Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Date: 24 Aug 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: Channel Cincinnati.com [edited] ------------------------------------------------------------- Parasite Outbreak Puts Swimmers At Risk, 9 People Fall Ill, One Hospitalized ------------------------------------------------------------- A dangerous parasite prompted the closing of hundreds of Hamilton County swimming pools on Tuesday [23 Aug 2005], and at least 9 people are already sick, News 5 reports. ------------------------------------------------------------- 8 children are ill, and an adult has been hospitalized after an outbreak of cryptosporidosis at Powel Crosley Y.M.C.A. in Springfield Township, health officials said. ------------------------------------------------------------- "Crypto" will give you cramps and severe diarrhea that can last up to 2 weeks, or even worse. The local water supply has been tested and given the all-clear, but Hamilton County health officials are worried that swimmers could spread the outbreak to other pools, News 5 reports. The bug is spread by ingesting fecal matter. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Hamilton County Health Department mailed letters to 320 pool operators, asking them to put up a "No Swimming" sign for 8 hours and to super-chlorinate the water. "You can't kill it with normal doses of chlorine, and that's what we do when we ask people to super-shock their pools," said Kathy Lordo of the Hamilton County Health Department. At Powel Crosley, they used 10 times the normal amount of chlorine, just to be sure, and they cleaned the slides and railings, trying to reassure members. ------------------------------------------------------------- The symptoms can be tricky, and victims and doctors may not suspect "crypto." "You can have diarrhea for a day or 2, and it kind of goes off for a little bit, and it may flare up again," Lordo said. ------------------------------------------------------------- The best ways to avoid "crypto:" Wash your hands often. Avoid swimming. Anyone who is infected can be contagious for up to 2 weeks. They are advised not to swim and not to work in daycare or restaurant facilities during that time. ------------------------------------------------------------- -- ProMED-mail ------------------------------------------------------------- [see also: Cryptosporidiosis, water park - USA (NY)(02) 20050821.2457 Cryptosporidiosis, water park - USA (NY) 20050819.2442 Cryptosporidiosis, swimming pools - USA (MT) 20050818.2415 Cryptosporidiosis, swimming pools - Australia (NSW) 20050617.1710 2003

ate: Wed 24 Aug 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: San Mateo Daily Journal [edited] ------------------------------------------------------------- Salmonella outbreak examined --------------------------------- County and state health officials continue to investigate a salmonella outbreak at a South San Francisco restaurant in July 2005 that may be linked to raw almonds. One worker and 21 diners were left sick after eating at La Tapatia Restaurant, but a county report from the health department on communicable diseases notes the monthly increase is not considered out of the ordinary. ------------------------------------------------------------- A communicable disease team, including an environmental health specialist and a public health nurse, visited the Grand Avenue facility and made recommendations to prevent further disease transmission, according to the report. Later visits included state health officials who collected samples from those affected. The specimens from restaurant patrons matched a strain of salmonella specific to raw almonds. ------------------------------------------------------------- State investigators discovered La Tapatia bought raw almonds in bulk from a large food retailer and repackaged them for resale. However, all of the almonds confiscated from the restaurant all tested negative for that strain, said Health Services spokeswoman Beverly Thames. ------------------------------------------------------------- Currently, officials are comparing the outbreak to a similar incident in Berkeley during the same period. ------------------------------------------------------------- No illnesses have been reported since the initial batch. ---------------------------------------------------- -- ProMED-mail [In 2004, a worldwide recall of raw almonds occurred due to contamination of the nuts with _Salmonella enterica_ serotype Enteritidis. It would be interesting to know the relationship between the California strain and last year's contaminant. - Mod.LL]

