Hospitals in the city have reported cases of rickettsial disease caused by tick bites – a rare infectious fever that is common in hilly regions having a tropical climate. Though doctors said the disease “is very rare” in Delhi, AIIMS has reported at least two cases in its paediatric unit over the past six weeks. Serological reports from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed that these patients were afflicted with scrub typhus, a variant of rickettsia. Doctors at three private hospitals said they had sent samples to the NCDC and received confirmed reports. Serological tests to confirm the infection is not available in government and most private hospitals. The Director of Health Services (DHS) Dr N V Kamat said the city’s infectious disease surveillance programme was yet to be notified about the cases. Dr V K Paul, the head of paediatrics in AIIMS, said: “The disease is very rare and we do not often get patients suffering from the it in Delhi. But we have received confirmation from the NCDC that two of our patients were diagnosed with Scrub Typhus over the past six weeks.” Dr Atul Gogia, associate consultant of internal medicine in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said: “We have seen 8-10 cases of scrub typhus in the past month. We used to see a case once a year. This year, there has been a sudden jump. So we are sending every suspected, unexplained fever for tests.” Dr Gogia said patients have a characteristic black mark, known as eschar, left by the mite on the body accompanied by fever.
Biohazard name:
Typhus (Scrub)
Biohazard level:
3/4 Hight
Biohazard desc.:
Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Volcanic activity on Spain’s El Hierro island has resumed far below the Earth’s surface in a similar manner to last July, albeit slightly stronger, the director of the National Geographic Institute, or IGN, in the Canary Islands, Maria Jose Blanco, told Efe on Sunday.
Blanco said that a peak of seismic activity is under way, a continuation of the volcanic process – a shifting of magma many kilometers (miles) under ground – that began in July 2011 which, although the main activity ended at the time with an undersea eruption, that did not mean that the overall activity had come to a definitive conclusion.
The IGN official said that at present it is not expected that the seismic movements that have been registered – which have occurred at depths of some 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles) – exceed 3.2 on the Richter scale, a fairly low level.
Blanco could not specify how long this new round of activity would last, although she did say that seismic peaks like the current one would, in all likelihood, continue to occur.
Therefore, she said, the IGN is studying the idea of convening the scientific committee of the Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risk in the Canaries after this reactivation in the depths of the El Hierro volcano, where over the past three days more than 330 minor seismic movements have been registered.
Officials with the regional government of the Canaries told Efe that experts had verified “an acceleration of released seismic energy accompanied by deformations” in underground structures.
For the present, the largest movement registered so far was the one measured at 3.2 on the Richter scale, which was felt on Saturday for some 13 hours and 15 minutes by the residents of the municipality of El Pinar, according to IGN data.
A slight increase of activity can be noted at Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico. The frequency of explosions has increased to more than 1 per hour, i.e. doubled when compared to last week.
The more energetic explosions produced small ash plumes rising up to 1 km. Episodes of volcanic tremor occurred as well, CENAPRED writes.
The new seismic swarm at El Hierro continues with hundreds of small quakes per day concentrated at about 20 km depth in the south-central part of the island near El Pinar. Pulses of tremor and a slight inflation are visible as well, but for now, it seems that magma is not moving much.
San Cristobal volcano had a small explosion yesterday at 8:17 am local time. Recent measurements showed an increase of SO2 emissions to 2,490 tons per day, i.e. almost double than before. Also, seismic tremor increased in the evening of 15 Sep.
Fuego volcano, Guatemala: Activity remains at normal levels with sporadic weak to moderate explosions with ash rising 400-800 meters and some rumbling sounds. The lava flow to the Taniluya canyon has apparently decreased a lot, as INSIVUMEH reported it to be only 50 m long yesterday.
Santiaguito volcano continues to have occasional explosions ejecting ash columns to 500 meters height, which spread west and northwest over the region of the villages of El Rosario and San Marcos, Palajunoj. There is constant activity in the 4 active lava flows, generating avalanches of blocks deposited within the river banks Nima Nima I and II.
