Plague Watch 2010 - ?

Trinidad and Tobago 1/14/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

A Standard Five student of the Cocoyea Government Primary School remains hospitalised while another 15 primary school students were treated and discharged for suspected food poisoning, after consuming a meal at the school. Nikiesha Stanley, 14, of Rienzi Street, Mon Repos, San Fernando was among the students who allegedly consumed a tuna fish sandwich at the school for breakfast, and immediately began complaining of feelings of nausea and vomiting. Stanley’s father, Carlton, said his daughter was accustomed to eating meals provided at the school and had not eaten anything at home yesterday prior to going to school located at Forest Avenue, Cocoyea. “She is accustomed eating at school so she didn’t have anything at home this morning and she said they had tuna fish on bread this morning,” he said. While on his way to work, he added, Carlton said he received a telephone call from the teacher who informed him to go directly to the San Fernando General Hospital because his daughter had been taken to the institution after complaining about stomach pains and nausea. “When I went to the hospital they were giving gravol to the other children, but Nikiesha had to be put on drips and then they said they would have to ward her,” he said. “I find this is slackness and I want to know who is going to compensate my daughter for the time she lost in school because of this,” he said, adding there should be stricter guidelines for the preparation of school meals by caterers.

Wales 1/14/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

More dead animals have continued to show up today - as 100 dead FISH add to the toll. Welsh families awoke this morning to find 100 dead carp, bream and roach fish floating in the waters of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in Cwmbran. Colin Breeze, 62, spotted them and has now written to Torfaen Council to try and solve the puzzle. He said: "Perhaps it is the end of the world. "I think they could have been frozen in the ice, but at the same time it was a bit of a shock especially with all these animal deaths we keep hearing about. A spokeswoman for Environment Agency Wales said they had visited the site and said the council would remove the fish. She said a lack of oxygen was the most likely reason for the fish deaths, as readings they took were very low. A spokeswoman for Torfaen council confirmed they would remove the fish today. The grisly discover comes after thousands of dead fish were found floating in Florida after a cold snap and 200 lifeless birds were discovered in Texas. More fishy deaths have seen 100 tons of sardines, croaker and catfish wash up on the Brazilian coast, New Zealand have hundreds of deceased fish and Britain find 40,000 devil crabs. Yesterday 300 grackles fell from the sky in Alabama and were found along the l-65 highway. Samples are being analysed to work out their cause of death, but one theory is that they collided with a large truck.

Azerbaijan 1/14/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Mass fish death was recorded in the Iranian sector of the Caspian Sea," Iranian Gulistan Province's Nature Conservation Department Deputy Head Mohsen Jafarnejad said. Mass death of fish in the Caspian Sea is recorded on the west coast of the Gulistan Province. A large number of dead mullet have washed ashore, Shomalnews.com reported. "An analysis of samples taken from dead fish was carried out, and now we are waiting for their results," Jafarnejad said. The Gulistan Province is located in northeastern Iran. The center of the province is the Gurgan city. In recent years, such cases are observed in various places around the world. Scientists suggest that the causes of the recent events may be a global disaster or testing of biological weapons.

Scotland 1/15/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Young people in Oban are being advised to ensure they are vaccinated against mumps after an outbreak in the Scottish west coast town. NHS Highland said about 50 cases had been identified, mainly among teenagers and those in their early 20s. It is believed returning students and increased social events over the festive period may have contributed to the spread of the virus. Mumps is spread through saliva and is transmitted by coughs and sneezes Symptoms include swelling on the angle of the jaw on one or both sides of the face. Often there are several days of earlier symptoms, which could include fever, headache, tiredness, muscle aches and loss of appetite. Doctors have said that teenagers in Oban who have not had all their MMR jabs should make sure they are up to date with vaccination.

India 1/15/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

About 50 Home Guard jawans fell ill after they consumed tea and biscuits and complained of food poisoning at their training centre on Alandi Road in Yerawada on Friday noon. They were rushed to the Sassoon General Hospital where 18 were admitted, and others were discharged after treatment at the outpatient department. “The admitted jawans are stable and out of danger,” the doctors said. The jawans are taking part in a training that started on January 11 and will conclude on January 26 at the centre. While having tea and biscuits during the break time, many complained of irritating sensation in the throat and later started vomiting. Some trainees said the tea had a smell of henna. Centre Commandant of Home Guard, AM Shaikh, said, "We will send the tea powder for laboratory tests."

Hawaii 1/15/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Beachgoers on Kauai are being warned that Portuguese man-of-war have been found at Poipu Beach and other south shore beaches. The jellyfish-like creatures have long tentacles filled with toxins to kill prey. They can sting swimmers and wrap tentacles around their limbs. Kauai County officials said in a statement that beachgoers should be careful and check with lifeguards before swimming. The county advices beach visitors to obey warning signs and err on the side of caution when deciding whether to enter the water.

200 Dead Cows Found in Portage County Field
Source: www.wsaw.com...

An investigation is underway after 200 dead cows were found in a field at 8055 4th Avenue in the Town of Stockton. According to the Portage County Sheriff's Department, the owner of the cattle has been working with a local vet and it's believed the animals died from the IBR/BVD virus. The virus can cause respitory and reproductive problems. Samples from the dead cows have been sent to Madison for testing. Portage County authorities say there is no threat to humans or other animals.

Flu Is Widespread in 11 States
Source: www.webmd.com...

Jan. 14, 2011 - Don't put off your flu shot any longer: The winter flu season has arrived. While only four states have high levels of flu activity, the seasonal illness is widespread across 11 states. And there's evidence of outbreaks in several U.S. cities. Sadly, four children died of flu in the first week of January, the latest week for which CDC data is available. So far, the 2010-2011 flu season has claimed the lives of eight children. There were 282 U.S. pediatric deaths during last year's flu pandemic, 133 in the 2008-2009 season, and 88 in the 2007-2008 season. Hospitals in 122 U.S. cities report that deaths from "pneumonia and influenza" -- a statistic that reflects flu activity -- are at the epidemic level. They've been on the upswing since just before Christmas.

County flu cases hit high as term starts
Source: www.cambridge-news.co.uk...

Flu cases in Cambridgeshire hit a winter high as children returned to school. While flu rates levelled off in the UK, there was an 18 per cent rise in reports of influenza-like symptoms in Cambridgeshire in the first week of 2011 compared with the previous week. New figures released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) showed there were 98.1 cases per 100,000 people in the county – above ‘average’ for the winter. Nationally, there were 80.2 cases per 100,000 people. Epidemic levels are counted as 200 cases per 100,000 or above. Since October, 117 people have died of flu in the UK – 62 of these died of winter flu, 95 of swine flu. No regional figures for the deaths have been released.

RSV Becoming Epidemic in Arizona
Source: www.myfoxphoenix.com...

From the Health Wire – an epidemic is growing in Arizona. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are concerned about the numbers of cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, better known as RSV. Pediatricians say one out of 10 office visits is due to the virus.

34,105 Dengue Patients And 246 Dengue Deaths Reported From Sri Lanka Last Year
Source: www.groundreport.com...

During last year 34,105 dengue patients were reported from Sri Lanka and there were 246 deaths according to the Epidemiology Unit.Out of the total number of dengue patients reported the highest number of 858 patients were reported from Jaffna District followed by 608 patients from Gampaha in the western province and 584 patients reported from Colombo . The Highest Death toll which is 58 deaths were reported from Colombo District followed by 34 deaths reported from Gampaha District according to the Epidemiology Unit. Meanwhile The Colombo Chief MOH Dr.Pradeep Karyawasam has said today that 48 dengue cases were reported during the 14 days of this month so far from the city of Colombo.He appealed the public to be on alert on dengue epidemic as it is in rise due to the rainy weather pattern prevails in the country these days.Public are advised to follow precautionary measures including cleaning the dengue mosquito breeding places and destroying the mosquito breeding elements like empty cans,plastic cups,coconut/king coconut combs etc to avoid spreading of dengue.

AVG Virus Struck the Abalone Farm
Source: topnews.us...

With the recent confirmed news of an abalone farm, on the East coast, tested positive for Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG), Department of Primary Industries is endorsing every possible action to pull the string on the spread of the virus across the region. General Manager Water and Marine Resources Wes , Mr. Ford has reportedly initiated a biosecurity plan ,and is closing down the processing facility as a preliminary step to initiate the surveillance programme. Though there is no health risk to the people handling or eating abalone, viral infection caused by AVG do affect the immunity of abalone, which leads to the consequential death of abalone.

AIDS is a plague allowed to happen
Source: edition.cnn.com...

From its very beginning, most people have not wanted to know the truths about AIDS. This is an indisputable fact that continues until this very minute. I have been on the front lines since Day 1, so I know what I'm talking about. Here are 10 realities about AIDS, and I've learned them the hard way: 1. AIDS is a plague -- numerically, statistically and by any definition known to modern public health -- though no one in authority has the guts to call it one.

Floodwaters killing thousands of fish
Source: www.abc.net.au...

All beaches on the Redcliffe Peninsula have been shut due to dead fish and debris washing ashore. Local councillor James Houghten says council is working hard to clear the beaches of rubbish. "We've had several thousand fish wash on the beaches and some of those have been even freshwater fish, so that looks like they've come from Somerset or Wivenhoe Dam even further up the river," he said. "We've already had the result of some testing back and the result is that that's been caused by so much freshwater in dealing with saltwater varieties and also turbidity in the water."

Eventhoguh I am not a Christian, I thank you for your diligent work posting all this information. Keep up the good work. You are very devoted.
I would like to ask if you will so kindly put dates on your sources. Thank you for putting dates on some of them, though. I wish I could star and flag you more than once.

As far as plagarism, I thnk you may be able to get by with your tally of things as they are happening...then again I do not know the extent abot that type of thing....Either way, I say continue giving the updates until someone says something major.
Again, thank you for trying to keep us udated on the events. so much appreciate you time.

