NaturalNews) Even as the veggie blame game is now under way across the EU, where a super resistant strain of e.coli is sickening patients and filling hospitals in Germany, virtually no one is talking about how e.coli could have magically become resistant to eight different classes of antibiotic drugs and then suddenly appeared in the food supply.
This particular e.coli variation is a member of the O104 strain, and O104 strains are almost never (normally) resistant to antibiotics. In order for them to acquire this resistance, they must be repeatedly exposed to antibiotics in order to provide the "mutation pressure" that nudges them toward complete drug immunity.
So if you're curious about the origins of such a strain, you can essentially reverse engineer the genetic code of the e.coli and determine fairly accurately which antibiotics it was exposed to during its development. This step has now been done (see below), and when you look at the genetic decoding of this O104 strain now threatening food consumers across the EU, a fascinating picture emerges of how it must have come into existence.
Full article; http://www.naturalnews.com/032622_ecoli_bioengineering.html#ixzz1PXn1SG00 http://www.naturalnews.com/032622_ecoli_bioengineering.html
THE NEW ZOOnotic REVIEW: Tracking Diseases Shared Between Humans and Animals and Tracing Their Use as Biological Weapons, Past, Present and Future
Friday, June 17, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
BOVINE DISEASES - AUSTRALIA: EMERGING
*************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 18 May 2011
Source: Warwick Daily News [edited]
Four emerging cattle diseases are threatening Australian dairy herds,
according to one of Australia's top cattle veterinary experts. Cattle
veterinarian Dr Rob Bonanno will focus on 4 emerging cattle diseases
when he addresses the Australian Veterinary Association's Annual
Conference in Adelaide this week [15-20 May 2011].
"These 4 new diseases are a fatal cattle liver disease [acute bovine
liver disease] thought to be caused by an annual grass and a plant
fungus, lameness caused by hairy heel warts [digital dermatitis],
haemorrhagic bowel syndrome, and the growing issue of zinc toxicity,"
Dr Bonanno said.
"Many of these new cattle diseases have become increasingly common
due to the extremely wet weather conditions we have been having in
recent months. A trend towards larger herd sizes is also correlated
with many emerging diseases of importance."
Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD)
---------------------------------
has been recorded in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania,
and Victoria and it is not clear if it is associated with warm, humid
conditions and the presence of an annual grass called rough dog's
tail.
Digital dermatitis or hairy heel wart
-------------------------------------
has become one of the leading causes of lameness in confinement dairy
herds in North America and Europe and is being diagnosed increasingly
in Australia, especially on farms that have adopted intensive systems
of production. The disease is caused by exposure of the feet to a
slurry of manure resulting from poor drainage or poor hygiene
protocols, damage caused by rough flooring, or poor pathways and muddy
conditions.
Haemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
---------------------------------
is being reported with increasing frequency in lactating dairy cattle
in recent years. This sometimes presents as a cause of sudden death,
but also sudden milk drop, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. The
exact cause is not known but risk factors may include rumen and post
rumen acidosis and fungal and bacterial infections.
Zinc toxicity
-------------
is rarely seen in Australia, but can be a symptom of the use of
excessive supplementation in the diet to prevent facial eczema, or
zinc sulphate contamination of feed. Signs can include anorexia,
diarrhoea, chronic constipation, and reduced milk yields.
Dr Bonanno says removal of animals from affected paddocks when the
1st signs of disease appear is critical to prevent new cases and to
limit the toxic damage to mildly affected animals, with "aggressive
early treatment" able to save many cows.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Australia can be seen
at. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[Acute Bovine Liver Disease (ABLD)
----------------------------------
This is a very severe liver condition, the cause remains elusive.
Previously known as phytotoxic hepatitis, acute bovine liver disease
(ABLD) is a disease of beef and dairy cattle. As the name implies,
this is an acute disease with a sudden onset and clinical signs are
most often related to the liver. While it can and does affect cattle
of any age, it is most often seen in animals over 6 months of age.
Those herds of highest risk tend to be the larger herds.