Most other volcanoes in Central and Southern America have not shown any significantly unusual behavior.
Satellite observations: Batu Tara had its daily explosion to send ash to about 7,000 ft altitude, VAAC Darwin reports.
A strong SO2 plume was visible from Manam volcano (PNG) today, suggesting that there is heightened activity or an eruption.
Sakurajima volcano seems to be having a break from its relatively strong phase over the past days. There was only one probably weak explosion reported during the past 24 hours.
Smoke and ash billow from North Maluku’s Gamalama on Sunday. (Antara Photo/Rosa Panggabean)
Two of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes erupted on Saturday, prompting the government to issue warnings to populations living near the affected mountains.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Sunday that new eruption started at Lokon in North Sulawesi and Gamalama at Ternate in North Maluku.
Lokon generated a 1,500-meter high ash plume and violent strombolian (low-level) activity with some lava flow, while Gamalama produced a shower of ashes that covered the nearby city.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for BNPB, said on Sunday that Lokon, located in North Sulawesi’s Tomohon area, erupted at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
The explosion from the eruption shattered windows of the command post built to monitor the activities of the volcano, he said.
The agency, Sutopo said, had issued warnings to local administrations to prepare precautionary measures, and called on people to remain alert.
“The residents don’t have to be evacuated but they must not do any activities within the range of five kilometers from the volcano,” Sutopo said.
He said that the BNPB had asked the Tomohon administration to raise the awareness of residents.
Meanwhile, the Gamalama spurt sent ashes into the air for about 15 minutes at 11 p.m., before the wind carried the ashes toward the North Maluku capital of Ternate. “The ashes came down on the city, decreasing visibility to only 50 meters,” Sutopo said.
He said BNPB’s local branch went to the affected area and set up four stations to help people in the event of a larger eruption. “Here also, we don’t see any need to evacuate people. But we will stay on high alert,” the official said.
Lokon has erupted several times previously, with an explosion in July 2011 forcing more than 5,200 people to be evacuated.
The eruption created huge clouds of ash as high as 3,500 meters.
Lokon’s last deadly eruption was in 1991, when a Swiss tourist was killed.
Last December, Gamalama erupted, resulting in four villagers being killed and dozens others being hospitalized. About 1,000 residents were forced to evacuate.
The Indonesian archipelago has dozens of active volcanoes and straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the “Ring of Fire” between the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Earlier this month, there was volcanic activity at Lampung’s Anak Krakatau.
Nicaragua boosted its responses to volcanic activity in the northwestern region Saturday, as the San Cristobal volcano acted up for the second time in a week. Authorities installed 43 radio communication stations along the Pacific coast to monitor San Cristobal and another volcano, Telica. The radio posts aim to “ensure improved monitoring of seismic and volcanic behavior in the area,” said civil defense chief Colonel Nestor Solis, enabling authorities to issue more accurate warnings sooner. A number of towns near San Cristobal, located some 135 kilometers (83 miles) northwest of the capital, were evacuated last week after the volcano began rumbling, sending a column of smoke and ash high into the sky, before subsiding. On Saturday, the 1,745-meter (5,725-foot) tall volcano again spewed “abundant gas emissions moving toward the northeast” and increased seismic tremor and sulfur concentrations, according to the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies, or INETER. Sulfur dioxide monitoring showed levels of the compound — considered a measure of volcanic activity — were nearly double the readings from previous days, said the director of national disaster prevention and relief agency SINAPRED, Guillermo Gonzalez.
