Tag Archives: occupy

International

Coronavirus MERS update: More deaths! Infected people spreading the disease before they get sick!

30 May 2013 (03:30 UTC-07 Tango)/20 Rajab 1434/09 Khordad 1391/21 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

The UN World Health Organization said there are now 49 confirmed cases and 27 deaths.

Health officials are calling for longer quarantine periods for people infected with the new MERS virus.   A new study published in the Lancet concluded that the bat virus takes much longer to incubate inside a host (9-12 days versus 1-9 days).  This means it’s possible for an infected person to spread the virus before they actually get sick.

Kit Bashing

2006 Mustang Funny Car dragster

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Kit Bashing: SALVAGING TWO DIFFERENT JUNK KITS INTO ONE UNIQUE CORVETTE

International, U.S.

False Flag Bio War? Outlawed GMO wheat shows up on Oregon farms!

30 May 2013 (02:00 UTC-07 Tango)/20 Rajab 1434/09 Khordad 1391/21 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating a farmer’s claim that he discovered outlawed GMO wheat growing on his Oregon farm.

Monsanto was testing a GMO version of wheat, in 13 states, but dropped it by 2005 because U.S. wheat farmers categorically rejected any genetically modified wheat.

Supposedly Monsanto stopped their GMO wheat test in Oregon back in 2001.

The farmer in Oregon found wheat growing where he knew he didn’t plant any seed, so he sprayed them with Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.  The wheat didn’t die.  Scientists at Oregon State University confirmed they are GMO crops.

Wheat speculators are expecting the discovery to affect international wheat prices.

This case is similar to what’s happening in Hungary.  Recently more than 404.6 hectares (1000 acres) of maize (corn for those ‘mercians livin’ in ‘merica) were burned because they were contaminated with GMO crops.  GMO crops are outlawed in Hungary, yet Hungarian agriculture officials now suspect there are dozens of farm fields tainted by GMOs.

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: Easy to catch, old men are the targets!

29 May 2013 (14:45 UTC-07 Tango)/19 Rajab 1434/08 Khordad 1392/20 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“…the low antibody levels we measured indicate that there is likely to be very little immune protection against this virus…..It is now essential that follow up studies on patients with H7N9 include serological investigations to determine what antibody levels are indicative of clinical protection…..These data will give us a better tool to gauge the size of a second H7N9 outbreak…”-Maciej F. Boni,  Center for Tropical Medicine, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Vietnam

Researchers in Vietnam are warning that H7N9 is potentially just as easy to catch as other human flu viruses, and that humans have weak immunity protection against it.

In China, researchers have released data on just who is getting sick and what are the dominant symptoms of H7N9:

100% of infected people had fevers

97% of patients had signs of pneumonia

90% had coughs

76% needed ICU treatment

68% were men

42% were aged 65 years or older

27% died

The researchers also suggested that there could be a genetic reason why some people get sick, and others do not.

 

International

Killer disease out of Africa, 100 children dead in four weeks!

28 May 2013 (12:52 UTC-07 Tango)/18 Rajab 1434/07 Khordad 1391/19 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

In Benin, on the continent of Africa, local TV reports say more than 100 people, mostly children, have died from a strange and violent disease in the past four weeks.

To make things worse, the only health official in the area of Dekin is a mid-wife who runs the area’s only health center.  Reports say the victims are vomiting blood and making a strange “snoring” like sound.

According to French news media reports, the symptoms are “Fever, vomiting, and simultaneous bleeding from the nostrils, followed by strange breathing sounds, and finally the victims’ heart stops.”

French reports also say the disease kills children within 24 hours of infection.  Apparently the adults have more resistance, and those adults infected are reported to be “languishing” in the local health clinic.  There are no certified nurses or doctors at the clinic.

Many of those infected do not have access to clean drinking water and have been drinking water from the same watering holes used by wild animals.

A commenter on ProMED believes this is a new hemorrhagic fever, similar to the Marburg or Ebola viruses.