Australia 1/16/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Sharks have been spotted swimming in the main street of a flooded Queensland town more than 30 kilometres inland. Two bull sharks, which are the third most likely shark to attack humans, were seen by local butcher Steven Goodwin swimming against the flow as floodwaters ran through the town of Goodna. Goodna town councillor Paul Tully told The Queensland Times newspaper Sunday he believed Goodwin's bizarre story. It was not the first shark sighting during the Queensland floods. A shark was reported swimming the flooded streets of Brisbane on Thursday. Bull sharks prefer shallow water and tolerate fresh water. They often swim up rivers in search of food. Tully said the sharks would have had to cross a flooded motorway and caravan park to reach the Goodna main street. 'It's definitely a first for Goodna, to have a shark in the main street,' Tully said. 'I know Steve and he wouldn't say he saw a shark unless he really saw one.' Beaches near Brisbane have been inundated with dead fish killed during the flood. Meanwhile Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd had to be treated in hospital for an infected foot that was cut while he was helping people evacuate from rising floodwaters in Brisbane on Thursday. Rudd's home in Brisbane was above the floods but much of his electorate along the banks of the Brisbane River was submerged.

South Africa 1/16/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

A surfer was killed by a shark in the sea at Second Beach, Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, Surfing South Africa said. Zama Ndamase, 16, a provincial surfer for Border was surfing with his brother and other members of the local surf club when the “horrific” attack occurred, spokesman Robin de Kock said in a statement. “According to reports Zama managed to catch a wave after being bitten and attempted to reach the shore. “Tragically he bled to death in the water before he could be reached by the lifeguards and rescue craft, he said. Ndamase was the fifth shark victim at the notorious beach in the last three years. Four of the attacks have been fatal, de Kock said. Border Surfriders Association spokesman Malcolme Logie was quoted saying: “He was a young guy, full of spirit and always ready for a laugh. He was always willing to help his team-mates and enjoyed giving the younger surfers encouragement and advice. "Border was looking to him to play a leading role in our team this year. His passing leaves us numb and with a huge sense of loss," he said.

Australia 1/16/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Health experts are concerned about homeowners cleaning-up after the floods, with several people coming down with a mystery illness. Five people are being treated in Queensland hospitals, and have been tested for infectious diseases, believed to be flood-related. 'People need to be properly protected while wading through floodwaters, as they could be exposed to bacteria and viruses', says Queensland Health.

Haiti - Cholera Epidemic : The peak of infection is still not reached...
Source: www.haitilibre.com...

While the epidemic in Haiti continues its ravages in the population, for nearly three months, the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that the peak of the infection of the disease, is, according to it still not reached. Last cholera assessment : since the beginning of the cholera epidemic in Haiti (October 19, 2010), 185.012 people were infected and treated, 103.012 people were hospitalized and 3.790 people died. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), dated of January 9, 2011. The figures released by the MSPP for the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and the Department of the West, continued to be unusable. By failing to account the deaths of the people in the community, it allows the government to claim that in the most populous department of Haiti, there had from the beginning only 14 deaths (0.9%) against 354 in the medical facilities, which does not correspond to reality on the ground and which gives a false impression of improvement in this department.

Swine flu: hospitals 'gridlocked'
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk...

Britain’s most senior accident and emergency doctor told The Sunday Telegraph that four weeks of intense pressures had left casualty departments “overwhelmed” with patients. He said desperately sick people had been left for hours waiting on trolleys, with even those requiring intensive care enduring long delays. Dozens of NHS units have cancelled surgery and clinics for outpatients. At least 10 major centres issued “black alerts” — the highest emergency warning — meaning they were at breaking point, forcing patients to be sent elsewhere. Scores of hospital wards closed due to norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, which put more than 1,200 beds out of use in one week as nurses attempted to isolate the disease.

More dead snook in Tampa Bay
Source: www.examiner.com...

Snook were found dead South of Tarpon Springs after the recent cold weather. We unfortunately have even more dead snook now, when the snook poulation was already way down due to last years freeze. Last year we lost tons and tons of snook to the cold weather. It was estimated that it would take 3 years to replace most of the snook population in the Tampa Bay area. Now, with the added kill, it could be a lot worse. Continue reading on Examiner.com: More dead snook in Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay Tampa Fishing and Seafood | Examiner.com www.examiner.com...

Millions of trees dying
Source: m-start.mobi...

LONDON, Jan. 16 (UPI) - Britain's at war with a tree disease, Phytophthora ramorum, has affected almost 7,500 acres of forest in Wales, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Northern Ireland,, officials say. The disease was named in the U.S.A. where it killed millions of oak trees in California. This has been going on from 1995.

Scores of cattle infected with FMD in Terengganu
Source: www.mysinchew.com...

KUALA TERENGGANU, Monday 17 January 2011 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu Veterinary Services Department has detected 62 heads of cattle in the state infected with the foot and mouth disease (FMD) since last November. State Deputy Director of Veterinary Services Dr Ahmad Shafri Hassan said the disease was detected in the Padang Kemunting area, here involving 50 heads of cattle while 12 heads of cattle in Pengkalan Ajal, Hulu Terengganu were also infected. He said that the infected cattle in Padang Kemunting belonged to the villagers while the cattle in Pengkalan Ajal were from the dairy cattle project of the Veterinary Services Department. He said the affected cattle were worth more than RM160,000.

Hait Updatei: MSF nears 100,000 cholera patients treated
Source: www.msf.org.uk...

Over the past week, MSF has treated 5,000 patients in its 50 cholera facilities throughout the country, bringing the total number of people who have received care in MSF or MSF-supported facilities since the beginning of the outbreak to 97,000. This represents more than half of the 181,829 total cases reported by health authorities since the outbreak began. According to official figures, 3,759 people have died of cholera since Friday, 22 October.

Giant snail is invading Andalucía
Source: www.typicallyspanish.com...

The Junta de Andalucía is compiling information on the snail, considered to be one of the most invasive species in the world. Achatina Fulica is considered one of the 100 most invasive species in the world, and can also cause diverse conditions in humans. Parasites living on the creature can cause serious conditions in humans who should therefore avoid touching the creature, let alone consuming it.

Moreton Bay wildlife hit by flood
Source: bayjournal.com.au...

Thousands of fish are dying as the floodwaters enter Moreton Bay. The huge plume of muddy water is spreading across the bay and starting to damage the seagrass beds. All beaches on the Redcliffe Peninsula have been shut due to dead fish and debris washing ashore. Moreton Bay Regional Councillor James Houghton told the ABC: "We've had several thousand fish wash on the beaches and some of those have been even freshwater fish, so that looks like they've come from Somerset or Wivenhoe Dam even further up the river.

Boat Harbour residents baffled by dead seals
Source: www.northernpen.ca...

As many as 20 dead harp seals have washed ashore in Boat Harbour over the past couple of weeks leaving perplexed locals scratching their heads as to the reasons why. Wallace Woodward, who has lived in Boat Harbour most of his 52 years, says none of the residents can remember a scene that now faces them. Last week when the Pen stopped by, carcasses of several dead seals lolled about in the breakwater, some had been pushed ashore by strong waves and others were buried under three feet of seaweed. And it’s not just harp seals that have been swept into the harbour — hundreds of dead catfish have washed onto land becoming entangled with the seaweed that is strewn along the shore. A myriad of other marine life like sea slugs, sea urchins and star fish have also perished in the past three weeks.

Iran 1/16/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

An Iranian state-owned newspaper says authorities at the Tehran zoo have killed 14 lions that had been diagnosed with an infectious bacterial disease. The lions were suffering from glanders, which is most commonly found in horses, donkeys, mules as well as other domesticated animals. It can spread from infected animals to humans. Veterinarian Houman Moloukpour told the newspaper that mismanagement at the zoo most likely contributed to the lions getting sick. The paper did not say when the lions were killed. Glanders is rare in the Western world, but is still endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America.

India 1/16/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Thousands of dead fish have been found floating in the Yamuna river in Mathura in the past couple of days, causing alarm among the devout and the environmentalists in the Hindu holy city. Priests at the ghats said the deaths were due to the highly toxic water and decreasing oxygen levels. 'The cold wave has further compounded the problem as the sun's rays are no longer proving effective,' director of NGO Friends of Vrindavan Jagan Nath Poddar said. The Gokul barrage in Mathura has 'become a huge storage of sewage, industrial effluents coming from upstream towns, requiring urgent clean up measures and release of fresh water to dilute the toxins,' Poddar added. Locals said authorities were not running the sewer pumping stations effectively. 'So many open drains discharge the city's waste into the river but nothing has been done to stop this,' a priest at Rameshwar ghat said. 'So many religious gurus and activists have been demanding proper maintenance of the ghats and tapping of the nullahs in Vrindavan and Mathura, but the district authorities have yet to draw up a plan of action. The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board officials too have not bothered to ensure that the silver refineries which use all kinds of toxic chemicals are forced to treat the waste effluents,' an activist in Mathura said on condition of anonymity.

Scotland 1/16/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Young people in Oban are being advised to ensure they are vaccinated against mumps after an outbreak in the Scottish west coast town. NHS Highland said about 50 cases had been identified, mainly among teenagers and those in their early 20s. It is believed returning students and increased social events over the festive period may have contributed to the spread of the virus. Mumps is spread through saliva and is transmitted by coughs and sneezes Symptoms include swelling on the angle of the jaw on one or both sides of the face. Often there are several days of earlier symptoms, which could include fever, headache, tiredness, muscle aches and loss of appetite. Doctors have said that teenagers in Oban who have not had all their MMR jabs should make sure they are up to date with vaccination.

Hundreds of dead seals in Labrador
Source: news.sympatico.cbc.ca...

People on the north coast of Labrador say scores of dead seals have been washing ashore since early December. A conservation officer with the area's Inuit government estimated late last week that hundreds of adult and young seals have died in the area between Hopedale and Makkovik this winter. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is testing the carcasses, but Nunatsiavut conservation officer Ian Winters said many people in the area believe DFO hasn't acted quickly enough. "I think they should have been up here earlier, if you're asking me. A lot of people said the same thing. So, maybe it's not on top of their agenda," he said.

Birds die as botulism thrives
Source: www.nzherald.co.nz...

Animal protection authorities are pulling "bagfuls of dead birds" from Auckland's waterways as the warm, sticky summer compounds the spread of a toxin outbreak. Hundreds of dead or sick birds suffering from paralysing disease botulism have been found by officials or handed in to animal shelters. In one case, the SPCA has spent days pulling several species of dead and dying fowl from a disused quarry in South Auckland.

Romania reports first swine flu death in 2011
Source: www.focus-fen.net...