Taal volcano’s seismic network detected one volcanic earthquake during the past 24-hour observation period. Steaming activity and crater glow could not be observed due to thick clouds covering the volcano’s summit the whole day yesterday up to this morning,
Mayon Volcano’s seismic network detected one volcanic earthquake during the past 24-hour observation period. Steaming activity and crater glow could not be observed due to thick clouds covering the volcano’s summit the whole day yesterday up to this morning,
A volcano has erupted in eastern Indonesia, spewing clouds of thick, gray ash. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. State volcanologist Kristianto says Mount Gamalama in the Molucca Islands sprang to life last week. It unleashed two strong eruptions over the weekend, sending volcanic ash as high as 1 kilometer (0.62 miles). Kristianto, who uses only one name, says slow-moving red lava was visible at the peak of the eruption Monday. Villages have been blanketed with thick ash but no evacuations have been ordered. Gamalama last erupted late last year, and its mudflows killed four villagers two weeks later. Indonesia is a vast archipelago with millions of people living on mountains or near fertile flood plains. Seasonal downpours here often cause landslides.
[This event happened on friday, 14.09.2012] The nuclear reactor at Seabrook Station has been powered down since Friday evening, when a water intake valve was jammed closed by a computer glitch, according to an announcement by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Water sank to a “low low level” inside one of Seabrook Station’s four steam generators on Friday, Sept. 14, after the valve problem occurred, according to an NRC inspector who was called to the scene. The low water level tripped an automatic shutdown of the reactor at approximately 8:25 p.m. The NRC inspector’s report indicates a computer card controlling the feedwater regulator valve failed. All other systems performed as expected after the reactor process stopped, according to the NRC inspector’s report. “One of our resident inspectors assigned to Seabrook traveled to the site Friday night to independently verify that the shutdown was being safely and effectively carried out and did not identify any concerns,” NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan wrote in an email announcement Monday. A report created by the NRC inspector indicates “emergency feedwater” was “actuated” because of low water levels in the steam generator. Al Griffith, a spokesman for the operators of Seabrook Station, Next Era Energy, said the plant was scheduled to power down on Sunday for a “refueling outage.” The event on Friday led them to begin the refueling outage early, he said. “Because we were entering a refueling outage anyway, we’ll keep the plant down,” Griffith said.
Six people have died from the cholera outbreak in parts of the Volta Region. Five of the deaths were recorded in Akatsi South while the sixth death was recorded in Adidome in the Central Tongu District. Four Electoral Areas in the Akatsi District are all battling with the disease.The Assemblyman for the Wute Electoral Area, Sammy Wuadi, said the cholera outbreak did not come as a surprise and that the people are being conscientised to keep their surroundings clean. According to Mr Wuadi, the situation is gradually abating following the strategies put in place by the Environmental Health Directorate to forestall the spread. A Senior Environmental Health Assistant in the Akatsi South District, Ms Akua Dzaka also stated that residents are being advised to desist from drinking from the Tordji River which is believed to have been contaminated. “We suspect that that is the source of the cholera outbreak and we are also educating them to take good care of the food that they eat,” she said.
Biohazard name:
Cholera
Biohazard level:
2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.:
Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
The Ebola virus has taken the Congo by storm, killing 31 people in the northeast part of the country. Another 38 people have the disease, sending alarm bells off in the World Health Organization. The total number dead has doubled over the past week, and workers are worried that having traditional funerals might increase the spread of the disease among those in attendance. There is no cure for Ebola and the disease kills 40 to 90 percent of those infected. It is also painful, leading to severe internal bleeding.
El Paso County health officials announced Friday, September 14, that a wild rabbit found on the northeast side of Colorado Springs has been laboratory-confirmed positive for Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague. This comes on the heels of a Pagosa Springs girl who contracted the plague and recovered from the disease. El Paso Countyâs last reported human case occurred in 1991. An El Paso County Public Health news release Friday says the animal was found is East of Powers Boulevard near the St. Francis Medical Center/Hospital. Of utmost importance is the risk to the human population in the area. Infectious disease experts are conducting an investigation to determine potential human exposures and to assess the general area for additional plague concerns. The people exposed have been identified and have been given preventive antibiotics to prevent plague from developing.
