infections across Europe are peaking as the lambing season finishes; however, the next wave of SBV attack could prove even deadlier due to the unpredictability of viral mutations.

• Germany.  Some 1,389  farms across Germany had reported animals testing positive for the virus as of May 7, 2012, including 78 new farms.
• France.  France has reported infections on 1,412 farms, including 45 new cases since last week.
• Belgium.  Some 477  farms had reported SBV by May 2, 2012, including 33 new farms from a week earlier.
• Netherlands.  At least 331 farms have reported SBV  as of May 4, 2012.
• U.K. As of May 8, some 256 UK farms have reported SBV: 36 in cattle and 220 in sheep (5 new farms since April 27, 2012).
• Luxemburg, Spain, Italy and other European countries. No reliable statistics available!

Related Links

• Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak: April 3 Update Posted on April 3, 2012
• Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak – UPDATE: March 25
• Schmallenberg virus up by more than 10 percent in 7 days
• Schmallenberg Virus Continues Spreading Posted on March 15, 2012

• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 10
• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 6
• Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries posted on February 22, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak: April 3 Update

Disaster Calendar 2012 – April 3

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,443 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

Up to 5,000 farms in the EU may be infected with SBV

Based on the data made available by various organizations monitoring the spread of Schmallenberg Virus in EU, FIRE-EARTH estimates that up to 5,000 farms may be infected with the deadly virus.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar: Collapse has already Begun

Previous reports of SBV infection

•  Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak – UPDATE: March 25
• Schmallenberg virus up by more than 10 percent in 7 days
• Schmallenberg Virus Continues Spreading Posted on March 15, 2012

• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 10
• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 6
• Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries posted on February 22, 2012

Schmallenberg Virus Outbreak – UPDATE: March 25

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 25

[March 25, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,452 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) Outbreak Intensifying in the EU

UK midges may be carrying SBV infection after biting local animals that were infected last summer following incursion of continental midges: DEFRA/AHVLA.

• Germany.  “In Germany animals from 1061 holdings have been tested positive for ‛Schmallenberg virus’ so far. The cases occurred in 194 cattle holdings, 823 sheep holdings and 44 goat holdings.” FLI reported.
  • Affected federal states are North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Hamburg, Bavaria, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saarland and Berlin.

• United Kingdom.  Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection has been reported on 209 farms, said DEFRA .
  • “We cannot rule out the possibility that domestic (local) midges may have transmitted SBV within the affected areas. Domestic midges may have been infected after biting a local animal infected last summer after incursion of continental midges.”
  • SBV infection has been reported in one new county, Bedfordshire, as well as in Jersey, Channel Islands.
  • Affected counties are Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Greater London, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, S. Gloucestershire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Berkshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire, as well as Channel Islands.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar: Collapse has already Begun

Previous reports of SBV infection

• Schmallenberg virus up by more than 10 percent in 7 days
• Schmallenberg Virus Continues Spreading Posted on March 15, 2012

• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 10
• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 6
• Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries posted on February 22, 2012

Spring Officially Starts Today

 It’s Flooding Awareness Week nationwide!

Life-threatening Floods Possible in the Plains and Mississippi Valley: NWS

“A tremendous setup for heavy rainfall is unfolding in the central/southern Mississippi River Valley and Plains. The weather pattern is very slow-moving, so thunderstorms with heavy rain will repeatedly move over the same area resulting in some locations receiving a foot of rain through midweek.”

US Natural Hazards Map. Source: NWS. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 20

[March 20, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,457 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Mid-Americanweather expected to include rain, flash floods, wild fire danger, severe storms: NWS
• Mississippi River Valley. Severe weather, torrential rains and flash flooding could occur across the southern Plains and lower to middle Mississippi River Valley, NWS reported.
• “An increased risk for wildfires is expected over much of the high plains.”

• “To the north and west of the rain and flash flood area, Red Flag Warnings have been posted across the northern High Plains, where little precipitation is expected.”
• “Critical fire danger has been forecast today for parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.”
• Rain and thunderstorms expected from the eastern Great Lakes to the Eastern Seaboard and from southern New England to northern South Carolina.
• “Heavy snow is possible over several areas of western Washington, central Montana, northwest Wyoming and southwest Colorado.”