In the case of those that do not die immediately, clinical signs
observed are related to photosensitization -- a severe type of
sunburn. There are two types of photosensitization: one is primary,
where the agent causing photosensitization does not affect the liver;
the second form is where the agents causing photosensitization are not
removed by the liver because the liver is damaged and cannot remove
them. The cattle are agitated, distressed, possibly due to pain of the
sunburn and will seek shade. The sunburn occurs on udders, muzzles,
vulvas, the base of horns and other light skinned areas of the body
such as white faces or legs. These animals are usually depressed,
often with a fever and frequently with a drop in milk production.
There are a few animals that survive; recovery is prolonged and
infection in the infected skin and udders (mastitis) requires
treatment. Anti-inflamatories, antibiotics and treatment for mastitis
are required. The earlier treatment is provided the better the chances
for survival, however long recovery may be.
Rough Dog’s Tail (_Cynosurus echinatus_) is an annual grass that
has been associated with ABLD. What is unknown is whether this is an
indicator of some factor or whether the plant is directly involved.
The plant is not known to be toxic. Warm moist times of the year also
seem to have more cases of ABLD.
Hairy heel warts (HHW)
----------------------
There are some factors that seem to be common among dairies with this
syndrome: herds larger than 200-500 cows; muddy holding pens; and
purchased replacement heifers. The therapy of choice is topical
oxytetracycline with precautions taken to prevent antibiotic residue
in milk or meat. Footbaths commonly are used in herds with HHW but are
not as effective as topical antibiotics.
Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
--------------------------------
This is an acute enteritis with an 80-100 percent mortality. The
bacterium _Clostridium perfringens_ and the fungus _Aspergillus
fumigatus_ have both been implicated in the cause of HBS, but neither
can be linked definitively or consistently to the condition. Acute
signs of HBS include profound depression, tachycardia (rapid heart
rate), decreased milk production, abdominal distension, ruminal
stasis, and dark clotted blood in the feces. Segmental lesions
localized to the jejunum are observed at necropsy. Affected areas of
jejunum contain frank hemorrhage with rapid to immediate clotting,
which forms functional occlusion of the lumen of the small intestine.
Treatment of acutely affected cows with supportive care (fluids,
anti-inflammatories, dextrose] and antimicrobial agents has generally
been ineffective. Common risk factors include season of the year, some
geographical locations, usually the 2nd lactation, and larger herd
sizes.
Zinc intoxication
-----------------
Clinical signs vary based on the duration and degree of exposure.
Signs in cattle include a decrease in weight gain, possibly from mild
anorexia, and a decrease in milk production. - Mod.TG]
[Photo of hairy heel wart:
Image ofRough Dog’s Tail grass (_Cynosurus echinatus_) at:
http://lv-twk.oekosys.tu-berlin.de/project/amanos/plantfamilies/images/Graminae/Cynosurus-echinatus_IMGP7982.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
[see also:
2009
----
Acute bovine liver disease - Australia: (TS) 20090418.1468]
....................................................................sb/tg/mj/ejp/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
############################################################
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 18 May 2011
Source: Warwick Daily News [edited]
Four emerging cattle diseases are threatening Australian dairy herds,
according to one of Australia's top cattle veterinary experts. Cattle
veterinarian Dr Rob Bonanno will focus on 4 emerging cattle diseases
when he addresses the Australian Veterinary Association's Annual
Conference in Adelaide this week [15-20 May 2011].
"These 4 new diseases are a fatal cattle liver disease [acute bovine
liver disease] thought to be caused by an annual grass and a plant
fungus, lameness caused by hairy heel warts [digital dermatitis],
haemorrhagic bowel syndrome, and the growing issue of zinc toxicity,"
Dr Bonanno said.
"Many of these new cattle diseases have become increasingly common
due to the extremely wet weather conditions we have been having in
recent months. A trend towards larger herd sizes is also correlated
with many emerging diseases of importance."
Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD)
---------------------------------
has been recorded in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania,
and Victoria and it is not clear if it is associated with warm, humid
conditions and the presence of an annual grass called rough dog's
tail.
Digital dermatitis or hairy heel wart
-------------------------------------
has become one of the leading causes of lameness in confinement dairy
herds in North America and Europe and is being diagnosed increasingly
in Australia, especially on farms that have adopted intensive systems
of production. The disease is caused by exposure of the feet to a
slurry of manure resulting from poor drainage or poor hygiene
protocols, damage caused by rough flooring, or poor pathways and muddy
conditions.
Haemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
---------------------------------
is being reported with increasing frequency in lactating dairy cattle
in recent years. This sometimes presents as a cause of sudden death,
but also sudden milk drop, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. The
exact cause is not known but risk factors may include rumen and post
rumen acidosis and fungal and bacterial infections.
Zinc toxicity
-------------
is rarely seen in Australia, but can be a symptom of the use of
excessive supplementation in the diet to prevent facial eczema, or
zinc sulphate contamination of feed. Signs can include anorexia,
diarrhoea, chronic constipation, and reduced milk yields.
Dr Bonanno says removal of animals from affected paddocks when the
1st signs of disease appear is critical to prevent new cases and to
limit the toxic damage to mildly affected animals, with "aggressive
early treatment" able to save many cows.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Australia can be seen
at
[Acute Bovine Liver Disease (ABLD)
----------------------------------
This is a very severe liver condition, the cause remains elusive.
Previously known as phytotoxic hepatitis, acute bovine liver disease
(ABLD) is a disease of beef and dairy cattle. As the name implies,
this is an acute disease with a sudden onset and clinical signs are
most often related to the liver. While it can and does affect cattle
of any age, it is most often seen in animals over 6 months of age.
Those herds of highest risk tend to be the larger herds.
In the case of those that do not die immediately, clinical signs
observed are related to photosensitization -- a severe type of
sunburn. There are two types of photosensitization: one is primary,
where the agent causing photosensitization does not affect the liver;
the second form is where the agents causing photosensitization are not
removed by the liver because the liver is damaged and cannot remove
them. The cattle are agitated, distressed, possibly due to pain of the
sunburn and will seek shade. The sunburn occurs on udders, muzzles,
vulvas, the base of horns and other light skinned areas of the body
such as white faces or legs. These animals are usually depressed,
often with a fever and frequently with a drop in milk production.
There are a few animals that survive; recovery is prolonged and
infection in the infected skin and udders (mastitis) requires
treatment. Anti-inflamatories, antibiotics and treatment for mastitis
are required. The earlier treatment is provided the better the chances
for survival, however long recovery may be.
Rough Dog’s Tail (_Cynosurus echinatus_) is an annual grass that
has been associated with ABLD. What is unknown is whether this is an
indicator of some factor or whether the plant is directly involved.
The plant is not known to be toxic. Warm moist times of the year also
seem to have more cases of ABLD.
Hairy heel warts (HHW)
----------------------
There are some factors that seem to be common among dairies with this
syndrome: herds larger than 200-500 cows; muddy holding pens; and
purchased replacement heifers. The therapy of choice is topical
oxytetracycline with precautions taken to prevent antibiotic residue
in milk or meat. Footbaths commonly are used in herds with HHW but are
not as effective as topical antibiotics.
Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
--------------------------------
This is an acute enteritis with an 80-100 percent mortality. The
bacterium _Clostridium perfringens_ and the fungus _Aspergillus
fumigatus_ have both been implicated in the cause of HBS, but neither
can be linked definitively or consistently to the condition. Acute
signs of HBS include profound depression, tachycardia (rapid heart
rate), decreased milk production, abdominal distension, ruminal
stasis, and dark clotted blood in the feces. Segmental lesions
localized to the jejunum are observed at necropsy. Affected areas of
jejunum contain frank hemorrhage with rapid to immediate clotting,
which forms functional occlusion of the lumen of the small intestine.
Treatment of acutely affected cows with supportive care (fluids,
anti-inflammatories, dextrose] and antimicrobial agents has generally
been ineffective. Common risk factors include season of the year, some
geographical locations, usually the 2nd lactation, and larger herd
sizes.
Zinc intoxication
-----------------
Clinical signs vary based on the duration and degree of exposure.
