Category Archives: environment

Avian Flu Diary: CDC: First Imported MERS Coronavirus Case In the United States

CDC: First Imported MERS Coronavirus Case In the United States

(Crap!)

Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL

The CDC has just completed a hastily called press conference, headed by the CDC’s  Dr. Anne Schuchat and Pamela Pontones, State Epidemiologist, Indiana State Department of Health, to discuss the first imported case of MERS into the United States.

Admiral Schuchat, as many will remember, distinguished herself with her expertly handled press conferences during the opening weeks of the 2009 pandemic.

 (AKA= excuse for no steps taken to stop it at source) The arrival of a MERS case into the United States was considered almost inevitable, given the amount of international travelers this country receives, aided by the relatively long incubation period (up to 14 days) for the virus.  Dr. Schuchat stated that the CDC `expected the arrival of the virus’, and that local, state, and national public health agencies have been preparing for this eventuality for over a year..

The CDC released an emailed summary, which states:

On April 24, the patient traveled by plane from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to London, England then from London to Chicago, Illinois.  The patient then took a bus from Chicago to Indiana.  On the 27th, the patient began to experience respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath, coughing, and fever. The patient went to an emergency department in an Indiana hospital on April 28th and was admitted on that same day. The patient is being well cared for and is isolated; the patient is currently in stable condition. Because of the patient’s symptoms and travel history, Indiana public health officials tested for MERS-CoV. The Indiana state public health laboratory and CDC confirmed MERS-CoV infection in the patient this afternoon.

“It is understandable that some may be concerned about this situation, but this first U.S. case of MERS-CoV infection represents a very low risk (no evidence but best guess and hope) to the general public,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general and director of CDC’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases.  In some countries, the virus has spread from person to person through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. However, there is currently no evidence of sustained spread of MERS-CoV in community settings.

CDC and Indiana health officials are not yet sure how the patient became infected with the virus.  Exposure may have occurred in Saudi Arabia, where outbreaks of MERS-CoV infection are occurring. Officials also do not know exactly how many people have had close contact with the patient.

 

Admiral Schuchat stated that the risk to the general public was `very low’, but that out of `an abundance of caution’ (AKA: CYAs) aggressive airline, bus, and hospital contract tracing was being undertaken by state and federal authorities.  Dr. Schuchat also warned that the situation is very fluid, and the CDC’s guidance and recommendations could change over coming days.

via Avian Flu Diary: CDC: First Imported MERS Coronavirus Case In the United States.

First U.S. case of MERS tied to Chicago, Indiana – chicagotribune.com

The first U.S. case of a respiratory virus that has caused deadly outbreaks in the Middle East is a man who traveled through O’Hare International Airport on his way to Indiana, but officials said the man was in good condition and the risk of others being infected was small.

The man, who was not identified, was being treated for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) at Community Hospital in Munster, which said in a statement it is “maintaining appropriate isolation protocols for the protection of health care staff.”

RELATED

What is MERS?

Saudi Arabia finds 26 more cases of MERS

Slide of MERS-CoV

“Community Hospital has been working cooperatively with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent and the Indiana State Department of Health regarding tracking of patient family members and monitoring of exposed health care workers,” it added. “This patient was not out in the local community and, therefore, any public exposure was minimal.”

The man is a health care worker who had been in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He flew to London, then grabbed a flight to O’Hare on April 24 and took a bus to Indiana, according to the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The man began to experience increasing respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath, coughing, and fever three days later, according to the Indiana health department. He went to the emergency room at Community Hospital on the evening of April 28 was was admitted.

via First U.S. case of MERS tied to Chicago, Indiana – chicagotribune.com.

Shanghai resumes live poultry sales, still urges people to buy frozen: Shanghaiist

(Mistake – influenza will come back again unless markets clean up big time – just adopt slaughter and keep cool for “fresh” sale.)

After a 3-month long live poultry ban due to H7N9 bird flu concerns, Shanghai has resumed live fowl sales – but only after strict inspections (we hope) of purveyors. Still, we’re not going to be rushing to the wet market to snuggle with any Silkie chickens anytime soon. In fact, the city still urges consumers to purchase pre-frozen specimens as a precaution.

via Shanghai resumes live poultry sales, still urges people to buy frozen: Shanghaiist.

WHO Calls Antibiotic Resistance ‘Serious, Worldwide Threat’

WHO Calls Antibiotic Resistance ‘Serious, Worldwide Threat’.

“Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill,” says Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security. “Effective antibiotics have been one of the pillars allowing us to live longer, live healthier, and benefit from modern medicine. Unless we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.”

Egypt warns against travel to Saudi Arabia due to MERS virus | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

Egypt warns against travel to Saudi Arabia due to MERS virus

May 02, 2014 03:46 PM

A Saudi man wears wears a mouth and nose mask as he walks in a street of the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on April 27, 2014. AFP PHOTO/STR

CAIRO: Egypt’s Health Ministry issued a warning on Friday against children, elderly people and anyone suffering from chronic heart and chest diseases travelling to Saudi Arabia due to an outbreak there of a deadly new virus.

