Category Archives: environment

Viral product provokes immune response against RSV

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania recently found that a subset of viral products once thought to serve no biological purpose in humans could provoke a strong immune defense against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).Nearly all people are exposed to RSV before they turn 2 years old. The majority of these people appear to have the common cold symptoms of coughing, a runny nose, sneezing and a fever. Some very young infants as well as some older adults can have serious reactions to RSV, even needing hospitalization.

Source: Viral product provokes immune response against RSV

Polio resurfaces in Mali from Ebola-hit Guinea: WHO | Reuters

Cases of a crippling vaccine-derived polio virus could spread in Ebola-ravaged Guinea and in Mali after a Guinean toddler traveled to Mali and became the country’s first polio case in more than four years, the World Health Organization said on Monday.The case, caused by a strain of the virus known as type 2 that had come from a vaccine, is the second setback in a week for global efforts to eradicate polio. Two cases were reported in Ukraine last week..Preliminary tests showed the 19-month-old was paralyzed on July 20, seven days before being brought to Mali for treatment. The strain is the same as one found in Siguiri in Guinea’s Kankan region in August 2014.

Source: Polio resurfaces in Mali from Ebola-hit Guinea: WHO | Reuters

Interior Secretary Jewell to Visit Active Fire on Colville Indian Reservation on Monday

The North Star Fire has burned more than 205,000 acres, primarily on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and evacuations are in effect for approximately 3,000 single residences. More than 1,000 personnel, including state and federal firefighters, are working to contain the fire.

Source: Interior Secretary Jewell to Visit Active Fire on Colville Indian Reservation on Monday

Ecuador’s Indigenous Uprising: State of Emergency Declared as Volcano Erupts and Indigenous Protests Engulf the Streets

On Aug. 13, an estimated 10,000 protesters converged on Quito where they surrounded the Government Palace in the Plaza de Santo Domingo. The protest was peaceful until it was met with overwhelming police force after allegedly being infiltrated by supporters of President Correa. After being released from detention, Salvador Quishpe, speaking to reporters in a ripped shirt that was covered in black dust and dirt, commented that the police “Dragged me, they hit me, they humiliated me.” Just prior to the altercation, he was peacefully beating his drum at the head of the march.

Carlos Perez Guartambel was also beaten and detained by the police along with his partner, Manuela Picq, the French Brazilian journalist for Aljazeera and contributor to Intercontinental Cry. Carlos Perez told Intercontinental Cry, “I am still bruised over my left eye where the police kicked me in the head, hit me with their batons and punched me, and my partner also suffered aggressions and was forced out of the country.”

The beating that Manuela Picq received from the police was severe enough to send her to a hospital for medical treatment. While friends kept vigil in the waiting room, the police arrived to remove her from her hospital bed. At the time, her friends shouted, “They do not have an arrest warrant, this is a kidnap.”

via Ecuador’s Indigenous Uprising: State of Emergency Declared as Volcano Erupts and Indigenous Protests Engulf the Streets.

CENSORED NEWS: Indian country has had enough of John McCain!

There was a surprise waiting in the statistics at Censored News today. Yesterday, Censored News broke all viewer records, with 42,971 pageviews. The views and comments reveal that Indian Country has had enough of Arizona Sen. John McCain, and the scorched earth campaign of the US government, with its river poisoning US EPA and its genocidal coal and uranium mining.

via CENSORED NEWS: Indian country has had enough of John McCain!.

VDU’s blog: Whether MERS-CoV spreads or stops is entirely up to the hospitals…

We propagate epidemics. We create our own headaches in this arena. Many viruses wouldn’t break out if we didn’t create the circumstances for an outbreak. The biggest headache? Infected patients who spread virus to uninfected patients and health workers when they are in unprotected close contact in a healthcare setting.

via VDU’s blog: Whether MERS-CoV spreads or stops is entirely up to the hospitals….

CENSORED NEWS: EPA sent Navajos poisoned water after massive Animas gold spill

As they started to take water from the tanks for their corn and melons, the farmers noticed the water from some of tanks was rust colored, smelled of petroleum and slick with oil. The hopes of the farmers of actually being able to save some of the precious crops were obliterated in an instant with the tainted water. The farmers refused to use the water.”

“EPA and SSS Trucking were told to take the water and dump it off Rez, to load up the tanks and get off the Rez. Stands to reason, the water transport company was SSS Trucking of Farmington, one of the trucking companies that supply the dreaded fracking operations with 600+ nasty chemicals and millions of gallons of water. Now the Chapter, the Navajo Nation and BIA are scrambling to secure other sources for water. Crops are getting thirsty, it is reaching critical stage. Pray for rain.”

Navajo President Russell Begaye and the Navajo Nation Attorney General Branch are personally investigating concerns about tainted water in EPA tanks, Begaye said in a statement.

“The President and the Attorney General are extremely troubled by these reports and are working to gather all the facts and will discuss their findings with senior EPA officials and the Navajo Nation as soon as we updated information.”

Marisa Demarco at KUNM radio in Albuquerque reported Monday that Navajo farmers had been sent contaminated water by the US EPA.

KUNM reports:

“Farmers in Shiprock say the tankers arriving with desperately needed hydration for their crops contained water that smelled like petroleum, was visibly discolored and had an odd sheen to it.

“The barrels are not clean,” said Farm Board Representative Joe Ben Jr. “They are from oil drilling operations.”

via CENSORED NEWS: EPA sent Navajos poisoned water after massive Animas gold spill.