This thread contained about 6 reports, this seems to be the best of the thread. Europe is truely concerned about the bird flu. granny ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [2] Date: Wed 24 Aug 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: The Times, London, 23 Aug 2005 [edited] ------------------------------------------------------------- Europe steps up attempt to halt lethal pandemic ----------------------------------------------- Dutch poultry farmers complied with a government order to move all their birds indoors yesterday [22 Aug 2005], as Europe stepped up its efforts to prevent a potentially deadly bird flu pandemic this winter. ------------------------------------------------------------- Germany plans to follow suit by ordering that all free-range birds be moved indoors in the middle of next month [September 2005] to prevent contact with birds arriving from the East that may be carrying the virus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Thursday [25 Aug 2005], experts from the European Union's 25 member states are to meet in Brussels to coordinate contingency plans to combat the threat. ------------------------------------------------------------- Britain and other EU states are monitoring poultry health closely and stocking vaccines for use in the event of an epidemic. -------------------------------------------------------------- Over the weekend [20-21 Aug 2005], Italy announced stricter import controls, heightened surveillance and accelerated vaccine production. European worries about bird flu have mounted with evidence that H5N1, the latest strain, found in western China last month [July 2005], has been moving steadily westwards. It has now reached Siberia, and experts are saying that migratory fowl could bring it to Western Europe this autumn. -------------------------------------------------------------- Discovered in China in 1997, bird flu has infected 112 human beings since 2003, killing 57 in Viet Nam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. So far, human beings who contracted the disease got it from handling birds, but the World Health Organization fears that it might mutate into a human strain that could cause a global pandemic. _____________________________________________________________ The Dutch have taken the most drastic action in Europe so far, because the country was badly hit in the previous outbreak in 2003. The European Commission banned the import of live birds and feathers from Russia this month [August 2005]. Yesterday [22 Aug 2005], it insisted that its measures so far were adequate. -------------------------------------------------------------- The Commission said: "We are following the situation closely, but we are not alarmist." The authorities in Siberia and Kazakhstan ordered the slaughter of thousands of birds during the past 2 weeks, and 142 000 chickens are being monitored as possibly infected on a poultry farm near Omsk, western Siberia. -------------------------------------------------------------- The Commission said that it had been assured by Russia that reports of an outbreak west of the Urals, near the Caspian Sea, were false. ------------------------------------------------------------- Experts have been predicting that ducks and other birds will carry the virus southwestwards as they flee the autumn chill, heading across the Black Sea and southern Europe. ------------------------------------------------------------- Some 850 000 reach Britain later in the autumn every year, including the mallard and pochard ducks that are thought to have brought the disease from Asia to Russia. ------------------------------------------------------------- While the EU and national officials played down the danger, some experts are talking of potential catastrophe on the scale of the 1919 influenza epidemic, if H5N1 changes into a virus that can be transmitted from human being to human being. Tens of millions could die, and the world economy could be pushed into its biggest slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s, pessimists say. -------------------------------------------------------------- The Australian Government has plans to seal off the country from the world, closing air and sea ports, in the event of an Asian bird flu outbreak. Its contingency plan also calls for compulsory quarantine, closing schools, public transport and places of work. ------------------------------------------------------------- French environmentalists are criticizing the Government for complacency. Edir Delhaye, of Cap21, a small environmentalist party, said that France was especially vulnerable because of its large number of free-range poultry farms and the popularity of shooting migratory water birds. He said: "It is vital that we rapidly take measures like the Netherlands and Germany." ------------------------------------------------------------- Renate Kunast, the Agriculture Minister and a Green Party member, has been campaigning on a safety-first ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------- "We have to proceed systematically and with an eye on the risks," she said. The minister sees the biggest risk coming from the illegal animal trade. ------------------------------------------------------------- The customs service has tightened controls on imported birds. German travelers have been warned against visiting bird markets and any kind of livestock trading center east of the Urals. [Byline: Charles Bremner in Paris and Roger Boyes in Berlin] -- ProMED-mail

Cindy Sheehan, the so-called Peace Mom, has been brainwashed and is
functioning according to plan it appears.<<<<

The lady is going to build a fence she will never be able to go around.

Her husband filed for divorce, the family dumped her.

When she starts to realize what she has done, it will be
difficult to live in her skin.

Today, the talk shows are playing clips of her saying that the terrorists are only "freedom fighters".