A rare disease suspected to be of âscrub typhusâ has claimed 30 lives, in Alwar district of Rajasthan this season. Another six have died due to a disease with similar symptoms in Dausa. Concerned over the high death count recorded since August 22 this year, the health department has sought the help of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) based in New Delhi. A team has reached the spot to collect blood samples, according to official sources. Scrub typhus can be cured but only if it is timely diagnosed. It is caused by the bite of mites especially during the monsoon season and is reported in areas close to jungles or urban shrubs. Since fever is one of the early symptoms of this disease, wrong or delayed diagnosis is a major worry. Residents claim that the death toll is over 50 but chief medical health officer (CMHO) in Alwar, Dr K K Meena, puts the official figure at 30. In Dausa, six people died recently after showing similar symptoms as scrub typhus which includes high fever and low platelet count. âIn the initial investigation, we have found that some of them had low platelet count accompanied by fever,â said Dr O P Bairwa, CMHO, Dausa.
Halliburton has lost a seven-inch radioactive rod somewhere in the Texas desert. The National Guard has been called in to help to find the device, which employees of the controversial US oilfield services company lost a week ago. The rod, which contains americium-241/beryllium and is stamped with a radiation warning symbol with the words “Danger Radioactive: Do not handle. Notify civil authorities if found”, was lost during a 130-mile journey between oil well sites in Pecos and Odessa last Tuesday. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) warned that the radioactive material “could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them”. The agency said americium-241/beryllium, known as Am-241, is a “category 3” source of radiation and would normally have to be held for some hours before causing health problems.But the NRC still warned that “it could possibly â although it is unlikely â be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks”. A spokeswoman for the NRC said the agency could not remember the last time a radioactive rod went missing. “[There has] never been one lost in the public domain,” she said. The spokeswoman added that there was a concern the radioactive material could fall into the hands of terrorists. The route the Halliburton truck took between Pecos and Odessa has been painstakingly searched with radioactive detection gear three times with assistance from local police and the National Guard. “When the crew went to remove the Am-241 source they discovered the source transport container lock and plug were not in place and that the source was missing,” the NRC said in its report into the incident. “The crew returned to the well site near Pecos and searched for the source, but did not find it. The radiation safety officer stated that the lock was found in the storage compartment in the back of the truck. The transport container plug was not in the container.”The three-man Halliburton crew, who had been using the rod to identify oil and gas deposits suitable for fracking, have been questioned by the FBI. The NRC said Halliburton was carrying out a forensic search of the truck. “They are literally stripping it down, removing every piece of equipment looking for the source,” the agency said. Halliburton said it would offer a reward to anyone who finds the rod but cautioned the public to stay at least 25ft away from the device.
A 63-year-old man died Sunday in the Czech Republic after drinking bootleg spirits tainted with methanol, bringing the death toll from an outbreak of alcohol poisoning to 20, hospital staff said. The man was found unconscious Friday at a railway station in the eastern town of Prerov and was hospitalised in a very serious condition. “Despite their efforts, doctors were unable to save him. The man died today a little before noon,” hospital spokeswoman Hana Szotkovska said. Eastern regions of the country have been hit hardest by what Czech experts describe as the worst wave of alcohol poisoning in three decades, but a first case has also been reported in the capital Prague. Around 40 people remained in hospital Sunday from the outbreak, which claimed its first two victims on September 6 and prompted the health minister on Friday to ban the sale of liquor with an alcohol content of over 20 percent. Poland, which borders eastern Czech Republic, on Sunday banned the sale of all alcohol manufactured by its neighbour, except for beer and wine. Czech police have to date charged 22 people in connection with the case. On Friday, they raided thousands of bars, restaurants and shops across the country for traces of bootleg alcohol. Czech police chief Martin Cervicek spoke Sunday of progress in the investigation, telling public radio station CRo1 that officers were on the trail of those who may have supplied the material used to manufacture the spirits.
Sixteen people are trapped after a tunnel along the Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway collapsed Sunday night in east China’s Jiangxi Province, local authorities said Monday. The tunnel, which is still under construction, collapsed at around 10 p.m. in Longnan County in the city of Ganzhou, said rescuers. By Monday noon, the trapped people still had not been found. The tunnel is part of the 3,429 km-expressway that spans from northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province all the way to southern Guangdong Province.