Bucharest. Health authorities in Romania on Monday said that an elderly man died in hospital after being infected with the H1N1 virus, the country's first swine-flu related death in 2011, AFP reports. A 60-year-old man who had been admitted to a hospital in the northeastern town of Iasi in early January died during the night, the local public health authority said. The man had returned from Egypt in December but despite swine-flu symptoms had initially refused to be treated in hospital. Two more patients infected with the H1N1 virus have been recorded in Iasi but their condition is considered as good. More than 100 people succumbed to the virus in Romania during the 2009-2010 cold season.

Mysterious infection is killing B.C. salmon
Source: www.exchangemagazine.com...

Large numbers of sockeye salmon are dying in the Fraser River, before spawning, because of a mysterious virus, new research suggests. Historical records show that some fish always die en route to their spawning beds, but since the early 1990s the problem has become increasingly acute – with more than two million fish dying in some years. Researchers have long puzzled over what was causing the seemingly healthy fish to suddenly stop swimming and turn belly up. A large team of researchers from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and three Canadian universities has now found most of the fish that die before spawning have a common “genomic signature” – or a pattern that shows changes have taken place in an array of genes activated to fight infection. “Our hypothesis is that the genomic signal associated with elevated mortality is in response to a virus infecting fish before river entry and that persists to the spawning areas,” says the report published in the journal Science on Thursday.

H1N1 death toll rises
Source: austrianindependent.com...

A five-year-old girl has become the third swine flu victim in Austria this winter. The mentally and physically disabled child passed away in Salzburg’s Provincial Hospital yesterday (Sun) after having suffered from pneumonia for some time, local authorities confirmed today. The girl was hospitalised after her condition worsened last Wednesday. A 32-year-old male German holidaymaker died of the H1N1 virus in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, a ski resort in the province of Salzburg, on New Year’s Day before a chronically ill man, 19, passed away in Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, last Wednesday. Around 40 people perished from the disease in Austria last winter. The exact number of victims cannot be determined as there were no autopsies in some cases. Social Democratic (SPÖ) Health Minister Alois Stöger said Austria was well prepared for a possible pandemic, stressing that its stock of vaccines was full. Hundreds of people have become infected with swine flu in Germany, Great Britain – where authorities have come under a fire due to a shortage of flu vaccines in some regions – and other countries during the past weeks.

Are we facing a ‘flunami’?
Source: www2.macleans.ca...

According to doctors, Central Canada is likely at the peak of a flu season, which started earlier than normal and is causing more severe disease in the elderly. Last year, the H1N1 strain affected younger Canadians, but this year, it’s the H3N2 strain that is causing large outbreaks in nursing homes where residents are more likely to end up in hospital and intensive care. “We’ve seen really a burst of activity [around Toronto] that came between the holiday seasons, which has continued over the last two weeks,” said Dr. Don Low, medical director of Ontario’s public health laboratories. He added that Canada is probably hitting the peak of this new influenza season. This year, the number of confirmed flu cases in Ontario is six times higher than the average for early January, according to the province’s health ministry.

Australia 1/17/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Health experts are concerned about homeowners cleaning-up after the floods, with several people coming down with a mystery illness. Five people are being treated in Queensland hospitals, and have been tested for infectious diseases, believed to be flood-related. 'People need to be properly protected while wading through floodwaters, as they could be exposed to bacteria and viruses', says Queensland Health.

Pelicans turn up sick, dead off Jacksonville coast
Source: jacksonville.com...

Hundreds of Eastern brown pelicans, some with missing wings and frostbite, have been injured or killed in the St. Johns River the past couple of weeks in the Mayport area.The exact reason is unknown but the cold weather could have caused hypothermia when the birds landed in the water. The pelicans have been losing a protective coating they have on their body to shield their feathers from becoming saturated by water.

Yankton Sees Bird Kill-Off
Source: www.yankton.net...

It is estimated that more than 200 dead starlings were found in downtown Yankton Monday. However, it is not believed the deaths pose a threat to humans. Yankton Animal Control Officer Lisa Brasel estimated that she collected 200 starlings Monday, and employees of the city Parks and Recreation Department were also on the scene picking up deceased birds. The total number of corpses gathered up by city employees has not yet been compiled.“I talked to one of the local vets, and they said there is nothing wrong (with the birds),” said Brasel, who took specimens to a veterinary office. “They just didn’t migrate and are dying. I was going to call the South Dakota Department of Health to see what they have to say about it, but they are closed today (because of Martin Luther King Day).”

Dozens of dead birds found in Scottsboro neighborhood
Source: thedailysentinel.com...

State health officials are looking for answers as more dead birds were discovered in Scottsboro Monday. Jackson County Emergency Management Agency Director Victor Manning delivered 15 dead birds to an Alabama Department of Public Health worker Monday afternoon. Arrangements were made despite state and local offices being closed for the Martin Luther King holiday. "ADPH asked that we collect 15 birds for them to examine," Manning said late Monday afternoon. "I don't know exactly what they will do with the birds, but I imagine there will be some kind of autopsy. This is the first time we've had any dealing with a situation like this."

Romania: A Second Wave of Dead Birds
Source: cameracrews.wordpress.com...

Hundreds of dead or agonizing crows have brought terror to a town in the Eastern part of Romania. Since Saturday, the locals of Roman, a town of 80.000 people, have noticed that hundreds of crows fell to the ground dead or in agony in one of the local parks. On Monday, dozens of birds were struggling with death, unable to fly. Local experts suspect that the crows may have been poisoned, but no verdict can be given before a forensic study is conducted.

Southwestern Bulgaria and Sofia declare flu epidemic
Source: www.sofiaecho.com...

Regions in southwest Bulgaria have declared a flu epidemic because of the drastic rise in cases of people suffering from respiratory problems, Dnevnik daily reported on January 18 2011. The city of Blagoevgrad, and the town of Petrich near the Koulata-Promachon border crossing point with Greece, have both declared a flu epidemic. This will come into effect on January 19 2011. Those most affected by the strain are children aged 5-14, followed by youngsters aged 15-29. Pupils who are not attending school at the moment on account of illness currently account for 18-22 per cent of the total number, depending on the institution. Schools have taken necessary "preemptive and preventative measures", but will not shut doors because of the epidemic, regardless.

Alberta to Halt Plans for Faster Emergency Care in the Wake of Flu Epidemic
Source: topnews.us...

Dr. Chris Eagle, the acting CEO of Alberta's health superboard revealed that there could be a halt in the plans which will provide faster emergency care to the patients. This would happen if the region faces a flu epidemic similar to the one in Ontario and the people are not able to get flu vaccinations. The acting CEO expressed his anxiety over the fact that less number of people has taken the influenza vaccine and as a result it would be difficult to deal with the epidemic. The authorities had expected that 33% of the people will be vaccinated against the disease. However, only 14% of the people have got the vaccine up till now. The flu cases in Alberta on Jan 8 were 162. This is comparatively lesser than Ontario where the number is quite high. Flu epidemic has assumed dangerous proportions with 10 deaths being reported from Toronto.

Influenza And ARVI Disease Incidence In 10 Control Cities Up 30% To 60,958 Patient
Source: un.ua...

The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine says that the influenza and acute respiratory viral infections disease incidence in 10 control cities Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Simferopol) increased by 30% to 60,958 patients in the second week of 2011 (January 10 through 16) against the first week (January 3 to through 9), reads a statement made by the ministry. Data from the public institution Ukrainian Center for Influenza and Acute Respiratory Viral Infections, in the second week the indicators of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections disease incidence in all control cities were remaining below the epidemic thresholds. In all, 60,958 patients having acute respiratory infections were registered in the said week in the 10 control cities (46,856 in the first week), 884 people admitted to hospitals, of them 67.8% children under 17. Influenza and ARVI morbidity rate makes 62.59 cases per 10,000 residents against 48.11 cases in the previous week.

Ministry issues swine flu warning
Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn...

HA NOI — The Ministry of Health has asked people to help prevent another A/H1N1 flu epidemic this winter by taking precautions. Head of the ministry's Preventative Health Department Nguyen Van Binh said that since October there had been an upward trend in the number of A/H1N1 flu cases, identified by the national flu supervision system. Before October, only one case had been reported every few months; however since that time, in Ha Noi and HCM City, 1-3 cases were reported every month, Binh said. The ministry had asked local health departments to watch for signs of an epidemic, and isolate areas hit by the A/H1N1 virus to prevent it spreading, he said.

Foot-and-Mouth, Bird Flu Spread
Source: english.chosun.com...

A foot-and-mouth disease epidemic that started in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province in late November has now spread to 50 small cities and towns in five provinces, with a total of 128 separate outbreaks reported until Monday. Nearly 2 million livestock have been culled, including some 132,000 heads of cattle and 1.85 million pigs. Compensation payments for affected farm households have risen to W1.2 trillion (US$1=W1,119). The previous record of culled livestock was 160,155 in 2002. With the disease continuing to spread, the government last Thursday started to vaccinate all cattle and pigs nationwide, which has slowed the spread. There were no reports of suspected new cases on Sunday. Meanwhile, 26 cases of highly contagious bird flu have broken out in Gyeonggi, South Chungcheong, and North and South Jeolla provinces.

Fears over drop in owl population
Source: www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk...

SCARBOROUGH’S barn owl population could die out if the recent cold snap returns, a leading conservationist has warned. Robert Fuller, co-founder of the Wolds Barn Owl Group, said he fears it may be more than a decade for the population to recover if the area around Scarborough is hit by another blast of sub-zero temperatures. Mr Fuller said: “If we get more of the bad weather we had in November and December it could take 10 to 15 years for the population to recover from this winter alone. “This would be absolutely tragic.” Mr Fuller, a wildlife artist who frequently paints barn owls, has already had the distressing task of collecting 24 barn owl carcasses from nest boxes and farm buildings.

Thousands of dead octopuses wash up on Portugal beach
Source: news.bbc.co.uk...

Thousands of dead octopuses have washed up on a beach in northern Portugal, in what is being called an environmental disaster. They cover a 5-mile stretch of Vila Nova de Gaia beach - no reason has yet been found for their appearance. The authorities have warned the public not to eat them.