On the Denver station tonight, one of the 'nutty but nice'
relief hosts was filling in for the regular host. I rarely
listen to him, as he is an 'old hippy' his words, who won't let it go.

I missed part of the first hour, but he had taken off on the Cindy back in Texas, then went to "Is it better to live in
Iraq today, or was it better under Saddam".

7 out of 10 calls (approx) were in favor of Saddam, using the same words that Cindy and her crowd would use.

Then an elderly Iraq man phoned, he is now an American citizen, but did live there under Saddam and has family there still.

The Iraqi man set the fools straight.

There were 10 callers waiting to talk to Shawn. They all
hung up, none dared to support Saddam after listening to the Iraqi gentleman.

A caller echoed what I was thinking, "we thought you were a
light in the head host, until tonight, we appaluad your daring to take on a subject that most would not and having handled it very well"...............

I know the fools are out there, but they still shock me, when they say they are Americans and hate us so much.

1] Date: Wed 24 Aug 2005 From: ProMED-mail Human bocavirus, a new pathogen of childhood: Background ----------------------------------------------- In 2001, Allander et al. described an innovative molecular method for discovery of previously unknown viral agents in serum or plasma samples, incorporating DNase treatment and its application to the identification of 2 novel virus species. The method is based on DNase treatment of serum followed by restriction enzyme digestion and sequence-independent single primer amplification of the fragments. Experimental validation of the method confirmed that both DNA and RNA viruses could be reproducibly identified at concentrations of approximately 10(6) genome equivalents per ml in 50 micro liters of serum. In the initial application of the method, 2 previously unknown parvoviruses were discovered in bovine sera used as diluent. These 2 novel parvoviruses proved to be frequent contaminants of bovine sera (see: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Sep 25;98(20):11609-14. Epub 2001 Sep 18). --------------------------------------------------------------- Application of this methodology has now identified a novel human pathogen of childhood. A preliminary description was reported by Reuters on 22 Aug 2005 (see ProMED-mail post: Human bocavirus, a new pathogen of childhood 20050823.2487), and a full description is now available in the 23 Aug 2005 Early Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA ------------------------------------------------------------- . The abstract of the paper by Tobias Allander et al., entitled "Cloning of a human parvovirus by molecular screening of respiratory tract samples," states the following: "The identification of new virus species is a key issue for the study of infectious disease but is technically very difficult. We developed a system for large-scale molecular virus screening of clinical samples based on host DNA depletion, random PCR amplification, large-scale sequencing, and bioinformatics. The technology was applied to pooled human respiratory tract samples. The 1st experiments detected 7 human virus species without the use of any specific reagent. Among the detected viruses were one coronavirus and one parvovirus, both of which were at that time uncharacterized. The parvovirus, provisionally named human bocavirus, was in a retrospective clinical study detected in 17 additional patients and associated with lower respiratory tract infections in children. The molecular virus screening procedure provides a general culture-independent solution to the problem of detecting unknown virus species in single or pooled samples. We suggest that a systematic exploration of the viruses that infect humans, 'the human virome,' can be initiated." ------------------------------------------------------------- Parvoviruses are among the smallest, simplest eukaryotic viruses. They are widespread in nature. Essentially, they fall into 2 groups: defective viruses, which are dependent on helper virus for replication, and autonomous and replication-competent viruses. In all, more than 50 parvoviruses have been identified. The family is divided into 2 subfamilies: the subfamily _Parvovirinae_ comprises 5 genera of vertebrate viruses (_Parvovirus_, _Erythrovirus_, _Dependovirus_ , _Amdovirus_ and _Bocavirus_). The genus _Bocavirus_ comprises 3 species; the previously recognized _Bovine parvovirus_ and _Canine minute virus_, and now the newly discovered Human bocavirus. The genomes of these viruses are linear, single-stranded monopartite DNA, about 5.5 kb long with hairpin loops at both ends of the genome. The hairpin structures at both ends of the genome are characteristic of the sub-family _Parvovirinae_. The virions are isometric (icosahedral), not enveloped, 18-26 nm in diameter, with 60 units of the capsid protein. The viruses classified in the 5 genera are phylogenetically distinct. -- ProMED-mail ------------------------------------------------------------- ****** [2] Date: Wed 24 Aug 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: BBC News online, Sun 21 Aug 2005 [edited] ------------------------------------------------------------- Discovery of Unique Chest Infection Virus ----------------------------------------------- Scientists have identified a unique virus linked to serious chest infections in children and babies. All of the 17 children with what the researchers are calling human bocavirus had distressed breathing and fever and were hospitalized. In most cases, the virus causing the lower respiratory tract infection is known; most commonly, it is respiratory syncytial virus. But in around 1/3rd of cases, no obvious pathogen is found. Dr. Tobias Allander and colleagues at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm tested 378 respiratory tract samples collected from patients in the hospital who had chest infections for which no obvious cause had been found. ------------------------------------------------------------- Rather than looking for well known viruses, the team used technology similar to that used to crack the code of human DNA in the Human Genome Project to see what viruses were present. They detected 7 virus species in the samples, one of which was a parvovirus that had never been characterized before, which they called human bocavirus (HBoV). All of these samples containing HBoV had come from children or infants. ------------------------------------------------------------- The researchers then checked for the virus in 540 children with lower respiratory tract infections being treated in the hospital. In the 17 children found to have HBoV, this virus was the only one present, suggesting that it was indeed the cause of their illness. Although the findings will not directly change the way childhood chest infections are treated in the short-term, the researchers say their findings are important. ------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Allander said: "This is quite a prevalent virus, and it has remained undetected until now. It tells us that there is a lot we do not know. Also, maybe this virus, which is a parvovirus, can cause other conditions." He said it was likely there were many more viruses yet to be discovered but that are causing illness in humans. "Finding these might be important for treating disease," he said. He urged scientists to search for more of these unrecognized viruses. ------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Maria Zambon, a virologist at the Health Protection Agency, said the detection was welcome. "The detection of human bocavirus is the latest in a long line of recently discovered respiratory viruses." And she added: "The sort of molecular detection methods used to uncover human bocavirus will undoubtedly lead to the discovery of more viruses in the coming years." Dr. Warren Lenney of the British Thoracic Society said: "We need to know more about the cause of infections in the respiratory tract, and this research helps us with this. One of the difficulties, however, is that even though viruses are isolated from nasopharyngeal specimens, we cannot be sure that they are responsible for problems that occur lower down in the lung. -- ProMED-mail ------------------------------------ [see also: Human bocavirus, a new pathogen of childhood 20050823.2487] .......................cp/msp/mpp