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(Reuters) – A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan early on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
USGS put the quake 115 km (72 miles) southeast of Morioka on Japan’s Pacific coast, and 31 km deep.
The Japan Meteorological Agency put it at magnitude 6.1, and slightly deeper at 40 km (25 miles).
The quake was rated only 4 on Japan’s seven-point seismic scale, suggesting that no significant damage was expected, and no tsunami warning was issued.
Bukittingi, W Sumatra, June 17 (ANTARA) – Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province spewed volcanic ash up to 500 meters into the sky on Sunday morning.
“The volcano spewed volcanic ash for about 10 minutes starting at around 08.30 a.m.,” Mubarak, who lived on the slope of the volcano said on Sunday.
“The volcanic ash fell on around the volcano`s slope,” he said.
Before spewing volcanic ash, the 2,891-meter high volcano released white thick smoke as high as 50 meters from its crater, he said.
Since its alert status was raised on August 3, 2011, the volcano had spewed white smoke and volcanic ash almost everyday, he said.
The Bukittinggi Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) still maintains the volcano`s alert status at the second highest alert level.
“PVMBG still recommends keeping the volcano at the second highest alert status and declaring it off-limits to anyone climbing within 3 km of its peak,” PVMBG officer Warseno said.
The volcano has spewed thick smoke and volcanic ash almost every day since it began showing signs of increased activity on August 3, 2011.
Mt Marapi is one of the active volcanoes in West Sumatra. It sent out sulfuric volcanic ash 1,000 meters into the sky on August 3 last year. The ash fell onto a number of areas, such as Agam, Tanahdatar, Padangpariaman, and Padangpanjang.
The volcano last erupted in 2005.
When inactive, the mountains adjacent to Mt Singgalang and Mt Tandikek have always been a destination for climbers from within and outside West Sumatra. Also, every New Years, it is always crowded with mountain climbers. (ANTARA)
Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano is showing more signs of activity. Nighttime footage from a permanent camera set up near the volcano showed it was belching out incandescent rocks and smoke. The National Center for Disaster Prevention has registered 68 exhalations of gas vapor and ash of medium intensity coming from the volcano in the last 24 hours. The volcano can also bee seen spewing ash in daytime footage. The volcanic mountain sits roughly halfway between Mexico City and Puebla with some 25 million people living within a 60-mile radius. Popo, as it is commonly known, has erupted small amounts of ash almost daily since activity began in 1994. Officials have not ordered any evacuations.
Volcano Activity in Mexico on Saturday, 16 June, 2012 at 17:39 (05:39 PM) UTC.
Authorities are evacuating about 150 homes in eastern San Diego County as firefighters battle a wind-driven wildfire that has destroyed one structure. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the fire began Sunday afternoon in a rural area northeast of Campo and near the Golden Acorn Casino. It has consumed 200 acres of brush. Capt. Daryll Pina said the fire has destroyed one structure, but he hasn’t been able to confirm what it was. Officials shut down the road to the casino and patrons are being urged to stay inside. Meanwhile, a 2,200-acre wildfire that erupted Saturday in a remote area of Riverside County is 70 percent contained. Authorities say they expect full containment of the blaze burning between Beaumont and San Jacinto Monday morning.
Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 05:02 (05:02 AM) UTC.
Base data
EDIS Number:
WF-20120618-35476-USA
Event type:
Forest / Wild Fire
Date/Time:
Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 05:02 (05:02 AM) UTC
Last update:
—
Cause of event:
Damage level:
Minor
Geographic information
Continent:
North-America
Country:
USA
County / State:
State of
Area:
Near the Golden Acorn Casino
City:
Coordinate:
N 32° 36.455, W 116° 28.184
Number of affected people / Humanities loss
Foreign people:
Affected is unknown.