Signs in cattle include a decrease in weight gain, possibly from mild
anorexia, and a decrease in milk production. - Mod.TG]
[Photo of hairy heel wart:
Image ofRough Dog’s Tail grass (_Cynosurus echinatus_) at:
http://lv-twk.oekosys.tu-berlin.de/project/amanos/plantfamilies/images/Graminae/Cynosurus-echinatus_IMGP7982.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
[see also:
2009
----
Acute bovine liver disease - Australia: (TS) 20090418.1468]
....................................................................sb/tg/mj/ejp/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
############################################################
############################################################
ANTHRAX, HUMAN, 2001 - USA (03): MORE QUESTIONS
ANTHRAX, HUMAN, 2001 - USA (03): MORE QUESTIONS - An Innocent Man Blamed?
************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 19 May 2011
Source: McClatchy Newspapers [edited]
Buried in FBI laboratory reports about the anthrax mail attacks that
killed 5 people in 2001 is data suggesting that a chemical may have
been added to try to heighten the powder's potency, a move that some
experts say exceeded the expertise of the presumed killer. The lab
data, contained in more than 9000 pages of files that emerged a year
after the Justice Department closed its inquiry and condemned the late
Army microbiologist Bruce Ivins as the perpetrator, shows unusual
levels of silicon and tin in anthrax powder from 2 of the 5 letters.
Those elements are found in compounds that could be used to weaponize
the anthrax, enabling the lethal spores to float easily so they could
be readily inhaled by the intended victims, scientists say.
The existence of the silicon-tin chemical signature offered
investigators the possibility of tracing purchases of the more than
100 such chemical products available before the attacks, which might
have produced hard evidence against Ivins or led the agency to the
real culprit. But the FBI lab reports released in late February [2011]
give no hint that bureau agents tried to find the buyers of additives
such as tin-catalyzed silicone polymers.
The apparent failure of the FBI to pursue this avenue of
investigation raises the ominous possibility that the killer is still
on the loose.
A McClatchy analysis of the records also shows that other key
scientific questions were left unresolved and conflicting data wasn't
sorted out when the FBI declared Ivins the killer shortly after his
[29 Jul 2008], suicide. One chemist at a national laboratory told
McClatchy that the tin-silicone findings and the contradictory data
should prompt a new round of testing on the anthrax powder. A senior
federal law enforcement official, who was made available only on the
condition of anonymity, said the FBI had ordered exhaustive tests on
the possible sources of silicon in the anthrax and concluded that it
wasn't added. Instead, the lab found that it's common for anthrax
spores to incorporate environmental silicon and oxygen into their
coatings as a "natural phenomenon" that doesn't affect the spores'
behavior, the official said.
To arrive at that position, however, the FBI had to discount its own
bulk testing results showing that silicon composed an extraordinary
10.8 percent of a sample from a mailing to the New York Post and as
much as 1.8 percent of the anthrax from a letter sent to Democratic
Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, far more than the occasional trace
contamination. Tin -- not usually seen in anthrax powder at all -- was
measured at 0.65 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, in those
letters. An FBI spokesman declined to comment on the presence of tin
or to answer other questions about the silicon-tin connection.
Several scientists and former colleagues of Ivins argue that he was a
career biologist who probably lacked the chemistry knowledge and
skills to concoct a silicon-based additive. "There's no way that an
individual scientist can invent a new way of making anthrax using
silicon and tin," said Stuart Jacobsen, a Texas-based analytical
chemist for an electronics company who's closely studied the FBI lab
results. "It requires an institutional effort to do this, such as at a
military lab." Martin Hugh-Jones, a world-renowned anthrax expert who
teaches veterinary medicine at Louisiana State University, called it
"just bizarre" that the labs found both tin -- which can be toxic to
bacteria such as anthrax during lab culturing -- and silicon. "You
have 2 elements at abnormally high levels," Hugh-Jones said. "That
reduces your probability to a very small number that it's an
accident."
The silicon-tin connection wasn't the only lead left open.... In
April [2011], McClatchy reported that after locking in on Ivins in
2007, the bureau stopped searching for a match to a unique genetic
bacterial strain scientists had found in the anthrax that was mailed
to the Post and to NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, although a senior
bureau official had characterized it as the hottest clue to date. FBI
officials say it's all a moot point, because they're positive they got
the right man in Ivins. A mentally troubled anthrax researcher at the
US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases [USAMRIID]
at Fort Detrick, Maryland, Ivins overdosed on drugs not long after
learning that he'd soon face 5 counts of capital murder.