• Oklahoma, USA. Power outages reported as flood warning is issued for Oklahoma City area, flash flooding in Norman
• Idaho.  Flood warnings or advisories have been issued for most of south-central and southeastern Idaho: NWS.
  • Torrential rains  over the weekend intensifies the flooding in Fremont County
• Illinois. Flood warnings have been issued for the Illinois River Basin: NWS
  • Risk of severe weather extends over a large area from southwest to northeast Texas, southeastern Oklahoma and part  of southwest Arkansas.
  • “The Storm Prediction Center received 14 reports of tornadoes Sunday – 13 in Nebraska and 1 in South Dakota. Twelve of the Nebraska tornadoes were reported in and around North Platte in Lincoln County with the other reported near Valentine in Cherry County. The South Dakota tornado was reported 21 miles south of Mission in Todd County. Hail at 4.25-inch diameter was reported 19 miles south-southeast of Mission, which joined Quinn in Pennington County, SD, reported a peak wind of 80 mph.”
• Texas.  At least 3 tornadoes touched down in Texas. The largest hit near the town of Natalia injuring two people and damaging 6 homes, according to SPC.
  • However, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office “received over 300 calls indicating there is damage or injuries” due to the storm, said a woman from the sheriff’s office, local media reported.
  • “It struck us pretty hard,” she said from the county, which is about 30 miles west of San Antonio. “At this point, we have unknown (amount) of injuries, but we have a lot of damage.”

Other Global Disasters

• Queensland, Australia.  Townsville in the Australian state of Queensland has been declared a disaster zone after a “freak storm” described as “mini tornado” left a 500m path of destruction, leaving at least 60 homes and businesses with major structural damage, a report said.
  • The tornado reportedly packed wind of higher than 111km/h [an EF2 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale.]
  • The worst affected areas were suburbs of Vincent, Gulliver, Currajong and Pimlico, which remain in blackout.

• North Island, New Zealand.  A severe storm with high winds pounded New Zealand’s North Island felling trees, knocking out power lines and causing extensive flooding.
  • The storm dumped more than two months’ worth of rain on parts of the region, a report said.
  • Severe weather closed schools and forced dozens of flight cancellations in and out of Auckland Airport.
  • More wild weather, torrential rains and flooding are forecast for the region.

• Germany.  The number of farms reporting Schmallenberg virus have jumped up by more than 10 percent in seven days. [up from 847 farms on March 5, and 908 farms on March 12]
  • Sheep, cattle and goat from 1,000 farms [up from 847 farms on March 5, and 908 farms on March 12] have been tested positive for Schmallenberg virus (SBV) as of March 19, 2012.
  • “The cases occurred in 160 cattle holdings, 799 sheep holdings and 41 goat holdings.”  FLI reported.

© 2010 Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit

• France. A total of 824 farms have reported SBV infection in France as of March 16, 2012. That is a rise of 23% in reported SBV cases in a week. (Source: Centre de ressources épidémiosurveillance).

Map of farms in France with reported SBV cases. Source: survepi.org; enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

• United Kingdom.  Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection has been identified on 190 farms [up from 158 farms on March 12 and 92 farm on March 2] located in 22 counties. The rise represents a jump of more than 20 percent since March 12, 2012. “Fourteen of the positive cases have been diagnosed in cattle, 176 in sheep,” DEFRA reported.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Schmallenberg Virus Continues Spreading

Thousands of farms across Europe report Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection

Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of animals in thousands of farms across Europe have tested positive for Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 15

[March 15, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,462 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Europe.  Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of animals in thousands of farms across Europe have tested positive for Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection.

Lamb suspected of the SBV infection. Source: DWHC

• Germany.   Sheep, cattle and goat from 944 farms [up from 847 farms on March 5, and 908 farms on March 12] have been tested positive for Schmallenberg virus as of March 14, 2012.
  • “The cases occurred in 124 cattle holdings, 780 sheep holdings and 40 goat holdings,” FLI reported.
  • Affected federal states are North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Hamburg, Bavaria, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saarland and Berlin, FLI said.

Map of farm locations in Germany with SBV infection

© 2010 Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit

• UK. “Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection has been identified on 158 farms [up from 92 farm on March 2, and 11 farms on January 31, 2012.] Eleven of the positive cases have been diagnosed in cattle, 147 in sheep, and none to date in other species. No increase in the counties affected. SBV infection has only been identified in areas at risk of midge incursion from Northern Europe during summer / autumn 2011,” AHVLA reported.
  • Currently, 20 counties are affected: Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire.