Australia 1/19/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Investigations are continuing into the deaths of thousands of fish in Jervis Bay. The dead fish have been found washed up on beaches from Callala Bay to Hare Bay. The fish kill is being investigated by NSW Fisheries in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the Marine Parks Authority. A Fisheries spokesperson said on-site testing had found the presence of no obvious pollutants or water quality issues. However prior to the fish kill, she said, there had been a large amount of rain and algal blooms had been observed in the area. Fish species affected by the kill have included flathead, whiting, mullet, luderick, catfish and an angel shark. Residents and holidaymakers have been urged to use common sense and to avoid eating any dead or dying fish and are being advised that consumption of unhealthy fish may be a health risk. One Callala Bay resident has raised concern about the potential health impact on swimmers. "We've got fish the weight of a small child," he said. "If it can kill a fish that big you've got to be concerned about what it would do to people," Callala Bay resident Frank Taylor said. Samples of fish taken last week are currently undergoing testing at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute in Camden. Water quality samples have also been submitted for analysis and the results will be made public as soon as they are available. DECCW will also be taking further water and sediment samples for analysis to determine of there are any toxic micro algae, ecotoxins or pesticides present in the water.

North Carolina 1/19/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

A video posted to YouTube over the weekend by a sport fisherman shows thousands of dead fish floating off the coast of the Outer Banks. Fisherman Mike Stokes says the fish were, "dead stripers floating belly up, pretty much as far as you could see, a couple hundred yards." But it's not pollution that's killing the fish. State officials say it's the fishermen. Commercial boats are limited to taking just 50 fish a day. That quota comes with unintended consequences. "The rule almost encourages waste, because they're only allowed a certain number of fish and they're bringing way more fish than they're allowed to keep on board," Stokes says. The smaller fish that come up in fishermen's nets get discarded and end up floating lifeless in the ocean. It's not as simple as just putting the bass back in the water. Stokes says most of the fish are severely damaged when commercial boats bring them up. "What happens is all the fish in that net are crushed under the weight of all the fish, so when they get the fish they keep and throw the rest back I'd say a huge percentage of them die," Stokes says. Recreational fishermen say the solution is simple. Change the regulations from 50 fish per boat to a set tonnage for the week. This would allow commercial fisherman to bring in more fish while eliminating the waste in striped bass. Stokes says, "That way he wouldn't be forced to throw excess fish or above-the-quota fish overboard, potentially to their demise." NewsChannel 3 took action to get answers on what's being done to fix the problem. Robert Bizzell, Chairman of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission says setting limits by weight rather than the number of the fish, is likely.

India 1/19/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

State health authorities have called a team from National Institute of Virology (NIV) to investigate into the mystery fever that has claimed one life and left two people critical in different city hospitals. Doctors have not been able to pin-point the origin or the spread of the fever which is reported to begin with fever, stomach pain and vomiting and rapidly deteriorate later. The first case of the mystery fever was reported with the death of one Amina Momin, a 30-year old woman from Sanand, who was admitted to Shalby Hospital on December 29 with high fever, abdominal pain and severe vomiting. Despite all the medication, her condition continued to worsen, her blood count crashed with platelets dipping to alarming levels. She eventually suffered internal hemorrhaging and succumbed to systemic organ failure. Momin did not test positive for dengue fever, the severe form of which has similar symptoms. While the death of a young woman to fever caused concern, what set the alarm bells ringing was two people who had come in touch with Momin too falling ill with similar symptoms. A young nurse at Shalby Hospital, who attended to Momin in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is currently critical with the same symptoms. Momin's husband too is admitted at Sterling Hospital. "The nurse is critical and may have to be put on a ventilator", doctors said. They said that two people who were in close contact with Momin getting the fever shows that the it is contagious. Since test reports have not come positive for bacterial infection, dengue or other known infections, it is important to know exactly what we are dealing with and also its spread, whether it is through air, mosquito or other means. Taking note that fever is rapidly deteriorates the health of the patient, NIV teams will collect samples and conduct other inquiries to ascertain the kind of fever, its spread and precautions needed to prevent its spread and protocol needed for better management.

South Dakota 1/19/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Officials said a bird poison used at a feedlot apparently caused a die-off of birds at Yankton. Yankton Animal Control Officer Lisa Brasel said DRC 1339, a bird poison used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was the likely cause of death for more than 300 starlings found in the downtown area. Brasel said a USDA official contacted her after seeing new reports about the dead birds. In an interview with the Press & Dakotan newspaper, wildlife biologist Ricky Woods confirmed that the poison was used by the USDA at a feedlot about 10 miles south of Yankton. He said birds usually die before getting so far from the poison.

Influenza epidemic declared in five municipalities in the country
Source: www.focus-fen.net...

Sofia. Today flu epidemic has been declared in five municipalities in the country, the Ministry of Healthcare announced. These are Blagoevgrad, Petrich, Dupnitsa, Rila and Kocherinovo. Epidemic was declared yesterday in Sofia district. Given the large number of sick students who are absent from classes in six schools in the municipality of Dupnitsa and Kocherinovo have been announced flu vacation from 20 to 26 January.

Whooping Cough Epidemic in Australia
Source: www.medindia.net...

Associate Professor Peter Richmond, a child health expert states that there is a high transfer of the disease in families as parents who have not been immunized and who are unaware of having the infection themselves, pass it onto their young children. "Unfortunately young babies who are too young to be vaccinated, less than two months of age, are the ones who get the most severe disease and occasionally death," he said. Whooping cough known also as pertussis, is an acute respiratory infection, which is transmitted through respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs. It is the cause of severe health problems in young babies, which may include pneumonia, seizures and in some cases, permanent disability or death. Epidemic outbreaks have occurred at regular intervals in Western Australia, and the last one was in 2004.

Spike in flu cases
Souce: www.channelnewsasia.com...

SINGAPORE: Flu cases in the second week of the year have crossed the epidemic threshold of 17,032. The Health Ministry said the number of acute upper respiratory illnesses seen by polyclinics between January 9 and 15, rose to 18,377. That worked out to a daily average of more than 3,300 cases. This is in contrast to the 16,630 cases seen during the same period last year. The ministry said the Influenza A-H1N1 strain is the predominant virus making its rounds, followed by the Influenza A H3N2, and Influenza B strains.

Nigeria: Cholera Outbreak - 194 Infected in Jigawa
Source: allafrica.com...

Dutse — No fewer than 194 people were confirmed infected by cholera following the out break of the disease in Hadejia, Jigawa State. Report from the affected areas revealed that the outbreak of the disease started last week and within a few days, spread all over the city, affecting hundreds of people. No death has been recorded in the epidemic. Confirming the outbreak of the disease, the Director State Primary Health Care, Dr. Aminu Danmalam said as at yesterday, reports have shown that 117 female and 77 male were infected by the cholera disease in Hadejia.

Swine flu is back
Souce: english.ruvr.ru...

As you probably remember, in 2009 the World Health Organization announced a pandemic of swine flu. Now, according to the organization’s data, this disease is again raising its ugly head in 18 European countries. In Luxemburg, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland the epidemic has reached its peak. In Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the UK the sick rate is also high. The flu has also touched Russia. Russia’s Chief Public Health Physician Gennady Onischenko says that the sick rate of swine flu is growing in 8 Russia’s regions. However, he assures that the situation is under control. Doctors pay special attention to possible complications like, say, pneumonia – a large rate of cases of complications say that the virus is especially aggressive. Still, the number of cases of swine flu in this year’s first two weeks is 2% lower than that of the same period of the last year. As a rule, pneumonia attacks children and old people. The last epidemic of swine flue in Russia lasted from October to December 2009 and touched about 6 mln people.

A/H1N1 flu on the rise
Source: www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn...

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology stated on January 18 that since the end of November there has been an increase in the number of A/H1N1 flu cases in some areas of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Khanh Hoa and Dong Nai provinces, though most cases have gone unreported. The Ministry of Health has alerted local health departments to watch for signs of an epidemic and isolate areas where necessary to prevent A/H1N1 from spreading.

Albania: 37 cases affected by A/H1N1 virus
Source: www.emg.rs...

Public Health Institute in Tirana confirmed five other cases of patients affected by A/H1N1 virus. Director of this institute, Enver Rroshi said for Alsat that the total number has reached to 37, but thankfully, they are all out of risk for life. Differently from one year ago, the patients have not shown serious complications such as pneumonia. On the other hand, Rroshi said that nearly 10,000 cases of seasonal flue are registered every week. “The total number of cases with A/H1N1 reaches to 37. Of course, the number of cases with flue is higher. We also have cases of the B type of flue and other sub-types. The number of cases with flue reaches to 10,000 within a week in Albania, and this number is lower compared to the last year,” said Director of the Public Health Institute, Enver Rroshi.

12 Pelicans Dead, 100 Sick In Mayport
Source: www.news4jax.com...

MAYPORT, Fla. -- Bird experts in Jacksonville are trying to figure out what killed a dozen pelicans in Mayport and sickened more than 100 others. The recent deaths come just weeks after the mysterious deaths of thousands of birds falling from the sky in Arkansas. Cindy Moseling, who's been caring for and rehabilitating birds at Bird Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary on Big Talbot Island for decades, said she has seen her feathered friends die for various reasons, but is especially concerned this time. "The last few days, we've had quite a bit of birds dying," Moseling said.

Mystery as hundreds of fish found dead in Alton
Source: www.964eagle.co.uk...

More than 250 fish have been found dead in the River Way in Alton. The Environment Agency are calling on local people to help solve the mystery. They say the river was polluted over night on News Years Eve - but want to know who is responsible. Among the species of fish which have died are perch and trout. James Liney's from the Agency: "We think they were killed through suffocation, whatever came through the River Wey was very toxic and they died very quickly. "The samples have come back from our labs but unfortunately they have not proved conclusive in terms of what substance was put into the river."

Huge fish loss across Wirral
Source: www.wirralnews.co.uk...

MORE a thousand fish have died in park lakes after another harsh winter created bad conditions in the water. More than 500 small fish, often referred to as silver fish, were found dead in Royden Park alone as well as an estimated 25 larger fish, such as coy carp. Hundreds more were found in Captain’s Pit lake.

Outbreak of Jellyfish Could Spell Trouble for Fisheries
Source: www.reuters.com...

"When an ecosystem is dominated by jellyfish, fish will mostly disappear," says ecologist Sun Song, director of the Institute of Oceanology in Qingdao, China. "Once that happens," he contends, "there is almost no method to deal with it." Just think of attempting to purge the Sea of Japan of billions of Nomura's jellyfish, many of them hovering meters below the surface and therefore invisible to satellites or the naked eye. Total jelly domination would be like turning back the clock to the Precambrian world, more than 550 million years ago, when the ancestors of jellyfish ruled the seas. Sun and others are racing to get a handle on the likelihood of such a marine meltdown coming true. Like their foe, the subject is slippery. It's an enigma, for starters, why particular jellyfish run rampant. The troublemakers "are only a small fraction of the several thousand species of jellyfish out there," says Richardson. These uber-jellies reproduce like mad, grow fast, eat most anything, and can withstand poor water quality. They are tough, Richardson says - "like cockroaches."

Lethal tumor disease whittles world's Tasmanian devil population down to 2,000: study
Source: www.nydailynews.com... 1BX4VghBx

The Tasmanian devil will exist only as Bugs Bunny's tornado-like cartoon nemesis unless scientists stem a lethal tumor disease ravishing populations in the wild. The animal is careening toward extinction as the voracious facial tumor disease continues to decimate its numbers and researchers say only 2,000 Tasmanian devils remain in the wild. The condition, called devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) and first identified in 1996, has killed an estimated 90 percent of the world's Tasmanian devils, Scientific American reports. That number has spiked by 20 percent since March. Scientists have so far been unsuccessful in creating a vaccine to battle the sickness, which causes large tumors to grow on the animal's face, head and jaw. The disease has mutated into 13 separate strains, making it tough to find a cure, Britain's Sky News reports.

Yellow Disease Affecting Flax Plants along Wellington's South Coast
Source: topnews.net.nz...

Flax plants along Wellington's south coast have been fallen prey to a disease, which is deteriorating the plants and is also threatening ecosystems and animal habitats. It has also been suspected that the yellow leaf disease has transmitted to Trelissick Park in Ngaio. The situation has alarmed the council, which is impelling it to recruit a consultant for supervising the effects of the wide spreading weeds. The disease is taking hold of flax cultivation around Pt Dorset, as told by Wellington City Council biodiversity co-ordinator Myfanwy Emeny. Also, the effects of the disease can be seen on flax plantation around the Hape Stream on the south coast and the Miramar Cutting. "It could be a big problem now with pests and weeds taking the place of plants. It will affect the natural environment and we can't replant large areas", said Emeny.

Deadly virus claims 3 lives in Gujarat
Source: ibnlive.in.com...

Ahmedabad: A rare, contagious and deadly virus has surfaced in Gujarat, leading to three fatalities so far. There is an atmosphere of fear in Kolat village, 20 km from Ahmedabad. 30-year old Amina Momin, who was infected with the virus died earlier this month. Villagers say that they are scared as they are not sure about how the virus spreads and how people die so quickly.

Rabies Virus on the increase in Kenema – Says Livestock Office
Source: www.awoko.org...

The District Livestock Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) in Kenema District Ibrahim Harri Sesay has stated that there has been an increase in the number of reported dog bites in Kenema District in the last three months. Sesay disclosed that the Livestock Department attached to the MAFFS has recorded over 70 cases of dog bites since September 2010 to date.

Japan 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu has been detected in the corpses of two migratory wild ducks found at a reservoir here, prefectural authorities announced on Jan. 19. From Jan. 4 to Jan. 10, the prefecture gathered seven bird corpses from the reservoir and sent them for testing at the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. Four of the corpses tested positive for Type-A influenza, and further investigation at Hokkaido University in Sapporo found that two had the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu. The other two are still being investigated. The prefecture set up a response center on Jan. 19 and on the morning of Jan. 20 began sending inspectors clad in protective suits to 59 poultry farms in a 10-kilometer radius area under supervision that includes neighboring towns. The inspectors are interviewing farmers, looking for signs of contagion such as changes in the death or egg-laying rates of chickens, and checking that farms have anti-contagion measures in place such as nets to keep out wild birds and supplies of disinfectant on hand. Furthermore, nearby roads are being disinfected to prevent possible contagion from bird droppings, and inspectors are watching for any bird corpses in the areas where the ducks migrate to. The reservoir where the duck corpses were found has been disinfected, and the prefecture is stepping up observation for wild birds in agricultural water reservoirs in the city. The reservoir where the duck corpses were found is located in an urban area west of Koriyama Station. According to the Koriyama city water department, the reservoir supplies water to around 22,000 homes. The department says the reservoir, treated with chlorine, presents no danger to humans. Still, to ease the concerns of citizens, it was decided to temporarily use water from nearby Inawashiro lake in place of the reservoir. The discovery of H5N1 bird flu in Koriyama is the sixth confirmed case in the country since October of last year, when it was detected in duck droppings in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. Further cases were confirmed in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, and Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture.

New York 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Six cases of meningitis have been detected in New York City in the past month, three of them fatal, health officials say. City health officials alerted doctors this week of the findings from a Dec. 20 to Jan. 17 survey. Zoe Tobin, a spokeswoman for the health department, said the average for the same period over the last 10 years amounts to four cases. She did not have figures on the average number of deaths. A summary of the findings said: "Meningococcal disease is typically a disease of winter and spring ... and though the current incidence is more than has been seen in comparable time periods in previous years, it is not entirely unusual." Meningitis causes inflammation of the brain and spinal membranes. The disease is not highly contagious but can be spread through coughing, kissing or the sharing of utensils or cigarettes. Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck and a rash that develops quickly over two days. The victims ranged in age from 4 to 74. They were diagnosed between Dec. 20 and Jan. 11. The three who died included two Manhattan women, ages 22 and 28, and a 55-year-old Staten Island woman. Officials said the cases were not due to a single strain and the victims have not been linked.

Burma 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Over 1,000 chickens have been culled in Sittwe Township in Arakan State after a tough strain of H5N1 virus was detected at a poultry farm, officials and a witness report. The latest infection was detected on 12 January at a poultry farm in Bumay Village Tract in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, after all the chickens died unexpectedly. A witness said, "Many chickens from around ten poultry farms in Tae Chaung Village were culled on Monday. The culling was conducted by the health department. I'd guess over 1,000 chickens were killed by the authority." The authority has culled chickens from many poultry farms in Bumay Village Tract that are located around one kilometer from the original affected farm. So far, however, there have been no cases of human infection despite the presence of the bird flu virus in Sittwe, health officials say. Meanwhile, the authority has prohibited the sale of chicken or eggs in Sittwe in order to prevent the infection spreading to humans. "The authority is not allowing the sale of chickens, ducks, or eggs in Sittwe markets. Furthermore, the authority has prohibited the transport of chickens in order to try and prevent the spread of the disease," the source said. State-run newspapers reported on Tuesday that the death of some chickens in a poultry farm in Sittwe were found to have the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza- HPAI (H5N1 virus).

Indonesia 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

The Health Department says four West Australians have been diagnosed with Legionnaire's Disease after recent trips to Bali. All four had stayed at the same Kuta hotel in the last month. The Department says Legionnaire's Disease is usually treated with antibiotics but some people may develop severe pneumonia. It's advised anyone who's recently returned from Bali and developed flu-like symptoms to see a doctor.

USA 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Floods have killed thousands of fish, birds and other animals at Geelong's Reedy Lake. Recent heavy rains have filled the normally shallow freshwater lake at Moolap, dumping dead animals from other nearby waterways into it and sucking away the water's oxygen. Thousands of dead creatures are now floating on the lake's surface after having drowned or suffocated in the water, which has turned black. Geelong Field and Game member Ray Agg discovered the grisly scene yesterday morning while monitoring his group's bird conservation work at the lake. "We've got a lot of bird nesting boxes set up at Reedy Lake, and a lot of those went underwater with the floods, so lots of eggs and young duck and ibis chicks have been lost," Mr Agg said. "There are thousands of dead fish and eels all over the place too." "It's amazing, I've been here since the '70s and I've not seen this before, it's really a shame." A Department of Primary Industries spokesman said the natural phenomenon was known as a "blackwater event", which occurs when sudden heavy rains sweep plant and other material into a waterway and then leach oxygen from the water as the matter breaks down. This turns the water black, and fish and other aquatic life die from the resultant lack of oxygen. Ducks, ibis, eels, mullets, bream and European carp - some as heavy as 10kg - were among the dead animals found yesterday. Mr Agg said it was ironic that the recent downpour of rain could harm, rather than help, some aquatic life. "Floods can bring a lot of water and create new habitats by filling up lakes, but on the other hand, floods also bring a lot of misery," he said. According to information on the DPI website, the water's temperature and the amount of present leafy litter and woody debris are two most important factors in blackwater's spread and containment. Reedy Lake is part of the Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve, which is managed by Parks Victoria. Parks Victoria ranger Stuart Willsher did not wish to comment on the blackwater yesterday afternoon. The EPA has also received reports of many dead fish being found in parts of the Barwon River, with the influx of fast-flowing freshwater killing saltwater fish, a spokesman said.

India 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

State health authorities have called a team from National Institute of Virology (NIV) to investigate into the mystery fever that has claimed one life and left two people critical in different city hospitals. Doctors have not been able to pin-point the origin or the spread of the fever which is reported to begin with fever, stomach pain and vomiting and rapidly deteriorate later. The first case of the mystery fever was reported with the death of one Amina Momin, a 30-year old woman from Sanand, who was admitted to Shalby Hospital on December 29 with high fever, abdominal pain and severe vomiting. Despite all the medication, her condition continued to worsen, her blood count crashed with platelets dipping to alarming levels. She eventually suffered internal hemorrhaging and succumbed to systemic organ failure. Momin did not test positive for dengue fever, the severe form of which has similar symptoms. While the death of a young woman to fever caused concern, what set the alarm bells ringing was two people who had come in touch with Momin too falling ill with similar symptoms. A young nurse at Shalby Hospital, who attended to Momin in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is currently critical with the same symptoms. Momin's husband too is admitted at Sterling Hospital. "The nurse is critical and may have to be put on a ventilator", doctors said. They said that two people who were in close contact with Momin getting the fever shows that the it is contagious. Since test reports have not come positive for bacterial infection, dengue or other known infections, it is important to know exactly what we are dealing with and also its spread, whether it is through air, mosquito or other means. Taking note that fever is rapidly deteriorates the health of the patient, NIV teams will collect samples and conduct other inquiries to ascertain the kind of fever, its spread and precautions needed to prevent its spread and protocol needed for better management.

Plant plague $100m threat
Source: www.northernstar.com.au...