Dead person(s):
—
Injured person(s):
—
Missing person(s):
—
Evacuated person(s):
—
Affected person(s):
—
Today
Forest / Wild Fire
USA
State of California, [Between Beaumont and San Jacinto, Riverside County]
Crews continue to battle a wildfire that has burned at least 2,200 acres of brush in a remote area of Riverside County. Fire department spokeswoman Jody Hagemann says Sunday that the blaze, burning steep terrain between Beaumont and San Jacinto, is not threatening any homes. At least 445 firefighters aided by five air tankers and five water-dropping helicopters have contained about 30 percent of the fire. The fire was reported Saturday afternoon. Winds moving at up to 20 mph helped the flames spread to 2,000 acres in five hours. Hagemann says the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:50 (03:50 AM) UTC.
Base data
EDIS Number:
WF-20120618-35474-USA
Event type:
Forest / Wild Fire
Date/Time:
Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:50 (03:50 AM) UTC
Last update:
—
Cause of event:
Damage level:
Minor
Geographic information
Continent:
North-America
Country:
USA
County / State:
State of California
Area:
Between Beaumont and San Jacinto, Riverside County
The fire burning behind Lake George in Park County is now 200 acres, and it is 0% contained. According to a park ranger for the Pike National Forest, the 11 mile canyon has been evacuated. That is between 150 and 200 homes. Everyone else in that area is under pre-evacuation orders. That means they must be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. County road 96 and 92 at Highway 24 are both shut down right now. That fire started around noon on the Indian Paintbrush Ranch. We’ve heard several reports from witnesses who say they saw someone fire shots, and that may have hit a propane tank causing an explosion. But, Park Rangers say they are still investigating what caused this fire. Among the evacuees, about 500 campers with Camp Alexander. They were at 11 mile canyon. The Camp Director tells us they are all safely out of the fire’s reach. Those campers are from all over Colorado, and out of state. They will have to stay the night at Woodland Park High School and/or Middle School. There are more than 40 firefighters fighting this fire, and witnesses say they have also seen drops from helicopters.
Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:15 (03:15 AM) UTC.
A fire aided by strong winds has burned several houses near the town of Keratea, 30 miles south of Athens, authorities said. Two firefighters have been injured, one with extensive burns, but no civilian casualties have been reported. The blaze started on Saturday afternoon on dried grass, apparently as the result of an accident and was spreading fast, engulfing four isolated houses on the outskirts of the towns of Keratea and Palea Fokaia and threatening others. Because of the high winds, two firefighting planes sent to help put out the fire were unable to operate and replaced by one helicopter and four newer planes, according to a statement by the fire brigade. It said 74 firefighting vehicles were operating on the ground. Firefighters called the situation “hellish” and said the fire will not stop until it reaches the sea, about three miles south-west. An old people’s home was evacuated and its 42 residents moved to a nearby resort, authorities said. At least three smaller fires were burning near Athens late on Saturday afternoon. One, in the district of Pallini, just east of the capital, started in dry grass and was threatening an ice cream factory. Vans outside the factory went up in flames. Two other fires broke out in the north-west and south-east corners of the southern Greek Peloponnese peninsula, requiring dozens of fire vehicles to rush to the scenes. The blazes were being fought one day before Greeks vote in a national election that could determine whether their indebted nation stays in the euro or leaves in chaos. The prevailing weather in Greece has been hot and dry recently and although temperatures have decreased somewhat, winds have picked up, leading authorities to issue warnings just hours before the fire broke out.
Forest / Wild Fire in Greece on Sunday, 17 June, 2012 at 05:06 (05:06 AM) UTC.
CHEYENNE WY
HANFORD CA
RIVERTON WY
PHOENIX AZ
LAS VEGAS NV
SALT LAKE CITY UT
RENO NV
PUEBLO CO
GRAND JUNCTION CO
DENVER CO
ELKO NV
FAIRBANKS AK
FLAGSTAFF AZ
POCATELLO ID
BOISE ID
***********************************************************************************************************
Nearly 30 people were cut off early Sunday by a mudslide caused by the torrential rains in central and southern Chile, police said. The mudslide occurred in Farellones, located a few kilometers (miles) from Santiago, the Carabineros militarized police force said. Snow and heavy rain caused the emergency situation at kilometer 4 in Farellones on the road to a ski resort, police said, adding that all the residents who were cut off are in good condition. Avalanches, meanwhile, destroyed an unoccupied vehicle in San Jose de Maipo, a city outside Santiago in the lower part of the Andes. Heavy snow has kept the Los Libertadores border crossing, which links the Chilean city of Los Andes to the Argentine city of Mendoza, closed, police said. Several ports remain closed as a precaution due to bad weather, but the weather service said the rain should ease Sunday night. The rains caused power outages and flooding in the Santiago metropolitan area, which is home to 6.4 million people, the national emergency management office said.