• France. A total of 670 farms have reported SBV infection as of March 9, 2012. The infected farms include

• 634 sheep farms
• 26 cattle farms
• 10 goat farms

• Belgium.   Total of 213 farms (March 9, 2012); 151 sheep farms, 60 cattle farms and 2 goat farms.
• Netherlands.  Total of 153 farms (March 8, 2012); 101 sheep farms, 47 cattle farms and 5 goat farms.

• Spain. Large number of SBV infections have been reported in Hinojosa del Duque, ANDALUCIA. The infections were detected mostly in sheep.

• Luxembourg. Infection reported on 7 farms. Data incomplete. NO reliable data available.

• Italy. Infection reported on 1 farm. Data incomplete. NO reliable data available.

• Denmark.  Schmallenberg virus has been found in midges in Denmark,
  the Danish National Veterinary Institute reported on March 13, 2012.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Previous reports of SBV infection

• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 10
• Schmallenberg virus entry for March 6

• Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries posted on February 22, 2012

Hundreds Evacuated Amid Spain Wildfires

Wildfires consume 3,000 acres, force hundreds to evacuate in drought-stricken Spain

Four major fires have consumed more than 3,000 acres near the town of Lleida in the Pyrenees area, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes in Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 10

[March 10, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,467 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Catalonia, Spain.  Four major fires have consumed more than 3,000 acres near the town of Lleida in the Pyrenees area, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes in Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia.
  • Spain is experiencing its worst winter drought in living memory.

Spain Drought Maps

Spain Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for February 2012. Source:  AEMET – Enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

Spain Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI);  3-month forecast. Source:  AEMET

Other Global Disasters

• Indiana, USA.The Disaster President has declared that a major disaster exists in the state of Indiana following the fatalities, widespread damage and losses caused by severe storms, straight-line winds, and deadly tornadoes during the period of February 29 to March 3, 2012.
  • The worst affected areas are the counties of Clark, Jefferson, Ripley, Scott, Warrick, and Washington.

• Afghanistan.   Death toll from avalanches that  buried several villages in northeastern Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province has climbed to at least 57.
  • The avalanche that buried Shirin Nazem village in Sheky district has left at least 145 others missing, “presumed dead,”  the UN said.
  • Afghanistan coldest winter in nearly two decades has left hundreds of people dead, including about 100 in Badakhshan province including at least 35 children.
  • The cold has also left at least two dozen children dead in refugee camps on the outskirts of the capital Kabul.

• UK.  Schmallenberg virus (SBV), aka, ‘deformed lamb’ infection has been identified on 145 UK farms [up from 92 farms on March 2, and 11 farms on January 31, 2012,] AHVLA reported.
  • “Nine of the positive cases have been diagnosed in cattle, 136 in sheep, and none to date in other species. Two new counties have reported disease: Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.”
• Germany. Animals on at least 908 farms have been tested positive for Schmallenberg virus, as of March 9, 2012 [up from 847 farms on March 5,] FLI reported.
• Rest of Europe. Numbers of Schmallenberg infection in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg appear to be heavily under-reported.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar
  

Recent Drought Links

• Extreme or Severe Drought Covers 3/4 of Portugal Posted on March 4, 2012
• Disaster Calendar 2012 – January 18 – Badakhshan Avalanches 
• Record freezing temperatures have left at least 16 children dead at refugee camps outside the capital Kabul – February 13, 2012
• A massive avalanche has obliterated a village in Afghanistan’s north-eastern Badakhshan province – March 6, 2012

Washington Declared a Disaster Area

Disaster in Washington state caused by severe winter storm, flooding, landslides, and mudslides

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Washington in the areas affected by a severe winter storm, flooding, landslides and mudslides during the period of January 14-23, 2012.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 6

[March 6, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,471 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Washington, USA.   The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Washington in the areas affected by a severe winter storm, flooding, landslides, and mudslides during the period of January 14-23, 2012.
  • Areas worst affected by the disasters were Clallam, Grays Harbor, King, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties.

Other Global Disasters

• The Republic of Congo.The U.S. State Department has declared disaster in Congo after explosions in the capital Brazzaville.
  • The death toll from Sunday’s explosion that flattened buildings in Brazzaville has climbed to at least 236.
  • Many others are believed to be trapped under debris and the death toll may rise.
  • The explosions were reportedly started by a fire at a munition depot.