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday the number of cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), an often fatal disease caused by a coronavirus, had nearly doubled in April, with 26 more infections reported on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Of the more than 370 people who caught the disease in Saudi Arabia, 107 have died since MERS first emerged two years ago.

via Egypt warns against travel to Saudi Arabia due to MERS virus | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR.

Avian Flu Diary: Saudi MOH Announces 7 New MERS Cases

In Riyadh

​31 year old woman. She displayed respiratory symptoms and was admitted to a government hospital on 28/4/2014. Now, her condition is stable. She has been in contact with a confirmed case.

28 year old woman. She was admitted to a government hospital. She has been in contact with a confirmed case and has not displayed any symptoms.

28 year old man. He displayed respiratory symptoms and was admitted to a private hospital on 26/4/2014. Now, his condition is stable. He has been in contact with a confirmed case.

50 year old woman, suffering from diabetes. On 1/4/2014, she displayed respiratory symptoms. She was admitted to a government hospital on 22/4/2014.  Now, she is being treated in the ICU.

In Jeddah

​38 year old woman. On 19/4/2014, she displayed respiratory symptoms. She was admitted to a government hospital on 24/4/2014. Now, her condition is stable.

28 year old woman. She displayed respiratory symptoms on 24/4/2014. On 27/4/2014, she was admitted to a private hospital. Now, her condition is stable. She has been in contact with a confirmed case.

60 year old man. He displayed respiratory symptoms on 23/4/2014. He was admitted to a private hospital on 24/4/2014. Now, he is being treated in the ICU.

via Avian Flu Diary: Saudi MOH Announces 7 New MERS Cases.

Avian Flu Diary: Voting On MERS Transmission: Do The Eyes Have It?

Avian Flu Diary: Voting On MERS Transmission: Do The Eyes Have It?.

Viruses of many kinds are transmitted by contact with sweat, saliva, body excretions, body fluids. So how many times a day or hour do people touch or scratch their nose, eye, or ear with their hand? MERS like Ebola and SAMS, and two types of Avian Influenza have high enough kill ratios to justify – using as many precautions as possible.

Antimicrobial edible films inhibit pathogens in meat — ScienceDaily

Frankenfood

(Impact of eating zinc oxide nanoparticles or silver nanoparticles – your guess is as good as theirs since they did not research that) 

In the study, which was published online in the April issue of the Journal of Food Science, researchers determined survivability of bacterial pathogens after treatment with 2 percent oregano essential oil, 2 percent rosemary essential oil, zinc oxide nanoparticles or silver nanoparticles.

The compounds then were incorporated into edible films made from pullulan, and the researchers determined the antimicrobial activity of these films against bacterial pathogens inoculated onto petri dishes.

Finally, the researchers experimentally inoculated fresh and ready-to-eat meat and poultry products with bacterial pathogens, treated them with the pullulan films containing the essential oils and nanoparticles, vacuum packaged, and then evaluated for bacterial growth following refrigerated storage for up to three weeks.

“The results from this study demonstrated that edible films made from pullulan and incorporated with essential oils or nanoparticles have the potential to improve the safety of refrigerated, fresh or further-processed meat and poultry products,” said Cutter. “The research shows that we can apply these food-grade films and have them do double duty — releasing antimicrobials and imparting characteristics to protect and improve food we eat.”

via Antimicrobial edible films inhibit pathogens in meat — ScienceDaily.

Raw milk cheese yummy and potential killer! FDA Shuts Down NY Cheese Maker for Listeria Contamination

Under the consent decree, Finger Lakes, the manufacturer and distributor of raw cow’s milk cheese, cannot receive, prepare, process, pack, hold or distribute food until it demonstrates that it has developed a control program to eliminate Listeria monocytogenes from its production facility and products.  Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can cause serious illness and death.

 

The company must, among other actions, hire an independent laboratory to collect and analyze samples for the presence of Listeria; retain an independent sanitation expert; develop a program to control Listeria in the production facility and to train employees on sanitary food handling; and destroy all food items currently in the facility. Should the company be permitted to resume operations, the FDA may require the company to recall products or cease production if future violations occur.

via FDA Shuts Down NY Cheese Maker for Listeria Contamination.

Avian Flu Diary: WHO: Antibiotic Resistance – Serious, World-Wide Threat

30 April 2014 | Geneva – A new report by WHO–its first to look at antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, globally–reveals that this serious threat is no longer a prediction for the future, it is happening right now in every region of the world and has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country. Antibiotic resistance–when bacteria change so antibiotics no longer work in people who need them to treat infections–is now a major threat to public health.

“Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill,” says Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security. “Effective antibiotics have been one of the pillars allowing us to live longer, live healthier, and benefit from modern medicine. Unless we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.”

via Avian Flu Diary: WHO: Antibiotic Resistance – Serious, World-Wide Threat.