Off topic:
Wow. It is clear this wench below is NO news reporter, and has not been for some time now if ever. Another "article" from her that is clearly a hate-Bush piece. The AP is so blatantly political. Shame on them and shame on this wench who is NO journalist. This is an in-your-face editorial with a big liberal slant.

***

Of All Gas Consumers, Bush May Be Biggest
Aug 24 9:24 PM US/Eastern

By JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON

Getting President Bush from here to there consumes an enormous amount of fuel, whether he's aboard Air Force One, riding in a helicopter or on the ground in a heavily armored limousine. The bill gets steeper every day as the White House is rocked by the same energy prices as regular drivers. Taxpayers still foot the bill.

Almost every vehicle Bush uses is custom-made to add security and communications capabilities, and the heavier weight of these guzzlers further drives up gas and jet fuel costs.

The White House declines to discuss travel costs related to the presidential entourage, and did not respond to a request for the overall effect of higher fuel prices on its budget.

It is not Bush's choice to be ferried around in a less than fuel- efficient manner. Those arrangements are dictated by tradition and the Secret Service, whose mission is to protect him.

But Bush is one of the nation's most-traveled presidents.

He has visited 46 countries, some of them several times, during his presidency. He has been to all states except Vermont and Rhode Island.

So far this year, he has made 73 domestic and foreign trips, including crisscrossing the country on a 60-day, 60-city tour to promote his Social Security plan. He was on the road Wednesday, speaking to a military audience in Idaho, before returning to his Texas ranch to resume his summer vacation.