Benin is a country sandwiched between Togo and Nigeria.

(here’s something scary; last year Canadian researchers concluded that Ebola could become airborne)

Influenza

Coronavirus MERS update: More deaths and cases! U.S. & China join forces!

28 May 2013 (12:28 UTC-07 Tango)/18 Rajab 1434/07 Khordad 1392/19 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“…the imminent threats are the H7N9 influenza virus and the new coronavirus emerging in the Middle East.”-Ian Lipkin, Center for Infection and Immunity

French news media reporting that the man who returned from Dubai, infected with the new bat related virus, MERS, has died.  It was that case which confirmed that MERS is airborne and can infect human to human, because another man sharing the hospital room with the MERS infected man is now sick.

In Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a woman suffering from chronic illness was finally done in by MERS.  KSA Ministry of Health are also reporting five new cases.

By my count, the number of deaths are at 24, out of 49 cases.

The UN World Health Organization says it will now help KSA prepare for possible massive outbreak of MERS during the upcoming Islamic Haj pilgrimage (in October).

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention is now warning all U.S. medical personnel to be on the lookout, as any person who returned from the Middle East (West Asia) showing sings of illness could have MERS.

In China, a new research center is being opened by National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and the U.S. Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health’s Center for Infection and Immunity.

It’s been years in the planning and is called Joint Research Laboratory for Pathogen Discovery.  The operators say the timing is just right, since it appears the World is being hit with several new diseases right now.  Researchers believe the greatest need is finding ways to fight H7N9 and MERS.   China is paying for the new research center.

Influenza

H7N9 update: New case, more deaths!

28 May 2013 (12:00 UTC-07 Tango)/18 Rajab 1434/07 Khordad 1392/19 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

New main streamer news media reports say a new study says H7N9 is resistant to tamiflu.  No shit Sherlock,  I’ve been reporting that for weeks now (go over my past H7N9 updates)!

In China, the city of Beijing reports its second case of H7N9 human infection.  A six years old boy got sick, went to hospital where blood samples were taken.  He was allowed to go home and return to school.  It was later confirmed he has H7N9.  However, health officials say he has not shown any symptoms since being sent home.

Beijing health officials have ordered that H7N9 must be tested for in all suspected flu cases, and must be reported to officials.

Chinese news media reporting another person has died from H7N9.  China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission says 131 people have been infected, with 36 of them dying (by my count it’s 133 including the case in Taiwan, and 37 deaths).

International

SFTS update: More deaths! Finally proof that it’s Vampire Spiders!

28 May 2013 (11:23 UTC-07 Tango)/18 Rajab 1434/07 Khordad 1391/19 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

A third person has now died, possibly of SFTS (Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome) in Korea.  Lab results are taking a long time to confirm whether or not the victims had SFTS.  He was suffering from fever, stomach problems and septicemia.  These symptoms could also been associated with meningitis.

The second Korean to die did so on 16 May, and has finally been confirmed to have been infected with SFTS.  He was a cattle farmer and reports say his body was covered in tick (a type of blood sucking spider/arachnid) bites.

The first Korean to die did so in August 2012.  She was only recently confirmed to have SFTS.  It took several blood tests to confirm SFTS.  She was bitten by a tick in July 2012.  One month later she suffered fever and stomach problems.  The tick bite had not healed and began swelling.  She died four days after being transferred to Seoul National University Hospital.

In Japan, at least 15 people have been infected, and eight have died from SFTS.  However, researchers were having trouble connecting the disease to ticks, because they couldn’t find any that were carrying the virus.  Finally, this past week they found a tiny 3mm tick on the latest human victim.  The tick tested positive for SFTS.

The last reports out of China said researchers were also having problems making definitive connections between ticks and humans, but assumed it was being caused by ticks.

Here’s the rub; as I’ve posted before, it seems this SFTS is evolving independently in the different countries where it’s being found (it evolved from the bunyavirus).  Japanese researchers have pointed out that their SFTS is slightly different than the SFTS in China.

