All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Study notes MERS, SARS virus shedding similarities | CIDRAP

Scientists yesterday revealed that both the timing and intensity of MERS virus shedding is similar to SARS, a related coronavirus, based on a study of patients in a hospital outbreak.

Source: Study notes MERS, SARS virus shedding similarities | CIDRAP

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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This is about the time I chose not to die. — Medium

Depression runs in my family. It was never acknowledged. Or spoken of. My father wasn’t a man to talk about his feelings. And the closest my mother ever came to happiness was denying it to others. Beyond them, the limbs on the family tree did some heavy lifting every few generations. They are part of a culture that doesn’t admit to depression. It’s a weakness. And immigrants don’t get depressed. It gets in the way of work. This is how I grew up. This is how a ton of people grow up.

Source: This is about the time I chose not to die. — Medium

Death Penalty Focus : “Ethnic Adjustment” and the death penalty – {Bizarre and Racist reasoning to kill intellectually disabled people!}

In a 2013 case (Hernandez v. Stephens), the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a state court can find a defendant is not intellectually disabled if his IQ score if brought up to the bottom of the non-disabled range after being “scaled to Mexican norms.” Ramiro Hernandez, convicted of killing his employer in Texas, had IQ test scores in the 50s and low 60s, one of which was ethnically adjusted to a 70. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his appeal in April 2014, and he was executed two weeks later.

Source: Death Penalty Focus : “Ethnic Adjustment” and the death penalty

Video: Undercover soldiers invade hospital, execute patient, kidnap another

PNN/ Hebron/
In yet another disturbingly shocking act, a group of undercover Israeli soldiers dressed as Palestinian civilians (Musta’ribeen) Thursday overnight broke into Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, and executed a patient and kidnapped another. 

The group of 21 armed Musta’ribeen (AKA Death Unit), invaded the hallways of the hospital, terrorized the nurses, stormed the room of Abdullah Shalaldeh (27) in surgery section, shot him with four bullets in the chest and the head and inside his ear, causing his immediate death.

Abdullah Shalaldeh (27) patient executed by Musta'ribeenAbdullah Shalaldeh (27) who was executed by Musta’ribeen unit

The agents also reportedly opened fire on his cousin, Azzam Shalaldeh, injured and kidnapped him from the hospital.

According to the hospital  CCTV, one of the group members was dressed as a pregnant woman wearing the Hijab and Jilbab (Islamic dress code), and another faked being a patient on a wheel-chair to infiltrate the people at the hospital. The rest were dressed as Palestinians and wearing the Kufiyyeh (Palestinian scarf). Minutes later, their guns were out.

Israeli media claimed that the attack came because the family was affiliated to the Hamas resistance movement.

With Abdullah Shalaldeh killed, the number of Palestinian martyrs since the beginning of October rises to 83.

The Musta’ribeen unit has committed several crimes against Palestinians since long time.

The attacks were heightened during the past month, since the agents infiltrated Palestinian protesters in clashes, faked being one of them to make it easier to shoot and arrest them.

They are trained by specialists to act like Palestinians and speak their accent. They have special make-up artists to give them the Arab complexion.

 

ISIS warns Russia, says ‘blood will spill like an ocean’ – Times of India

Isis militant group has released a new video threatening to launch attacks in Russia “very soon”.Issued by the group’s foreign language propaganda wing, the al-Hayat Media Centre, the video combined footage of the Charlie Hebdo shootings and graphic depictions of executions with a threat that “soon, very soon, the blood will spill like an ocean”.

Source: ISIS warns Russia, says ‘blood will spill like an ocean’ – Times of India