About the only vehicle Bush has much say in is the 2001 white Ford F250 pickup he keeps on his ranch. At the nationwide gasoline average of $2.61 a gallon, it would cost at least $75 to fill the Ford's tank. The 1999 four-wheel-drive model gets 13 miles per gallon in the city, 17 on the highway, according to an Energy Department Web site, http://www.fueleconomy.gov .

But much as he seems to relish any chance to get behind the wheel, Bush actually drives the pickup very little, confined as he is to only occasional visits to his ranch and to remaining on its 1,600 acres when he's driving himself.

Elsewhere, whether in Washington, Des Moines or Tbilisi, Bush is driven in a large motorcade. The typical presidential caravan has well over a dozen vehicles, including Bush's limousine and an identical limo put in as a decoy.

The motorcade generally doesn't cruise placidly at fuel-efficient speeds, but rather hurries along its route as fast as possible. It also often idles outside while Bush is at an event, burning up fuel but ready to depart at a moment's notice.

The president's limos alone consume lots of gas.

Starting with his inaugural in January, Bush began tooling around in new 2006 Cadillac DTS limos.

The full-sized luxury sedan version, available to the general public, has an 18-gallon tank that would cost about $47 to fill at that $2.61- a-gallon rate. (White House vehicles are fueled at a special, dedicated facility and the price paid per gallon there is not released.) Cadillac spokesman Kevin Smith said the Cadillac DTS sedan gets 18 mpg in the city, 27 on the highway.

The vehicle Bush uses is a much different animal _ with different gas mileage. An outside company customizes the DTS for presidential use by "stretching" it to limo length, adding bulletproof glass, heavy armor and other bells and whistles _ all making it significantly heavier and less fuel-efficient, Smith said.

The same thing for the Chevrolet Suburbans that are sometimes used as limo substitutes. The mass-marketed 2005 K1500 Suburban would cost nearly $81 to fill up with its large 31-gallon tank. It gets 15 mpg in the city, 19 on the highway, according to http://www.fueleconomy.gov . But it's not clear exactly which trim model of Suburban Bush uses, and his are custom-fitted with extra gear that would reduce the gas mileage.

In the air, Bush most often flies on a Boeing 747-200B laden with, among other things, an anti-missile system. Like gas for cars, fuel costs for the largest plane in the Air Force One fleet have gone up dramatically _ from $3,974 an hour in fiscal 2004 to $6,029 per hour now, according to the Air Force.

John Armbrust, publisher of Jet Fuel Report, said Air Force One is no different from its commercial counterparts in that respect.

"It's an expensive proposition to fly these planes, whether its Air Force One or a regular 747," he said.

Reducing his appearances outside the White House and making other gestures toward fuel conservation could help cut down on costs.

But some suggest that could do more harm for national morale and Bush's image than good for the financial bottom line.

Remember Jimmy Carter donning a sweater and asking Americans facing an energy crisis to turn down their thermostats? Or giving the speech about the nation's "crisis of confidence" that led to his permanent association with "malaise?" Carter's critics turned both utterances into emblems that contributed to his political undoing.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/08/24/D8C6HRS80.html

Note the 27th...........

Upcoming Significant Events:
August 25, 1825 - Uruguay
Independence Day
No information provided.

August 25, 1944 - France
Liberation Day
Paris liberated by Allied troops.

August 26, 1847 - Philippines
National Heroes' Day
Commemorates the revolt against the Spanish.

August 26, 1930 - Philippines
Founding of the PKP
The Partido Kommunista Ng Pilipinas (PKP) was founded by Evangelista Cristo in Manila.

August 26, 1945 - Hong Kong
Liberation Day
No information provided.

August 26, 1945 - Japan
American Occupation Begins
The six-year American occupation of Japan began with the landing of U.S. military forces
in Japan.