• Georgia, USA.  A state of emergency has been declared in Paulding County, Ga., after an EF3 tornado hit the area.
  • The tornado damaged or destroyed more than 160 buildings.
  • “The Paulding County Regional Airport is temporarily closed due to more than $6 million in damage. Twenty-three planes were damaged, and 18 are a total loss, but authorities hope to have the runway open by the end of the week,”  said a report.

• NSW, Australia.  NSW state government has declared a state of emergency for Wagga Wagga.
  • The deluge in the region has already been  described as the worst flooding in 40 years.
  • Wagga residents are working frantically to raise levee banks to hold back rising flood waters of the Murrumbidgee River.
  • The Burrinjuck dam, upstream from the city, has already reached about 110 per cent of its safe capacity, reports said.
  • Up to 10,000 people have already been evacuated from the Wagga Wagga CBD and those who stayed to protect their properties are now being urged to leave.
  • Wagga Wagga has received 188mm of rain since Feb. 27, its highest rainfall on record, causing the worst flooding in 160 years.
  • Since the NSW flooding began last week, about 14,000 people have been evacuated and at least 7,500 others have been isolated.
  • The cost of restoring roads, properties, fencing, livestock and infrastructure has already exceeded A$500 million, local government officials have said.
• Queensland and Victoria. Widespread flooding continues also in two other states of Queensland and Victoria, with some areas receiving more than 160mm of rain in less than 48 hours.

• Afghanistan.  A massive avalanche has obliterated a village in Afghanistan’s north-eastern Badakhshan province near the Tajikistan border, killing art least 40 people, and injuring more than a dozen.
  • The death toll is expected to rise as many others are reported missing.
  • Avalanches in the Badakhshan province left dozens of people dead in January.

• UK.  “Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection has been identified on 121 farms [up from 92 farm on March 2, and 11 farms on January 31, 2012.] Eight of the positive cases have been diagnosed in cattle, 113 in sheep, and none to date in other species. Four new counties have reported disease: Devon, Dorset, Cambridgeshire and Somerset,” AHVLA reported. “So far, none of the affected farms have reported importing animals during 2011 from the affected areas in mainland Europe. SBV infection has only been identified in areas at risk of midge incursion from Northern Europe during summer / autumn 2011.”
• Germany.  In Germany, animals on at least 847 farms have been tested positive for Schmallenberg virus, as of March 5, 2012, FLI reported.
• Rest of Europe. Numbers of Schmallenberg infection in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg appear to be heavily under-reported.

Australian Disasters

• Australia: Weather systems to remember!
• New South Wales (NSW), Australia: Disaster Declaration Extended
• Australia: 5 disaster areas declared in NSW following severe flooding Posted  on January 30, 2012
• Flooded Australia: Thousands Evacuated in 3 States Posted  on January 25, 2012
• Wildfire Consumes 1 Million Acres in WA Posted on January 18, 2012
• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar 

Lassa Fever Outbreak Kills Dozens in Nigeria

Forty fatalities including 2 medical personnel from Lassa fever outbreak

About 400 hundred cases of the acute viral illness have been detected in 12 Nigerian states sine Mid January,  said  the country’s Minister of State for Health, 10 percent of which were fatal.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – February 27

[February 27, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,479 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Nigeria.   An outbreak of Lassa fever, an acute viral illness, has sickened about 400 people in 12 Nigerian states, killing at least 40 including two medical workers, a report said.
  • The areas stricken by the recent outbreak are Edo, Nasarawa, Plateau, Ebonyi, Taraba, Yobe, Ondo, Rivers, Gombe, Anambra, Delta and Lagos states.

Lassa Virus. Source: CDC

Arenavirus. Lassa fever is present in West Africa. The reservoir of Lassa virus are rodents and humans become infected through contact with the excreta of infected rats. While about 80% of the infections go with no symptoms, the remaining patients develop severe multi-system disease and up to 15% of the hospitalized cases may die. Early treatment with the antiviral drug ribavirin is effective, and infection is prevented through good hygiene conditions.  Source: European Center for Disease Prevention and Control

What is Lassa fever?

Lassa fever is an acute viral illness that occurs in West Africa. The illness was discovered in 1969 when two missionary nurses died in Nigeria, West Africa. The cause of the illness was found to be Lassa virus, named after the town in Nigeria where the first cases originated. The virus, a member of the virus family Arenaviridae, is a single-stranded RNA virus and is zoonotic, or animal-borne.

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

What are the symptoms of Lassa fever?