The infected tick just found in Japan is reported to be the Haemaphysalis longicornis tick.  The same tick associated with Lyme disease.

Unconfirmed reports say SFTS has also been found in the Rhipicephalus microplus tick.  This tick was supposedly eradicated from the United States, but is still found in Mexico, Central America and parts of Austral/Asia and east Africa.

Breaking news update as of February 2019: Longhorn ticks are making their way back to North America! 

U.S.

Arkansas hit by dozens of earthquakes! Fracking, anyone?

27 May 2013 (15:04 UTC-07 Tango)/17 Rajab 1434/06 Khordad 1391/18 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“Are they being triggered or are they natural? That’s something we don’t know.”-Scott Ausbrook, Arkansas Geological Survey

In the past few weeks the U.S. state of Arkansas has been hit with at least 36 quakes.  The Arkansas Geological Survey said there are oil industry fracking (hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracturing) operations taking place about eight miles from the quake area (near Morrilton).

The quakes range from the 2 to 4 USGS magnitude range.  That many quakes within that magnitude range have been proven, in the past, to be the result of industrial fracking for oil or natural gas.

International

Norovirus / Tummy Bug update, 27 May 2013: Now number 1 cause of gastroenteritis! Meat good! Another misdiagnosis gone wrong!

In Maryland U.S.A., health officials revealed that on 17 May at least 200 kids attending the Pot Spring Elementary school got sick.  Nine employees also got sick.  Preliminary lab tests blame norovirus.

In Washington U.S.A., weeks later an outbreak continues.  Back on 10 May Longview Elementary school was closed.  Grant County Health District officials have confirmed it’s norovirus, and they’re warning that there are still “…pockets of students in other Moses Lake schools with stomach illnesses.”

In Iowa U.S.A., the Siouxland District Health Department concluded their investigating into what caused about three teachers and 80 students to get sick at the Bryant Elementary School.  They blame norovirus.

A study published in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine says norovirus will soon be the number one cause of gastroenteritis in children.  Rotavirus was the number one cause, but that is on the decline since a vaccine was developed.  There is no vaccine for norovirus.

According to the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, norovirus is now the number one cause for gastroenteritis for children and adults in Canada.   The study says one in eight Canadians will get norovirus every year.   In the United States it’s now one in every six people!

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that meat based E.Coli (bacteria) caused gastroenteritis is down, by a lot.  An overall drop of 44% from 2000 to 2010.  It’s even better for ground beef (hamburger), a whopper, I mean a whopping 72% decline in E.Coli cases!  The decline is being credited to better raising of beef cows, cleaner handling of meat at the slaughter houses, and better cooking practices by consumers.

In Southampton, Hampshire U.K., a Celebrity Cruises ship docked after a trip to the Mediterranean.  It was revealed that at least 77 passengers and five crew members were sick with gastroenteritis.  The cruise line says from now on passengers will be asked if they’ve had stomach problems within three days prior to the cruise.  Customers can reschedule their cruises.

Norovirus has hit the Royal Lancaster Infirmary in Lancaster U.K.  Visitation in Ward 37 is now restricted.

In Finland, a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health found that ‘open plan’ office work spaces not only result in less productivity, but they’re the main reason why office workers get sick!   Open space office workers take 62% more sick days than office workers who have their own office.  Studies by several U.S. and U.K. universities had similar conclusions.

In Galway, Ireland, a family recounted the death of their four years old daughter and gave a warning.  At first everyone thought she was suffering a bad case of gastroenteritis, because of the symptoms.  She died hours later in her fathers arms, after a doctor said it was just a tummy bug.  Turned out it was  an aggressive type of pneumococcal meningitis that rapidly progressed to septicemia (blood poisoning).  Meningitis can result in flu like/stomach bug like symptoms, but it’s not the flu.  You can visit the privately funded actformeningitis.ie for more info.