August 27, 1966 - Namibia
Placed Under U.N. Control
The United Nations canceled the previous League of Nations mandate which gave South
Africa administrative control of Namibia in 1920. South Africa rejected the U.N.
resolution, and the South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) began its guerrilla
war against South African rule.

August 27, 1979 - Ireland
Earl Mountbatten Assassinated
Earl Mountbatten was killed off the coast of Ireland by an Irish Republican Army (IRA)
bomb planted on his boat.

August 27, 1980 - Lebanon
U.S. Ambassador Attacked
No information provided.

August 27, 1982 - Canada
Turkish Attache Assassinated
The Turkish military attache was assassinated by Armenian extremists.

August 27, 1982 - Turkey
Attache In Canada Assassinated
The Turkish military attache in Canada was assassinated by Armenian extremists.

August 27, 1985 - Nigeria
General Babangida Seizes Power
General Ibrahim Babangida seized power, overthrowing the Buhari regime.

August 27, 1987 - Philippines
Failed Coup Attempt
Mutinous soldiers began attacks on the presidential palace in an unsuccessful bid to
overthrow the Aquino government. On August 28, rebel military units led by Lieutenant
Colonel Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan attacked Camp Aguinaldo and television stations in
the metro Manila area.

August 28, 1985 - Colombia
Death of M-19 Leader
April 19 Movement (M-19) leader Ivan Marino Ospina was killed in a clash with
government troops.

LATEST ANALYTICAL REPORTS
(available in PDF format at http://www.intelcenter.com )

JIHADI TACTICAL EXECUTION TIMING STATISTICS (JTETS) V1.0
The report provides a statistical analysis of the tactical execution
timing of jihadi attacks in the al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda affiliate orbits
during the past seven years. It analyzes the most likely time of day
and day of the week for attacks to occur.

AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI AUDIO/VIDEO RELEASE ANALYSIS V1.1
The report provides initial analysis of the 4 Aug. 2005 video released
by Ayman al-Zawahiri. It also provides an analysis of the possible
correlation between signature al-Qaeda attacks and the timing of
audio/video releases by al-Zawahiri. It is a working document and
frequent updates will be issued over the near future.

You can download the reports directly from http://www.intelcenter.com.

Other analytical reports can be found at
http://www.intelcenter.com/reports-charts.html

PHYSICAL - WATCH BOARD

- Rocket attack on USS Ashland and military hospital in Aqaba Port,
Jordan and airport in Eilat, Israel

- Claims for Jordan attack from both Qaeda al-Jihad Organization in the
Land of Two Rivers and the Martyr Abdallah Azzam Brigades of al-Qaeda
in Levant and Egypt

- Wave of bombings in Bangladesh

- al-Qaeda targeting of cruise ships in Turkey, capture of Luai Sakra

- Philippines: National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said on 11
Aug. he has intelligence reports saying at least 10 suicide bombers
from Indonesia were being sent to the Philippines. He said two could
already be in Manila scouting targets.

- Advances in jihadi IED design for use against armored vehicles

- Sri Lanka: assassination of Foreign Minister

- Egypt: threat of large and small scale jihadi attacks

- Thailand: concern over level of jihadi activity

- Release of new Islamic Army in Iraq produced video

- Marked increase in al-Qaeda video material focused on Afghanistan may
indicate increased operational activity and greater threat of more
frequent and/or sophisticated attacks in the near future.

- al-Qaeda release of new video "The War of the Oppressed People"

- Release of new Ayman al-Zawahiri video on al-Jazeera on 4 Aug,
threatens more attacks in London & US

- al-Zawahiri: Those who collaborated with America in Iraq and
Afghanistan will, God willing, bear the consequences of this
collaboration soon.

- UK: threat of additional attacks

- Continued targeting of Arab diplomatic personnel in Iraq

- Concern over possible efforts by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to conduct ops
in US and elsewhere around the world

- Growing sophistication of jihadi training activities in Iraq

- Concern over the possible movement of seasoned jihadi operational
planners out of Iraq and into other countries to conduct attacks

- Ongoing threat of shooting/kidnapping attacks targeting Westerners in
Saudi Arabia

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