Signs and symptoms of Lassa fever typically occur 1-3 weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. These include fever, retrosternal pain (pain behind the chest wall), sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, facial swelling, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and mucosal bleeding. Neurological problems have also been described, including hearing loss, tremors, and encephalitis. Because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and nonspecific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult.

What proportion of people die from the illness?

Approximately 15%-20% of patients hospitalized for Lassa fever die from the illness. However, overall only about 1% of infections with Lassa virus result in death. The death rates are particularly high for women in the third trimester of pregnancy, and for fetuses, about 95% of which die in the uterus of infected pregnant mothers [causing spontaneous abortion.] [Source: CDC]

Schmallenberg Virus Update:

• UK.  ” Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection has been identified on 74 farms. Five of the positive cases have been diagnosed in  cattle, 69 in sheep, and none to date in other species. So far, none of the affected farms have reported importing animals during 2011 from the affected areas in mainland Europe. Positive cases of SBV virus have now been identified on the Isle of Wight and in Wiltshire, West Berkshire and Gloucestershire. This is in addition to the counties in the east and south of England which have previously had cases identified, namely Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, East and West Sussex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Hampshire and Cornwall,” AHVLA reported.
  • Some British farmers have reportedly lost 20 per cent of their lambs since the disease arrived in the UK early January.
• Germany.  “In Germany animals from 737 holdings have been tested positive for ‛Schmallenberg virus’ so far. The cases occurred in 47 cattle holdings, 653 sheep holdings and 37 goat holdings. Affected federal states are North Rhine-Westphalia (25 cattle, 236 sheep, 11 goat holdings), Lower Saxony (10 cattle, 104 sheep, 5 goat holdings), Hesse (1 cattle, 80 sheep holdings, 5 goat holdings), Schleswig-Holstein (5 cattle, 81 sheep, 1 goat holdings), Rhineland-Palatinate (1 Bison, 3 cattle, 35 sheep, 4 goat holdings), Baden-Wuerttemberg (1 cattle, 13 sheep, 5 goat holdings), Brandenburg (15 sheep holdings), Thuringia (24 sheep holdings, 2 goat holdings), Saxony-Anhalt (19 sheep holdings, 2 goat holding), Hamburg (1 cattle, 5 sheep holdings), Bavaria (13 sheep holdings), Saxony (20 sheep holdings), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (5 sheep holdings, 1 goat holding), Saarland (2 sheep holdings, 1 goat holding) and Berlin (1 sheep holding),  FLI reported.
  
• Rest of Europe.   Updated figures for February NOT available. Estimates range from about 2,500 to 5,000 cases (about 2,000 affected farms) in the Benelux countries (Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands), France and Italy.
• [NOTE: In all probability, many more countries in Europe and elsewhere have been hit by the Schmallenberg virus, but the disease is not yet reportable and no stats are currently available.]

A suspected victim of Schmallenberg virus. Lambs infected with the virus are  either stillborn or have deformities so horrific they cannot survive. Image source: DWHC

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar 

Schmallenberg Virus Links

• Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries Posted on February 22, 2012

Schmallenberg Virus Hits 7 Countries

SBV induces late abortion or birth defects in newborn livestock 

The virus has infected more than 1,200 cattle, sheep and goats in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the UK, as of posting

Disaster Calendar 2012 – February 22

[February 22, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,484 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Northern Europe.  At least 7 northern European countries have reported more than 1,200 cases of Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) infections in cattle, sheep and goats.
  • Schmallenberg Virus is a new emerging livestock disease that was first detected in the town of Schmallenberg, North Rhein-Westphalia region, Germany.
  • SBV causes acute illness and induces late abortion or birth defects in the newborn livestock.
  • “This exotic virus may cause severe congenital damages in pregnant animals, as well as premature births and reproductive disorders. Calves that are not stillborn may suffer from serious brain and limb malformations,” a report said.
  • The virus is believed to be transmitted through arthropod vectors including mosquitoes, midges, ticks and sand flies.
  • A significant increase in reporting from the known affected countries is noted by the International Disease Monitoring section of UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
  • “Women who are, or who may be, pregnant are potentially at risk of acquiring certain infectious diseases from pregnant livestock including sheep. Pregnant women who come into close contact with sheep during lambing may risk their own health and that of their unborn child, from infections which can occur in some ewes,” UK’s  HPA said.

Source: UK DEFRA/HPA

Source:  DEFRA/HPA/IDM

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar