This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang, but a whimper.
- T. S. Eliot

Ebola virus kills more gorillas than people

March 13 2003 at 07:13AM

Brazzaville - The deadly Ebola virus has killed 100 people in the remote forests of Congo Republic and wiped out nearly two-thirds of the gorillas in one reserve.
"We have reached the fateful figure of 100 dead," Congo's Health Minister Alain Moka said on Tuesday.


At an Ebola conference in Brazzaville last week, primatologist Bermejo Magdalena said that gorillas had been disappearing at an alarming rate where she works in the Lossi sanctuary, which covers 320sq km.
"In the sanctuary of about 1 200 gorillas we are now down to just 450. We have recorded the disappearance of 600 to 800 gorillas," she said, adding that the outbreak could spread to the nearby Odzala park and might then contaminate forests in Gabon.

"If Odzala is also contaminated by the epidemic, that's nearly 20 000 gorillas under threat. That's catastrophic," Magdalena said.

Word is made flesh as God reveals himself... as a fish

Edward Helmore New York

Sunday March 16, 2003

The Observer

An obscure Jewish sect in New York has been gripped in awe by what it believes to be a mystical visitation by a 20lb carp that was heard shouting in Hebrew, in what many Jews worldwide are hailing as a modern miracle.

Many of the 7,000-member Skver sect of Hasidim in New Square, 30 miles north of Manhattan, believe God has revealed himself in fish form.

According to two fish-cutters at the New Square Fish Market, the carp was about to be slaughtered and made into gefilte fish for Sabbath dinner when it suddenly began shouting apocalyptic warnings in Hebrew.

Many believe the carp was channelling the troubled soul of a revered community elder who recently died; others say it was God. The only witnesses to the mystical show were Zalmen Rosen, a 57-year-old Hasid with 11 children, and his co-worker, Luis Nivelo. They say that on 28 January at 4pm they were about to club the carp on the head when it began yelling.

Nivelo, a Gentile who does not understand Hebrew, was so shocked at the sight of a fish talking in any language that he fell over. He ran into the front of the store screaming: 'It's the Devil! The Devil is here!' Then the shop owner heard it shouting warnings and commands too.

'It said "Tzaruch shemirah" and "Hasof bah",' he told the New York Times, 'which essentially means that everyone needs to account for themselves because the end is near.'

 
Health - AP

Ninth person dies of mystery disease as WHO warns world heath threat spread by air travel

1 hour, 59 minutes ago

By MARGIE MASON, Associated Press Writer

HANOI, Vietnam - A ninth person has died of a mystery form of pneumonia that the World Health Organization (news - web sites) says can not be stopped by standard drugs and is being spread across the globe by international air travelers.

 In a rare emergency warning, Geneva-based WHO described the fast-acting, highly contagious disease as "a worldwide health threat."

It first struck China's southern
Guangdong province in January when five people died. In recent days about 150 infections had been reported in Asia, Europe and North America. Patients deteriorate quickly after initially coming down with simple flu-like symptoms, doctors say.
U.S. and French health officials and diplomats in Hanoi said Sunday the latest fatality was a young Vietnamese nurse who died Saturday. She contracted the disease after treating an American businessman who died of it last week.

Most deaths have been in Asia — but on Friday authorities said two people had died in Canada. On Saturday a doctor traveling on a New York-Singapore flight was quarantined during a stopover in Germany after he showed symptoms.
"Until we can get a grip on it, I don't see how it will slow down," said WHO spokesman Dick Thompson. "People are not responding to antibiotics or antivirals. It's a highly contagious disease and it's moving around by jet. It's bad."

Third case of atypical pneumonia confirmedWHO sending officials to Taiwan to help investigate
infection

2003-03-16 / Taiwan News,

Staff Reporter / By Jessie HoThe

Department of Health confirmed yesterday the existence of a third case of atypical pneumonia in Taiwan, saying that the World Health Organization was sending officials to Taiwan to help investigate this mysterious form of pneumonia that has hit parts of Asia and killed at least eight.

"Currently, there is no cure for this unheard-of type of pneumonia," said Chen Tzai-chin (³¯¦A®Ê), Director of the Center for Disease Control under the DOH at a press conference. "We have given warnings of the disease to Taiwanese businesspeople in China through various media channels."
The third case diagnosed was a 64 year-old female who traveled to Guangdong Province of China last month and returned to Taiwan via Hong Kong. The patient is being treated at Ilan Hospital.

The third case, the DOH said, as well as the Taiwanese couple confirmed as the first two cases infected with atypical pneumonia on Friday, would be tested to see if there are any links to the fatal disease that hit Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

My prediction: There will be a coupon for aluminum foil in the sunday paper.

cdc activates investigation of flu-like disease
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/865877/posts

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Saturday that Americans consider delaying nonessential travel to countries affected by an outbreak of a rapidly spreading, severe form of pneumonia that does not appear to respond to treatment.

The CDC "is advising persons traveling on nonessential or elective travel to affected areas that they may wish to postpone their trips until further notice," Dr. Julie Gerberding, the agency's director, said in a rare Saturday news conference.

more in breaking news:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/865874/posts

. . .a rapidly spreading, severe form of pneumonia that does not appear to respond to treatment.

Still time for a ticket to Boulder?

"Then the shop owner heard it shouting warnings and commands too."

Was one of the warnings the fish shouted, "Chirac is your enemy"? If you place the fish on a turntable, and spin it backwards, do you receive weird messages like, "you're going to ruin your record player, moron".

the fish cutter likely said quit your carping.

...probably working for scale...

TORONTO (CP) - Health officials have confirmed a ninth Canadian case of atypical pneumonia and are preparing to test hundreds of potential patients as worries grow around the world about the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease.

Doctors don't know what causes the illness, which is believed to spread through close contact with an infected person.

On Saturday, Toronto officials confirmed a seventh local case, a day after announcing that six family members had been infected, including a mother and son who died.

The seventh patient had come in close contact with the family, but officials wouldn't say what the connection was.

There have also been two cases in British Columbia - unrelated to the Ontario infections - where one person remained in hospital Saturday and the other has recovered.

8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Eleven more people in Hong Kong and Singapore have developed symptoms of a mystery flu-like virus that has killed one person, infected scores of others and sparked a rash of travel cancellations in Hong Kong.
 
The World Health Organization (news - web sites) (WHO) issued a global pneumonia alert this week after outbreaks in Hong Kong and Hanoi and has sent experts to Asia to track down the source.
Seven more people -- including five hospital staff -- have developed symptoms of the virus in Singapore, bringing the total number of cases to 16, the health ministry said on Saturday.

All the patients, except for two that have been discharged, are in a stable condition, it said.

Four more medical workers were admitted to hospital in Hong Kong on Saturday with similar symptoms, bringing the number of Hong Kong medical workers infected to 47.
Thirty-seven have since developed signs of severe pneumonia, up from 29 on Friday.
"The government bought 10,000 masks for ambulance workers. How can we not be scared?" said a caller to a radio show.

http://www.syzygyjob.net/letstalk/messages/29571.shtml

Date: March 15, 2003 at 01:09:50

From: danna Fed. Way [Federal Way,
WA Between Seattle & Tacoma],

I just came home from four days in the hospital. My mom (84) and I seemed to have respitory infection. Five days later her blood pressure went crazy and her heart was beating so fast they had to put her on a ventalator. She is still in intensive care on ventalator and we're not sure she is going to make it as she can't breath on her own. The next morning after hospitalizing her, they took me to the hospital with a 102.7 temperature and my blood pressure was 69/39. Three days in intensive care before they could keep my pressure up but had a blood infection (never identified) Pneumonia (no pathogen identifiable).

I went to my normal hospital St. Francis. They had no room, Tacoma hospitals were full, Bremerton was full, Auburn reginal was too swamped. Finally got into Swedish medical. One bed left. The staff was coughing, I watched five nurses come down with the same thing in two days. Pain, larangytis like symptoms, labored breathing then pneumonia,usually blood pressure problems. This has been since this last Sunday. No matter what they did, they could not identify it and either they don't even try (although they said they cultured every thing they could get from me) or they are truly baffled. Where the hell is the alerts to the public and why with this so rampant, isn't more being checked into?

I'm only out of the hospital because I can't see my mother, but if we get the call she is failing, I will be by her side. They said I needed another week there. I am home and on oxygen and 7 types of pills but I refused to be tied to the hospital when all they did was let me lay there when stabalized. Three IV tubes with five types of antibiotics. This is NO simple flu. When you go down, you go fast and hard. It is contagious as anything I've seen.

Something is wrong here. You're not hearing about it, but there are people dying, and as Kate pointed out earlier, alot of them on ventilators. I have never been this sick and in this way. The hospital staff is so rushed, and half are getting as sick as the patients, they could hardly keep up. How about the two schools here just shut down for an out break of Nowalk-like virus. It don't work that way. Just a school, or the retirement home that had the outbreak. It doesn't start that way unless it's put there. If a child has it, the parent gets it, then other relatives and kids.

These things don't just wait to go to a school with a child then attack just one building. Think about it people. They had to give me all the new types of antibiotics just to get control of it, but it isn't stopped yet. The only thing that cultured out was mold and fungus, and the doctors said that couldn't possibly account for this disease.

Maybe they better take a little closer look. When my one nurse just collapsed in the hallway after complaining that she was having trouble breathing and her heart was racing, then she walked out the door and collapsed, it was just like with us. The minute my sister and neice started feeling ill, they got to the doctor and he put them a mega antibiotics immediately. They are still on their feet but not doing so well. Heads up people, this is not a false alarm. The people who delivered my oxygen machine said they are picking up five new customers a day with people needing oxygen from being sick with this. They said this is unusual. Things are getting strange.

Not trying to alarm you, but if you get a chest cold and sort of a laryngitus type bug, start watching yourself. We actually thought we were improving and it just came out of no where and hit our hearts too.
May you all be protected and safe in God's love.

Danna


131 posted on 03/15/2003 7:27 PM PST by BearWash

Parents Should Be Alert To Flu Signs; eighth child in Michigan to die in the last month
Jackson Citizen Patriot ^


Posted on 03/03/2003 7:46 AM PST by RCW2001

By Bradley Flory
Staff Writer

Parents began calling Frost Elementary School and the Jackson County Health Department as word spread of the death of 9-year-old Natalie H. Emmons.

They wanted to know one thing: Should we worry about our children?

Emmons, a fourth-grader at Frost, died Thursday after being sick with flu-like symptoms. She had a seizure and then cardiac arrest.

She is at least the eighth child in Michigan to die in the last month after a flu-like illness. Her death comes as Jackson County is at the peak of flu season.

"We don't want parents to panic, but we want them to be alert for signs of severe illness," said Geralyn Lasher, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Community Health.

"Key signs that you should seek medical attention are stiffness and soreness in the neck, very sudden and persistent headaches, sudden high fever, disorientation or difficulty breathing."

Seven cases of influenza are confirmed this year in Jackson County, said Ronald Grimes, head of the Health Department. Many more cases may be undiagnosed because the definitive test, a nasal swab, is rarely given.

Dr. John Maino, county medical examiner, said it will take several days to determine if Emmons had the flu.

Around the state, other suspicious deaths were reported in Washtenaw, Oakland, Kent and Newaygo counties, Lasher said. Three deaths were conclusively linked to influenza and the rest are still being studied.

"There is nothing to suggest that any of the Michigan cases are related to each other or any cases in other states, like Virginia," Lasher said.

"Sadly, this is not out of the ordinary."

Children and adults can increase their chances of staying healthy by taking good preventative measures, Lasher said. She advised getting plenty of rest, good nutrition, exercise and frequent and thorough hand-washing.

Grimes said it is not too late to get a flu shot, although few doses remain at the Health Department. It takes 10 to 15 days for the shot to do any good.

"Getting a shot won't protect you right now," he said. "It's not an immediate thing."

Emmons is survived by her parents, Sandra and Todd Emmons; two sisters, Alexandra and Dayna; and grandparents Richard and Evelyn Horn.

-- Reach reporter Bradley Flory at bflory@citpat.com or 768-4925."

Many believe the carp was channelling the troubled soul of a revered community elder who recently died; others say it was God.

OTOH, it could have been a very well-read carp.

Stay away, old woman - I'm headed for Vegas! Yeeehaaaaaw!

Health Agency Probes Mysterious Illness

18 minutes ago

By DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA - Federal health officials said Sunday they are analyzing samples from a mysterious pneumonia-like illness that has afflicted more than 150 people in seven countries and caused nine deaths. Doctors hope to have initial results from testing early this week.

 Officials also are handing out information cards to travelers from countries where the disease has appeared, asking them to see a doctor if they experience symptoms such as high fever or respiratory problems.

"This is an evolving problem," Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites), said Sunday. "We want to keep our mind to new information as we learn more."

No cases had been identified Sunday in the United States, although the CDC had received calls about potential cases that are being investigated, Gerberding said.

Two people who had been in this country are believed to have developed the mysterious illness. A doctor from Singapore was taken off a New York-to-Singapore flight in Germany on Saturday and quarantined, and a woman, hospitalized in Canada with similar symptoms, had traveled to Atlanta on business shortly before becoming ill.

Little is known about the disease, called Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome.

More than a week after it began appearing, health officials still didn't know if it was a virus or bacteria. CDC officials said it appears to affect only those in close contact with infected people — family members and health care workers — from afflicted areas, countries that include China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Gerberding said doctors are unsure whether antibiotics or antiviral drugs have an effect on the disease since they have not been consistently used in the areas with the most cases.

Although the CDC is keeping "an open mind" about bioterrorism, Gerberding said the mystery illness appears to be naturally occurring.

"Right now, it's an issue for travelers returning from parts of Asia, we're not seeing a spread" in the United States, Gerberding said Sunday. "We've taken steps to put the health system on alert."
Gerberding said the CDC is working to get more samples for its labs to analyze. Tests could take several days, but officials said they hope to have initial results ready by early this week.

The CDC's emergency operations center — which previously handled the 2001 anthrax attacks and last year's explosion of the West Nile virus (news - web sites) — has been activated to coordinate a multinational effort in learning about the new disease.