EU report declares glyphosate herbicides safe despite UN results | News | DW.COM | 13.11.2015 {The “fix” is in – follow the money!}

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said glyphosate, a key ingredient in the Monsanto-made herbicide Roundup, is unlikely to cause cancer in humans through a report on Thursday.The agency advises the European Commission and its report could lead the 28-member European Union to renew approval of the herbicide. Back in March, the UN’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) had classified products containing glyphosate as “probably” carcinogenic.The EFSA is proposing to set a higher safe limit of human exposure to glyphosate, at 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight. The previous EU evaluation had set an acceptable daily intake of 0.3 milligrams per kg of body weight.

Source: EU report declares glyphosate herbicides safe despite UN results | News | DW.COM | 13.11.2015

23 Vintage Photos that Show What Summer Fun Looked Like before the Internet

No matter how many apps are available to kids today, summertime fun remains at its core about one thing: cooling off under the blazing sun. As these vintage photos from early 1900s to the 1970s show, nothing compares to the Internet-free experience of jumping into the water and splashing around with your friends. Play on, kids.

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Children in the beach, the great paving stones, Seine-Maritime, France, 1909

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Child playing in a Dinosaur imprint, U.S., 1945

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Four children squat on rocks at edge of stream, mountains in background, U.S., 1905

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Little boys playing with a hand-drawn cart made out of a crate in the shallow waters of the River Thames, June 6, 1925

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Two girls fishing at weekend, Germany, 1927

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One-Third of Papua New Gineans Suffering Drought Crisis

An estimated one-third of the population of Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific Island state, is now suffering in from the country’s worst drought this century and experts predict El Nino’s influence will carry on through March 2016. Dickson Guina, Chairman of the National Disaster Committee, told IPS that 2.4 million people across most […]

California Records 32nd WNV Fatality

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Although the nation as a whole has only been experiencing a moderately active West Nile Season in 2015, with the CDC Reporting 1,121 neuroinvasive cases and 94 deaths, California accounts for close to 1/3rd of the nation’s totals.  Their latest report puts the number of WNV deaths at 32 for the year, breaking last year’s record of 31:

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Some summers West Nile activity is admittedly much worse than others, with 2012 seeing more than 5600 cases of WNV disease reported to the CDC, including 286 deaths.   That year, it was Texas that was the hardest hit (89 deaths), while California only saw 20 fatalities.

 

The vast majority who are infected – about 80% – experience at worst only mild, or sub-clinical symptoms. Most of the rest may experience a brief febrile illness (West Nile Fever).  Both are likely highly underreported.

 

A very small percentage  of those infected develop WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND), a form of encephalitis that can sometimes prove fatal. Those over the age of 50 appear to be the most vulnerable to the most serious form of the illness, and as most of those are hospitalized, those numbers are the most reliable.

 

The West Nile Virus arrived in North America (New York City) in 1999 – likely imported by a viremic visitor – and over a period of a few short years managed to spread across the entire United States and make inroads into Canada.

From the USGS Factsheet on West Nile Virus

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This year, all 48 contiguous states are reporting WNV activity (in birds, horses, or humans), and 45 have reported human infection. Hardest hit have been California, and a large swath of the central United States.image

Although WNV season is ending across much of the nation, the reports of cases, and deaths, will likely to continue for a couple of more months.  A final tally for this year’s impact won’t be available until sometime in the spring. 

 

While mosquito season may be on the decline in North America, there are still plenty of place where mosquitoes are active, both here and abroad.  Add in the risks of Dengue, Chikungunya, and the Zika virus making inroads into the Americas, and following the advice of public health officials on mosquito safety makes good sense.

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