Landslide in Chile on Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:47 (03:47 AM) UTC.
Fifteen cases of Scrub Typhus infection, a communicable disease commonly found in southeast Asia and Japan, have been reported from various parts of the district. First reported from Malabar region in the state in 2006, the medical officials say that it is very difficult to know its symptoms mainly because in the initial stage it appears like a common fever. The disease which spreads through mite bite can be diagnosed only through blood test. “Scrub Typhus has been reported in Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram, Wayanad and Palakkad,” said M K Appunny, additional district medical officer. “If detected at an early stage then it can be cured by administering drug Doxycycline, used to treat Leptospirosis. But if the patient approaches doctor at a late stage then the chances of organ failure and death are high,” he said. The health department had organized a regional-level workshop for doctors from the six districts of Malabar at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital recently. The workshop imparted awareness classes for the medical fraternity including district medical officers and health staff to ensure early diagnosis of diseases. The Kozhikode wing of the Indian Medical Association, which started its campaign ‘no more fever deaths’, has started conducting awareness classes about the disease with the help of residential associations in the district. Elaborating the symptoms, K T Mohanan, public health programme officer, said the disease used to be found only in people living in the forest areas. Sore skin and bite mark on body are the major signs to identify the disease. Symptoms include acute fever, cold and joint pain.
Biohazard name:
Scrub Typhus
Biohazard level:
3/4 Hight
Biohazard desc.:
Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Symptoms:
Status:
confirmed
Epidemic Hazard in India on Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:16 (03:16 AM) UTC.
Base data
EDIS Number:
EH-20120618-35472-IND
Event type:
Epidemic Hazard
Date/Time:
Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:16 (03:16 AM) UTC
Last update:
—
Cause of event:
Damage level:
Unknown
Geographic information
Continent:
Asia
Country:
India
County / State:
State of Kerala
Area:
Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram, Wayanad and Palakkad
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture says two Idaho goats have tested positive for Q fever. Q fever is a contagious bacteria that affects, sheep, goats and cattle, and it can be spread to humans. This is not the first case in the state, but this is the first outbreak on record in Idaho. The ISDA is trying to keep it from spreading to more animals, or humans. “The Department of Agriculture received confirmation that two goats in the state had tested positive for Coxiela burnetii,” said Doctor Scott Leibsle of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. Coxiela burnetii is the organism that causes Q fever. “When we got the confirmation of the positive, we notified the owner of the goats and we immediately put the goats under quarantine,” said Leibsle. They caught the disease in a state screening. “You often don’t know your animal is sick until they abort their pregnancy, and typically, livestock don’t show any symptoms other than losing their pregnancy.” That’s also the time when it’s easiest to get and spread the bacteria. “The greatest risk for humans contracting the disease is the producers and people that handle livestock on a daily basis,” Leibsle said.
Biohazard name:
Q Fever (Coxiela burnetii)
Biohazard level:
3/4 Hight
Biohazard desc.:
Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Symptoms:
Status:
confirmed
Biological Hazard in USA on Monday, 18 June, 2012 at 03:52 (03:52 AM) UTC.