AUSTRALIA’S biosecurity experts have been criticised for not acting earlier to prevent the spread of Myrtle rust disease that is now threatening the region’s $100 million tea tree industry. A frustrated Tony Larkman, the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association’s development officer, said despite industry protests the national biosecurity authority refused to take the Myrtle rust threat seriously when the highly transferable disease was first discovered on the NSW Central Coast in April last year. “As an industry we are not happy with how this has been managed,” he said. “We made a lot of noise at the time and we were simply ignored.” Plant biosecurity initially made a decision in April not to try to control the disease, Mr Larkman said. After a few months it decided to try and control it, but it was “too little too late”.

All I have to say at the moment is star and flag for you dilligence in this thread. It's awesome that there are still ATSers that are willing to put forth a great thread. For me, I have lots of reading to do. Thanks again.

New York (2) 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Sempronius buffalo farmer Peter Head has lost 55 animals to a mysterious illness since October, but autopsies have shown no clear cause of death. "We're going nuts down here trying to figure out what's going on," he said. "This is going to put me out of business. That's half my frickin' herd." Head and his wife Deborah have run PDH Buffalo Farm on Route 41A for nine years. This year, 17 of his 23 calves died and he has stopped selling meat as a precaution. "I don't want to be selling buffalo meat when I don't know what's going on here," he said. Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine conducted necropsies on several of the carcasses but found only dehydration, Head said. Ron Podolak of the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District said there is no indication that disease is spreading to neighboring farms. "In my career, I don't remember anything quite like this," Podolak said. "There's die-offs, but usually they can determine what it is right away and treat them. ... I just wish there was something more we could do to help Pete. This is a catastrophic loss for him." The SWCD is conducting water samples from springs on the farm, but the results have not yet come back, Head said.

Sudan 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

As of 18 Jan 2011, an outbreak of measles in Unity State - Al Wahda - has affected 95 people, killing 4 of them according to health officials. The 4 killed were from Mayom county, which had 79 further cases affected. Four cases each have been reported in Leer, Mayiandit and Rubkotna counties. The director general of the state Ministry of Health, Dr Manong Thot Teny, said that the spread of the disease had been caused by returnee children from north Sudan who had not been vaccinated before they arrived in the state. Teny said that they had invited the government of South Sudan earlier to witness the health situation of returnees. Officials say they are carrying out an awareness and vaccination campaign to address the issue. In the past 2 months of 2010, over 55 000 people returned to south Sudan ahead of the region's recently completed independence referendum. Teny said that the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) need to consider the health status of returnees. "We in Unity State have invited their partnership, especially the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other international organizations, to extend their assistance in the entire 10 states of South Sudan, Unity State in particular." Unity State has seen a high number of returnees, and more are expected, with results from the referendum vote expected in early February 2011. Earlier this month - January 2011 -, the US envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, promised to build educational and health services facilities by making partnerships with both State and Regional government in order to establish infrastructure in this underdeveloped region.

Papua New Guinea 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Ten people have died reportedly from an unknown disease in remote villages along the Owen Stanley Range in Northern. This has caused panic and a health concern among other villagers and nearby areas as the disease causes extreme swelling to various parts of the body then they die. Public servants, who live in Port Moresby, were recently in these villages for the Christmas and New Year festive season and witnessed this. Located in the Fafia local level government of Musa, 10 villagers in Upper Musa along the two main rivers had contracted the disease, causing the Middle and Lower Musa people to fear for their lives because of the risk of infection. The symptoms include painful swellings from the legs, then it spreads to the arms and hands, the stomach and then the head before it kills the person. Musa villagers are concerned because there was a lack of medical personnel to attend to those affected. “The health facilities, such as the buildings are there, they are rundown. “They have been I that state for the past 12 or so years,” one public servant said. He said because of this, and the lack of drugs, there were no health workers around. Leaders in Middle and Lower Musa villages are now requesting officials from the provincial and national health authorities to investigate. They are fearful that the disease may be water-borne as they are located downstream from the affected area, and that the water may be contaminated with bacteria. The source said the inability to get medical assistance to these people was a case of negligence and ignorance by the provincial government. "This also applies to other basic services such as setting up and running a school in this area".

Mozambique 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Least four people died from the deadly water borne disease cholera in Monapo, in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, out 176 diagnosed cases this week, the official Mozambique News Agency (AIM) reports on Thursday. AIM quotes Lidia Chongo, the Deputy National Director of Health, as saying the water-borne disease is particularly severe in the communities of Nacuca and Carapira. According to the official, the main reasons for the spread of the disease in Monapo are squalid sanitary conditions and poor drinking water from unprotected wells while the habit of dfecating in the open is rife in the region. The agency said a cholera treatment ward has been set up, and chlorine is being used to disinfect water sources. The local health directorate has also asked the relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC), to provide three water reservoirs, each with a capacity to hold 20,000 litres, to be installed in Naruca, Carapira and Monapo town. Since Monapo lies on the Nacala rail corridor, there are fears that the disease will spread to other parts of the province including the two main cities, Nampula and Nacala port. Cases of severe diarrhoea have been reported from Nampula, Mozambique Island, Ribaue and Murrupula districts, but these have not yet been confirmed as cholera. According to health experts, Cholera is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which affects the intestinal system of the body. An infected person experiences severe vomiting, explosive diarrhoea and severe dehydration. Without immediate medical treatment, cholera may result in death within four to twelve hours after symptoms begin. Due to a large loss of body fluids, cholera is gruesome in the way that it leaves survivors in their physical appearance, as well as in the biological toll it takes on the body. Cholera is very contagious. It is spread by the unintentional consumption of infected feces that contaminate food and water. It can also be spread through human to human contact.

Russia 1/20/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Officers were to blame for a pneumonia outbreak that killed one soldier and hospitalized 63 in western Russia's Chelyabinsk region, the Prosecutor General's Office said Thursday. "The Military Prosecutor's Office of the Volga-Urals Military District investigated the reasons behind high disease rates among servicemen there. It found that certain officers have failed to fulfill their duties properly to guard the life and health of their soldiers," Interfax news agency quoted the Prosecutor's Office as saying. According to the prosecutors, the officers of the Chebarkul garrison failed to isolate ill soldiers quickly enough, did not provide them with necessary medical aid or take preventive measures among the garrison's personnel when the first pneumonia cases were reported there in December and January. Another 26 soldiers from the Russian Baltic Fleet's base, located in the western Russian town of Chernyakhovsk, have been taken to hospital suffering from pneumonia, the garrison's Military Prosecutor Andrei Marchuk said. The patients had been provided with all the necessary medical aid and their life was not in danger, the military prosecutor said. The prosecutor said he would not describe the situation as a mass outbreak. Military doctors blamed low temperatures and heavy snowfalls, which forced soldiers to clean up snow many times, for the latest cases of pneumonia.

China 1/21/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

A dead large-billed crow found in Tai O, Lantau Island of Hong Kong was confirmed to be H5N1 virus positive, a spokesman for the city's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Friday. The bird carcass was collected at Sun Ki Street, Tai O on Jan. 18. It was highly decomposed when found and required a series of tests before avian influenza was confirmed Friday. The spokesman said the large-billed crow is a common resident bird in Hong Kong and there were no poultry farms within three kilometers of where the dead bird was found. To minimize the risk of avian influenza outbreaks, he said, all relevant government departments would continue to remain highly vigilant and strictly enforce preventive measures against avian influenza, such as reinforcing health education and striving to deter illegal imports of poultry and birds into Hong Kong.

China (2) 1/21/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Two people were in critical condition in a Hong Kong hospital suffering from swine flu, according to health officials, a year and a half after an outbreak killed more than 80 people in the city. The Chinese financial centre is nervous about infectious diseases, following the outbreak of the SARS virus in 2003, which killed 300 people in the city and a further 500 around the world. Hong Kong, a city of seven million, has some of the world's most densely populated neighbourhoods, prompting a panicked response from many residents over news of a disease outbreak. Some wear surgical masks to avoid infection. The city's health department said that the deadly influenza had claimed 83 lives since an outbreak in 2009. Authorities appeared wary of raising the alarm over the latest cases, with a senior Hong Kong public health official telling RTHK radio there were no plans to shut schools, as the city did in 2009 which drew criticism about an official overreaction. But there are worries the disease could spread over the next few weeks in the run up to Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel across the country to celebrate with families. On Friday, a spokeswoman for Hong Kong's Queen Elizabeth Hospital reported "a 21-year-old female is in critical condition after contracting swine flu". The woman, from mainland China, was admitted to hospital on January 11 and transferred to intensive care on Tuesday, the spokeswoman told AFP, adding that she could not confirm if the woman was infected outside the city. Also Tuesday, a two-year-old girl was placed in the hospital's intensive care unit after she contracted the disease, the spokeswoman said, adding that she remains in critical condition. Swine flu has killed more than 18,400 people and affected practically all parts of the world since it was uncovered in Mexico and the United States in April 2009, according to the World Health Organization.

Canada 1/21/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Residents in Riverside are concerned about what they say is a major fish kill in the Detroit River. Andre Mailhot was out walking his Jack Russell terrier in Alexander Park -- a municipal park that runs along Riverside Drive roughly between Strabane and George avenues -- on Tuesday when he saw "thousands and thousands" of dead fish floating in the water. "I couldn't believe it. As far as I could see, I could see all those little white spots," Mailhot said. "They were just coming down the river like somebody threw them in the water." He contacted the Ministry of the Environment to report his findings. No one from the ministry could be reached Thursday night.

United Kingdom 1/21/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

The number of people who died after contracting flu this winter in Wales has risen to 28. The official flu-related death toll is now the same as that during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. The rise in the number of deaths - an increase of one from last week - comes after a report yesterday by Public Health Wales which showed the number of cases of flu had fallen dramatically in the last week. Wales’ chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell today said flu is declining, although he urged the public to practise good hand hygiene to protect themselves from catching the virus. Official figures published by the Assembly Government today also show 32 people are receiving treatment in hospital critical care units. Dr Jewell said: “The substantial decrease in the clinical consultation rate for influenza shows that flu activity is declining in Wales. “This welcome decline in new cases is in line with expectations and we further expect this trend to continue. “Throughout this flu season, the rate of consultations for flu-like illness in Wales has remained within the levels of normal seasonal flu activity. “While flu activity looks to be declining, our advice remains the same. If you have flu-like symptoms, you should not go to your GP or emergency department as this increases the risk of spreading the infection. “If you would like advice about your illness or are concerned about your symptoms, then in the first instance call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or phone your GP who will assess your symptoms and provide appropriate advice. “Most healthy people will recover from flu-like illnesses within five to seven days with plenty of rest and drinking non-alcoholic fluids. “As always, I’d urge people to continue to practise good hygiene. Regularly washing your hands is the single most effective way of preventing infection and everyone should also cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. “Simple steps like these will protect you and others for infection and should be second nature to everyone.” The Health Protection Agency today said there have been 254 flu-related deaths in the UK this winter.

