Category Archives: environment

Spin News for Freakout Friday – Huge asteroid that ‘could wipe out human life’ heading for Earth, scientists say – The Times of India

They were studying Asteroid 1950 DA, which has a one in 300 chance of hitting the planet on March 16, 2880.

via Huge asteroid that ‘could wipe out human life’ heading for Earth, scientists say – The Times of India.

VDU’s blog: Ebola virus may be spread by droplets, but not by an airborne route: what that means

Included in guidelines issued by the WHO (7) and CDC (5) is the need for droplet precautions (Figure). This is very important for healthcare workers, family and other caregivers who stay close and are frequently exposed for lengthy periods of time with severely ill, highly virulent cases of EVD. These cases may actively propel infectious droplets containing vomit and blood across the short distances separating them from caregivers. But this is a form of direct transmission, and is not airborne transmission.

Messaging the masses.

Leaving aside other issues around acquiring a rare disease like Ebola when outside of the current outbreak region, the case definitions and risk assessments have raised confusion. There are questions around how otherwise apparently well-protected healthcare workers in West Africa are acquiring an EBOV. For a virus described as spreading only through direct contact, recommendations for the use of masks, implying airborne spread to many, fuel such questions.  In fact, face protection is recommended to prevent infectious droplets landing on vulnerable membranes (mouth and eyes).

It’s important to pass a message that is correct, but also to ensure distrust does not result from a public reading apparently contradictory literature. Such distrust and real concern have been rampant among a hyperactive social media. Simple, clear phrases like “ebolaviruses cannot be caught from around a corner”, may help uncomplicate the communication lines. And it works on Twitter.

via VDU’s blog: Ebola virus may be spread by droplets, but not by an airborne route: what that means.

Spider photobombs BBC Scotland news | Media | The Guardian

A spider photobombed a live BBC news bulletin when it crawled across the screen to catch an insect.

The spider, which which looked giant on screen, invaded the early morning edition of Reporting Scotland when it crept across the lens of the roof camera.

Newsreader Graham Stewart looked unperturbed as the spider grabbed the insect before retreating.

He later tweeted: “Never mind the pandas: giant hungry spider invades Reporting Scotland at breakfast time!”

via Spider photobombs BBC Scotland news | Media | The Guardian.

Avian Flu Diary: PNAS: Receptor Usage & Cell Entry Of Bat Coronaviruses

Bats, increasingly, are being viewed as substantial reservoirs for dangerous viruses. While long known to vector rabies, in the 1990s outbreaks of Hendra in Australia and Nipah in Malaysia and parts of Asia were eventually traced to bats, and while conclusive evidence is still lacking, the Ebola virus (and its cousin Marburg) are all believed to have bat origins

 

Bats are abundant (roughly 1/4th of all mammal species), mobile and wide ranging, and have adapted over millions of years to carry a variety of highly pathogenic viruses without ill effect.

via Avian Flu Diary: PNAS: Receptor Usage & Cell Entry Of Bat Coronaviruses.

Team finds potential MERS transmission mechanism between bats and humans

“Overall, our findings suggest that MERS virus has successfully adapted to human cells for efficient infections, and HKU4 virus can potentially infect human cells,” said Li. “MERS and MERS-related bat viruses present a constant and long-term threat to human health. So far little is known about these bat viruses that are evolutionary ancestors to human viruses. We need to look at bat viruses carefully, learn how they infect cells and jump species, and then develop strategies to block their transmission to humans.”

via Team finds potential MERS transmission mechanism between bats and humans.

Top ten most dangerous viruses in the world | Sci-Tech | DW.DE | 12.08.2014

1. The most dangerous virus is the Marburg virus. It is named after a small and idyllic town on the river Lahn – but that has nothing to do with the disease itself. The Marburg virus is a hemorrhagic fever virus. As with Ebola, the Marburg virus causes convulsions and bleeding of mucous membranes, skin and organs. It has a fatality rate of 90 percent.

via Top ten most dangerous viruses in the world | Sci-Tech | DW.DE | 12.08.2014.

This Tick’s Bite Can Turn You Vegetarian: Gothamist

If you enjoy a juicy hamburger or a well-seared steak, we’d advise steering clear of any wooded areas unless wearing full protective gear. A type of tick spotted on Long Island called the Lone Star tick can cause its victims to develop an allergy to red meat, reports NBC New York. All in favor of renaming it Vegan’s Revenge say aye!

via This Tick’s Bite Can Turn You Vegetarian: Gothamist.

WHO | WHO Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa

< Me: The nut of the problem is still that in responding to pressure from many governments is that no one wants to close borders to trade and travel because of economic worries and that health is still not number one! >

But read the whole announcement – don’t rely on what others, say they said.

 

There should be no general ban on international travel or trade; restrictions outlined in these recommendations regarding the travel of EVD cases and contacts should be implemented.

States should provide travelers to Ebola affected and at-risk areas with relevant information on risks, measures to minimize those risks, and advice for managing a potential exposure.

States should be prepared to detect, investigate, and manage Ebola cases; this should include assured access to a qualified diagnostic laboratory for EVD and, where appropriate, the capacity to manage travelers originating from known Ebola-infected areas who arrive at international airports or major land crossing points with unexplained febrile illness.

The general public should be provided with accurate and relevant information on the Ebola outbreak and measures to reduce the risk of exposure.

States should be prepared to facilitate the evacuation and repatriation of nationals (e.g. health workers) who have been exposed to Ebola.

via WHO | WHO Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa.

Avian Flu Diary: The New Normal: The Age Of Emerging Disease Threats

Over the past three decades, dozens of new – mostly zoonotic – diseases have been identified.   Some of these new, or re-emerging disease threats, include:

 

HIV

SARS

The re-emergence and spread of H5N1 bird flu in 2003

An H1N1 `Swine Flu’  pandemic in 2009

Swine Variant Influenza viruses (H1N1v, H1N2v, H3N2v)

MERS-CoV and other `bat borne’ viruses like Nipah and Hendra

H7N9, H10N8, H5N2 and other emerging avian flu viruses

Lyme Disease, CCHF, Heartland Virus, SFTS, and other tickborne diseases

The global spread of MRSA, along with the recent arrival of of NDM-1 and other Carbapenemases that threaten the viability of our antibiotic arsenal.

An explosion and spread of mosquito-borne diseases like  dengue, chikungunya & malaria

Even old scourges, once thought on the way out, are showing new signs of life . . . like Pertussis, measles, and polio.

Perhaps most troubling of all has been the emergence of increasingly drug resistant strains of tuberculosis.

And the one that has everyone’s attention right now;  Ebola.

via Avian Flu Diary: The New Normal: The Age Of Emerging Disease Threats.

Contagious Disease Surveillance | Virus Awareness | Ebola Map | HealthMap

“The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency that requires an extraordinary response to stop its spread. On Friday, WHO announced the Ebola outbreak — the largest and longest in history — is worrying enough to merit being declared an international health emergency. WHO declared similar emergencies for the swine flu pandemic in 2009 and for polio in May. This agency had convened an expert committee this week to assess the severity of the ongoing epidemic in West Africa. The current outbreak of Ebola began in Guinea in March and has since spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. There is no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola and the death rate has been about 50 percent.”

via Contagious Disease Surveillance | Virus Awareness | Ebola Map | HealthMap.