The southern part of Tumon Bay was closed off to the public after reports of wasp jellyfish making their way into the area. Department of Parks and Recreation Director Pete Calvo said they shut down the beach areas between Hilton Resort and Spa, Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Beach Park and the Pacific Islands Club. The beach areas from PIC up north toward the Westin hotel are not affected. “We had five incidents of encounters. A couple of tourists who were injured had some vinegar applied to their stings. It was not serious. But we don’t want anyone who may be allergic to this type of sting to be exposed,” he said. The five cases were confirmed to have occurred at Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Beach Park. The creatures are believed to have entered when it was high tide, Calvo said. Lifeguards continue to monitor the beach and Calvo said they would conduct an assessment to determine if they could open the affected beach area. “If we find that the jellyfish have not moved on, then we’ll close the areas again. But we’ll play it by ear,” he said. Wasp jellyfish, also referred to as box jellyfish, carry venom known to cause serious pain to people. Once the tentacles come in contact with human skin, they tend to stick. Removing them while the creature is alive is not recommended, due to the potential for a release of more toxins. If the sting is not treated right away, it can leave a scar.
Biohazard name:
Wasp jellyfish
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:
Biological Hazard in Guam on Sunday, 17 June, 2012 at 16:32 (04:32 PM) UTC.
Recently a sampling crew found blue-green algae blooming in Sodus Bay. “I don’t think anybody wanted to go in the water anyway because it was like pea soup,” boater Bruce Arrabito said. Boaters like Arrabito remember summers like 2010. That’s when slimy algae covered the bay, some of it was toxic to people and animals. It’s a sight boater, Joyce Ebmeyer worries she’ll see again. “This is just the beginning stages, Ebmeyer said. “It was blue everywhere; it will probably get the same way.” Ebmeyer claims the algae from 2010 made her friend sick. “My friend had a reaction to it when she was here two years ago and she was wheezing and could hardly breath and a friend of hers had an asthma attack,” Ebmeyer said. Some marinas have strategically placed bubblers near the docks where blue algae form. Algae need hot, dry conditions, and calm water. The idea is to use these bubblers to prevent algae from forming. But that can’t rid the water of what’s already there. To do that, Ed Leroux of the group, Save Our Sodus says they’re looking at using Hydrogen Peroxide. “It’s worked exceptionally well in the Netherlands,” Leroux said. “It stops the algae bloom dead in its tracks.” That may be able to flush out this nuisance for good. Leroux says his organization has received several grants to take on projects to control and rid of the algae. It’s not known if the blooms in the bay are toxic. The results from samples taken Friday will be available sometime Monday.
Biohazard name:
Blue-Green (cyanobacteria) Algae bloom
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:
Biological Hazard in USA on Sunday, 17 June, 2012 at 05:11 (05:11 AM) UTC.
Protest … women rally against the reactors reopening. Photo: AP
TOKYO: The approval by the Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, for reactors to be restarted, ending Japan’s month-long freeze on nuclear power, has met with a mixed response, signalling damage to his political support.
Two reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Ohi nuclear plant can be operated safely, Mr Noda said on Saturday after meeting three cabinet ministers who share approval authority.
The utility, which serves the $1 trillion economy of Japan’s second-biggest urban region, said it would immediately begin work to start one reactor.
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Japan is reopening nuclear plants that provided about 30 per cent of its energy before being shut after the March 2011 meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima station.
The decision followed a day after a deal was made with opposition parties to abandon some campaign pledges in return for agreement to double the nation’s consumption tax. Majorities in public opinion polls oppose both the restarts and the tax increase.
Local governments in areas where other nuclear power plants are located voiced support for the government’s decision and hope that reactors at their nuclear plants would also be reactivated.
”The government should restart the reactors as quickly as possible on its own responsibility,” a local official said.
But other local government heads reiterated their demands that the government make more efforts to secure the safety of nuclear plants.
More than 70 per cent of respondents to a Mainichi newspaper poll published on June 4 objected to a speedy restart of the reactors in Ohi. In a separate poll released June 5 by the Pew Research Centre, 70 per cent of Japanese said the country should reduce its reliance on nuclear energy and 52 per cent feared they or their families may have been exposed to radiation.
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Smoke and ash billow from North Maluku’s Gamalama on Sunday. (Antara Photo/Rosa Panggabean)
Protest … women rally against the reactors reopening. Photo: AP
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