India 1/21/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Villagers in Mulgao near Bicholim are living under a serious threat since many of them have become victims of bee attacks in the last two weeks of January. Few were also admitted in nearby hospitals for treatment recently. Vrunda Vattu Gad, 35, a homemaker from Mulgao says, "I was attacked by these bees, while I was on the road. I tried to escape in an attempt to get rid of them, unfortunately I was injured and bitten by them and later hospitalized in Bicholim." It has been two weeks and eight villagers have been attacked by bees. Last Saturday, Pushpa Malik along with her sister was on her way to attend a Haldi-Kumkum ceremony but was stung by 2 or 3 bees. Villagers who commute from Mulgao via the road near the shrine of Taleshwar near Bicholim to Mupusa have also been victims. Vatu Gad another resident from the area said, "We have brought to the notice of the village panchayat about the sudden attacks, but no steps have been taken to control them as yet." In the meanwhile, Deepak Betkikar, range forest officer of Keri range told TOI that his team plans to come up with a strategy to remove the hive with an expert from Bondla at night soon.

Flu Scare Sneaks into Hong Kong
Source: topnews.net.nz...

Two recent critical cases of swine flu sent a wave of fear in Hong Kong, as after 2009 there were no cases reported. Officials are quit worried and have rolled up their sleeves to avoid any situation that was observed in 2003 with the outbreak of SARS virus. It was reported that the virus, at that time claimed the lives of no less than 800 people across the globe, out of which 300 people were from the Hong Kong itself. According to a spokeswoman, one of the patients is a girl, aged two, while the other is a woman. Both the patients are getting treatments at ICUs. It was earlier reported that, Mainland Europe is already suffering from the outbreak with nearly 115 deaths reported so far. This year, H3N2 virus seems to be the current flavor of the flu after being credited as the most common culprit in major cases. The elderly people are the soft targets for this virus. H3N2 virus is quite dangerous as it often leads to pneumonia and other complications in the patients.

Norovirus outbreak forces ward closure at Regina General Hospital
Source: www.mysask.com...

The public is being urged not to visit Regina General Hospital following an outbreak of norovirus at the facility. The Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region says four patients have been infected with the virus and have been isolated. Psychiatry Ward 1D at the hospital has been closed. Visiting times in other areas of the hospital have been limited to one hour twice a day. The hospital is taking additional measures to control the spread of the virus, including increased cleaning and providing staff and patients with protective gloves and gowns.

New Threat as Chikungunya virus heads to Australia
Source: www.cairns.com.au...

IT'S only a matter of time before a virus that causes excruciating arthritis spreads in the Far North, an expert has warned. The mosquito-borne disease Chikungunya has been diagnosed in travellers entering Australia from countries where the disease is prevalent, such as Africa, Indian Ocean island nations, the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia. While locally acquired Chikungunya – from a Makonde word meaning "he who is bent up" – has not yet been detected in Australia, mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus, Asian tiger mosquitoes, do occur in the Torres Strait and Papua New Guinea.

Assisted-living facility has norovirus outbreak
Source: www.bradenton.com...

BRADENTON -- A local assisted living facility has 14 confirmed cases of norovirus and patients have been confined to their rooms to prevent further spread of the illness. Michael Davidson, executive director at Emeritus at Bradenton, said his staffers immediately reported the problem to the Manatee County Health Department after discovering several residents last week had flu-like symptoms. “We are in regular contact with the Department of Health and are keeping them informed of how many residents and staff have been affected and when they were affected. We are working closely with them to prevent additional occurrences,” Davidson said in a statement.

EA health ministers discuss yellow fever outbreak today
Source: www.ippmedia.com...

Health ministers from the East African Community (EAC) are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting here today to evaluate the status of the recent outbreak of yellow fever in Uganda, which has already claimed at least 50 lives. "The ministers will review the current status of yellow fever in the EAC partner states and consider joint cross-border and national fever mass supplemental immunisation campaigns,’’ Dr Stanley Sonoiya said. At the meeting, the ministers will also explore ways of strengthening routine immunisation for all vaccine preventable diseases in the EAC before June 30, this year. According to Uganda's Health Ministry, at least 190 people had been affected by the yellow fever outbreak, and 48 deaths had been reported in northern Uganda.

CHP investigates influenza-like illness outbreak
Source: media-newswire.com...

(Media-Newswire.com) - The Centre for Health Protection ( CHP ) of the Department of Health has reminded members of the public and management of institutions to maintain good environmental and personal hygiene to prevent influenza. The reminder followed CHP's investigation into an influenza-like illness ( ILI ) outbreak at a primary school in Kwun Tong, affecting 13 students and seven staff members. The affected persons, comprising 11 males and nine females aged between six and 51, developed symptoms of respiratory tract infection, including fever, cough and sore throat since January 4.

Trapped in ice, 'thousands' of fish die in Detroit River
Source: www.windsorstar.com...

Residents in Riverside are concerned about what they say is a major fish kill in the Detroit River. Andre Mailhot was out walking his Jack Russell terrier in Alexander Park - a municipal park that runs along Riverside Drive roughly between Strabane and George Avenues - on Tuesday when he saw "thousands and thousands" of dead fish floating in the water. "I couldn't believe it. As far as I could see, I could see all those little white spots," Mailhot said. "They were just coming down the river like somebody threw them in the water." Tuesday's weather was on the mild side, but once temperatures dropped later in the week, the fish became embedded in the ice, Mailhot said.

New Web-Based Map Tracks Marine “Dead Zones” Worldwide
Source: www.directionsmag.com...

New research by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) identifies more than 530 low-oxygen “dead zones” and an additional 228 sites worldwide exhibiting signs of marine “eutrophication.” Eutrophication occurs when water bodies are over-fertilized by nutrients that are washed into surface waters from farms and urban areas. Analysts at WRI and VIMS have compiled the information into a web-based “one-stop shop” that provides a global database and interactive map of affected areas, as well as links to articles, photos, and other resources. The website—“Eutrophication and Hypoxia: Nutrient Pollution in Coastal Waters”— is at www.wri.org/eutrophication.

Dozens of ducks found dead along Maumee Bay shore
Source: abclocal.go.com.../local&id=7909918

It was a mystery of sorts in Oregon Thursday morning. People who live along Maumee Bay in one neighborhood woke up to find nearly two dozen dead ducks on the shore. The birds showed no signs of trauma. Other geese and swans in the water seemed to be fine. No one knows what could have killed them. Bob Rutkowski says, "There's no blood and no signs of anything getting torn up except for the seagulls that are out here eating on the carcasses. So I really don't have any ideas."

Absolutely amazing!

I salute your work on this thread and thank you.

Concerning the plagues affecting marine life:

Every living thing in the seas are slowly dying. Mankind cannot deter that fact, nor can they clean up the seas of the billions upon billions of dead sea life that will eventually stagnate the life-sustaining waters of this once beautiful gem formed and nurtured to life by our Father and His Son Christ Jesus - the former Michael.

Pestilence from the decaying dead sea life will eventually spread to all living on the earth. The beginning of the torment meted out will come in progressive stages as the chain reaction of those that depend on and feed upon life in the sea will be starved and begin to also perish, causing further desecration of this planet and bringing more calamity upon those survivors of mankind as Yahweh moves toward a climax of Satan's present empire.

In case you've ever asked yourself What would happen if all the fish in the world disappeared?

There was actually a recent documentary on this subject called A Sea Change (see link below). Scientists have found that oceans have become 30% more acidic since the Industrial Revolution, and warn that should this continue, oceans will become toxic and all marine life could die. This would mean the extinction of over 1,000,000 species. Aside from the huge loss of biodiversity, this would cause fisheries to go belly-up, thus removing a huge segment of the human food supply. Furthermore the death of the ocean's many tiny photosynthesizing organisms would turn oceans from CO2 sinks (as these organisms currently consume it) to CO2 sources. Such a mass death would also release mass amounts of methane into the atmosphere, which is an even more potent greenhouse gas. This would all rapidly accelerate the process of global warming, with disastrous consequences for the entire planet.

Source: greenanswers.com...

Flu outbreak hits 140 prisoners
Source: www.thestate.com...

South Carolina’s first big flu outbreak of the season has prompted state prison officials to cancel all visitations Saturday and Sunday at the Manning Correctional Institution. The minimum security prison located on Beckman Road in Columbia houses about 730 state inmates. According to South Carolina Department of Corrections spokesman Josh Gelinas, inmates in one of the housing units started complaining about flu symptoms on Monday. One hundred and forty male prisoners were diagnosed with H1N1 swine flu on Tuesday. Since then, infected inmates have been segregated from the general population through restrictions on movement and altered eating times. On Friday, 71 inmates were still showing symptoms, but no new cases were diagnosed. "We believe the outbreak was contained to one housing unit. It looks like the worst is behind us," Gelinas said.

Outbreak of botulism kills hundreds of birds
Source: nz.news.yahoo.com...

An outbreak of the paralytic disease botulism is killing hundreds of birds in Auckland, the SPCA says. Auckland SPCA chief inspector Vicki Border said poisonous toxins found in weeds and plants were thriving in the hot weather and seeping into waterways, creating deadly conditions for water-dwelling birds. Ms Border and her team had visited numerous contaminated sites around Auckland -- mostly in west and south Auckland -- since Christmas and had the grim task of recovering hundreds of birds' bodies. Some could be cured, but many of the birds were too badly infected and had to be euthanised, she said.

Dead herring wash ashore on Vancouver Island
Source: www.vancouversun.com...

NANAIMO -- Large numbers of dead herring that washed ashore this week on a Vancouver Island beach have both fishery officials and local fishermen looking for answers. Will Meeks, who works close to Cedar's North Beach where the fish washed ashore, said he knew something was amiss when he saw unusually large numbers of birds congregating on the beach Thursday morning. He said he was surprised to find "thousands" of dead herring washed ashore, a scene he can't recall ever seeing before on local beaches.

New Zealand 1/22/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Twenty-four pilot whales have died on a remote beach in the far north of New Zealand, the Department of Conservation was quoted as saying on Friday by press reports. Fourteen of the whales were already dead when the group was found scattered over 150 metres of rocks, mud and mangrove early Friday in Parengarenga Harbour, 15 kilometres south of North Cape. They appeared to have become stranded the previous day. The department said the others had to be put down because they were in poor condition and chances of successfully refloating them in deteriorating weather were remote. "If we felt there was a real chance we could have successfully rescued them, we would have," the department's area manager Jonathan Maxwell was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Press Association. "Sadly, the current conditions were against these animals," Maxwell said. "The kindest thing was to end their suffering."

Hungary 1/22/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

A national flu epidemic has been declared in Hungary, the National Public Health and Medical Officer Service reported. The public is recommended to ask for a vaccination against the virus from their doctors. The number of people who visited their doctors with flu-like symptoms was 18,400 on the week between January 10 and 16, which is 150% more than on the previous week. The majority of patients are aged between 15 and 34 and live in Pest County.

India 1/22/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

At least 50 students of Vidyaniketan High School suffered food poisoning this afternoon and and 38 of them were admitted to Civil Hospital, police said. The school is run by Nashik municipal corporation. Students had eaten the khichadi under mid-day meal scheme, prepared by Shri Shakti Mahila Bachat Group. Soon afterwards, they started complaining of uneasiness, vomiting, etc. Condition of all the students is stable, police said. Maharashtra PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal visited the hospital to take a stock of the situation.

Japan 1/22/11
Source: hisz.rsoe.hu...

Another tufted duck found dead in Fukushima Prefecture has been confirmed to have been infected with a highly virulent type of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the Environment Ministry said Friday, after confirming earlier this week that three other ducks had the virus. In Miyazaki Prefecture, meanwhile, preliminary tests showed positive for avian flu in six chickens which had been found dead in a poultry farm in Miyazaki city. The prefectural government subsequently asked 51 farms in the city not to move their chickens, which number 1.93 million. The virus found in the four ducks in Fukushima Prefecture was ''extremely closely related'' to the one discovered in a wild duck in Hokkaido last October, according to the ministry. The Fukushima prefectural government said Friday that no abnormalities have been found in on-site inspections conducted from Thursday at 59 farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the water reservoir where the dead ducks were found. The Environment Ministry also began Friday a study of wild bird droppings collected in the area to check whether the virus has spread. In Miyazaki, detailed examinations are planned to confirm whether the dead chickens were infected with flu. If confirmed, all the roughly 10,000 chickens at the same farm will be culled, according to local officials. It is yet another blow to the local poultry industry in the southwestern prefecture, which was hit by bird flu in 2007 and then a foot-and-mouth epidemic that led to the slaughter of about 290,000 cows and pigs.

Japan Culls 10,000 Chickens to Contain Second Bird Flu Outbreak
Source: www.bloomberg.com...

Japan slaughtered more than 10,000 chickens at a poultry farm in southwest Japan to contain the country’s second avian influenza outbreak in two months. Miyazaki Prefecture has told 46 farms within 10 kilometers of the infected farm not to move chickens, Hirofumi Oshikawa, an official at the prefecture’s agricultural and fisheries department, said today in a telephone interview. Six out of 36 chickens found dead at the farm tested positive for influenza A virus subtype H5, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries earlier said today on its website. The case follows a November outbreak of avian flu also in southwest Japan at a farm in Shimane prefecture, the country’s first case since 2009.

Deadly avian cholera threatens ducks in Canadian Arctic
Source: www.montrealgazette.com...

OTTAWA — A new bird disease has arrived in Canada’s Arctic, one so lethal it can kill thousands of ducks in a dense colony in a lightning-fast outbreak. Eider ducks stricken with avian cholera can die so fast that they remain upright on their eggs, eyes open. Some fall out of the sky, dead. Others survive unharmed, surrounded by corpses.

H1N1 flu puts 2 in intensive care unit in HK
Source: www.straitstimes.com...

HONG KONG - TWO people were in a critical condition in a Hong Kong hospital suffering from H1N1 flu, health officials said on Friday. The cases came a year and a half after an outbreak in the city that killed more than 80 people. The Chinese financial centre is nervous about infectious diseases, following the outbreak in 2003 of the SARS virus, which killed 300 people in the city and a further 500 around the world.

Timeshare villa in Mexico suffers disease outbreak
Source: www.timesharesdaily.com...

A timeshare property in Cozumel, Mexico has just become a no-safe zone for tourists. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just released to the public report of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the said property as well as in another location named the Wyndham Cozumel Resort and Spa, formerly known as the Reef Club Cozumel. The disease is a form of pneumonia that spreads through inhalation of water contaminated by bacteria.

Norwalk virus outbreak at Peace Arch under control
Source: www.news1130.com...

ANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - An outbreak of Norwalk virus at the Peace Arch Hospital has been contained, according to staff. The Fraser Health Authority confirms nine cases of the virus were found in the hospital's fourth floor medical unit on Monday. The unit and the Doctor Al Hogg Pavilion, which provides long-term care to seniors, are not accepting any new patients as a result. The virus can last anywhere from one to three days, and frequent hand-washing is the best protection against it.

Cholera is back, woman reported dead
Source: ukzambians.co.uk...

Cholera has broken out in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province. One woman is reported to have died while 31 others have been admitted to Sinamalima clinic. Sinazongwe Acting Commissioner Sokoloku Daka has confirmed the development to ZANIS. Mr. Daka says the woman died last night. He says samples taken from those admitted confirmed that four had Cholera. Mr Daka says Sinazongwe District Medical Officer Dr Elias Chipandwe and his team have since rushed to the area to contain the outbreak.

10,000 Cattle Drop Dead In Vietnam
Source: www.vibe.com...

Clearly, we have a problem: In the latest of a string of mass animal deaths, 10,000 cows and buffalo have died in Vietnam. Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed the news this week that more than 10,000 cows and buffalos died nationwide due to harsh weather conditions. Cattle have been dying throughout Vietnam, which has had a particularly intense winter. The northern mountainous province of Cao Bang was hardest hit with 2,260 dead cattle, per Thanh Nien News. Some have said the number of total dead cattle may be as high as 13,000. Mass animal deaths have been in the news quite a bit lately. Hundreds of birds were found dead in South Dakota early this week, and before that birds were found dead in Italy and birds fell from the sky in Arkansas, among other incidents.

Dead zones in ocean threaten fish
Source: www.delmarvanow.com...

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- With the New Year comes new challenges to fish in our world's oceans and one of the major concerns is the expansion of hypoxic zones. That's the scientific name but more recreational anglers are becoming aware of them as "dead zones." They are areas in the oceans with low or non-existent oxygen levels which, according to a recently released research study by scientists and fish management experts, are increasing in size while decreasing the habitats of billfish and tuna. In scientific circles this phenomena is called "habitat compression."

Thousands of fish killed in frozen Washington lake
Source: www.sunderlandecho.com...

THOUSANDS of fish have died after suffocating in a frozen lake. The fish are thought to have been starved of oxygen after ice up to 18 inches thick formed at Mount Pleasant Lake, Fatfield, Washington, during the extreme cold spell over Christmas and New Year. The Washington and Harraton Angling Club, which leases the site from Sunderland City Council, only recently made the shocking discovery after the slow thaw. Dead carp, roach and eels have been spotted under the ice. Wheatley Smith, club chairman, said: “It looks as if there are thousands of dead fish down there. It’s not just the smaller ones. There are some that weigh between six to 10 pounds.

Remember Swine Flu? H1N1, Other Strains Back This Season in Maryland
Source: savage-guilford.patch.com...

Flu cases are on the rise across Maryland, and the H1N1 virus that caused a pandemic in 2009 is among the strains. The state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported “widespread” flu activity in mid January and expects the number of people who get sick, require hospitalization or die from flu to peak in late February.

Swine flu claims another victim as East Yorkshire death toll reaches 11
Source: www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk...

Another person in East Yorkshire has died from swine flu. The death of the man, who had underlying health problems, means 11 people have now died in Hull and the East Riding's main hospitals after being admitted with symptoms of the virus. A total of 112 people have been admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary or Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham with flu, including 86 who had swine flu.

Dying birds stir extinction fears
Source: www.stuff.co.nz...

Little penguins are dying in their hundreds, leading conservationists to fear they are starving as a result of the La Nina weather system. Other seabirds are washing up dead on beaches, raising concerns that species could become extinct if climate change causes extreme weather events to become more frequent. At Wellington Zoo, two starving little blue penguin chicks have been brought in this week. One died on Wednesday and the other, found at Lyall Bay, was hanging on to life yesterday. The zoo's veterinary science manager, Lisa Argilla, said petrels were also starving around Wellington's south coast, and five shags had been brought in this month. "They're unable to find enough food. We've had a lot of starvations and a lot of mortalities."

WHO: "Avian flu, or Bird flu, A H5N1, is back"
Source: english.pravda.ru...

he World Health Organization is monitoring closely the development of the deadly Bird flu virus, A H5N1, which has killed 40 people so far in Egypt and which has affected people in five different countries since it reappeared in 2010, after a break of seven years. The WHO warns that the virus has met all the prerequisites to start a deadly pandemic bar one. 43115.jpegSince the year 2003, there have been 510 cases of Avian or Bird flu (A H5N1), a highly pathogenic viral disease which spread throughout 15 countries causing 303 deaths, a mortality rate of 59%. This virus has managed to make the species jump from birds to humans on three occasions: Hong Kong 1997 (18 cases, 6 fatalities, 33%); PR China 2003 (2 cases, one fatality, 50%); Eastern Asia 2003/2004 (PR China, 1 case, 1 fatality, 100%; Thailand, 17 cases, 5 fatalities, 29%; Vietnam 29 cases, 20 fatalities, 69%). In November 2010, a 59-year-old woman became the first person to be infected with the virus since then, in the PR China which has recorded two cases, one fatality (50%); Vietnam has reported 7 cases with 2 fatalities (28%) and Cambodia one case with one fatality (100%). In December the Indonesian Ministry of Health announced the seventh fatality in nine cases (78%), while the worst affected country is Egypt, with 121 cases and 40 fatalities (33%). The latest case was recorded on January 20, a one-year-old male, now hospitalised and in a stable condition.