In ending the inquiry last year [2010], the Justice Department said
that a genetic fingerprint had pointed investigators to Ivins' lab,
and gumshoe investigative techniques enabled them to compile
considerable circumstantial evidence that demonstrated his guilt.
Among these proofs, prosecutors cited Ivins' alleged attempt to steer
investigators away from a flask of anthrax in his lab that genetically
matched the mailed powder -- anthrax that had been shared with other
researchers. They also noted his anger over a looming congressional
cut in funds for his research on a new anthrax vaccine. However, the
FBI never found hard evidence that Ivins produced the anthrax or that
he scrawled threatening letters seemingly meant to resemble those of
Islamic terrorists. Or that he secretly took late-night drives to
Princeton, New Jersey, to mail them. The FBI declared Ivins the killer
soon after paying USD 5.8 million to settle a suit filed by another
former USAMRIID researcher, Steven Hatfill, whom the agency mistakenly
had targeted earlier in its investigation.
The letters, mailed just weeks after the [11 Sep 2001] terrorist
attacks, not only went to the New York Post, Leahy, and Brokaw, but
also to American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida, and to Democratic
then-Sen Tom Daschle of South Dakota. 5 people died, 17 were sickened,
and about 31 000 were forced to take powerful antibiotics for weeks.
Crews wearing moon suits spent several weeks eradicating the spores
from a Senate office building and a central Postal Service facility in
Washington.
The FBI guarded its laboratory's finding of 10.8 percent silicon in
the Post letter for years. New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler
asked FBI Director Robert Mueller how much silicon was in the Post and
Leahy letters at a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in
September 2008. The Justice Department responded 7 months later that
silicon made up 1.4 percent of the Leahy powder (without disclosing
the 1.8 percent reading) and that "a reliable quantitative measurement
was not possible" for the Post letter. The bureau's conclusions that
silicon was absorbed naturally drew a gentle challenge in February
from a panel of the National Academy of Sciences, which evaluated the
investigation's lab work.
While finding no evidence that silicon had been added to the mailed
anthrax, the panel noted deep in its report that the FBI had provided
"no compelling explanation" for conflicts in silicon test results
between the Sandia National Laboratories and its own lab. Sandia --
which used electron microscopes, unlike the FBI -- reported only 1/10
as much silicon in the New York Post letter as the bureau's lab did.
Sandia said it was all embedded in the spore coatings, where it wasn't
harmful. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology ran a 3rd set of
tests and found pockets of heavy silica concentrations, but it
couldn't say whether they were inside or outside the spores.
Jacobsen, the Texas chemist, suspects that the silica pockets
represented excess material that went through a chemical reaction and
hardened before it could penetrate the spores.
The National Academy of Sciences panel wrote that the varying
composition of the powder might have accounted for the differing
findings. While finding no evidence that silicon was added, the panel
said it "cannot rule out the intentional addition of a silicon-based
substance ... in a failed attempt to enhance dispersion" of the New
York Post powder. Tufts University chemistry professor David Walt, who
led the panel's analysis of the silicon issue, said in a phone
interview that "there was not enough silicon in the spores that could
account for the total silicon content of the bulk analysis." He said
it was unclear whether the "trace" levels of tin were significant.
During the FBI's 7-year hunt, the Department of Homeland Security
commissioned a team of chemists at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory in California to grow anthrax-like spores under varying
conditions to see how much silicon would end up naturally in the final
product. They found little, if any, silicon in most cases, far less
than was in the New York Post letter, said Stephan Velsko, one of the
2 researchers. He called the tin readings from the FBI's anthrax data
"baffling." Peter Weber, Velsko's co-researcher, said the academy
panel's focus on the conflicting data "raises a big question," and
"it'd be really helpful for closure of this case if that was
resolved." He suggested that further "micro-analysis" with a highly
sophisticated electron microscope could "pop the question marks really
quickly." In a chapter in a recently updated book, "Microbial
Forensics," Velsko wrote that the anthrax "must have indeed been
produced under an unusual set of conditions" to create such high
silicon counts. That scenario, he cautioned, might not be "consistent
with the prosecution narrative in this case."
About 100 tin-catalyzed silicone products are on the market, and an
even wider array was available in 2000 and 2001, before the mailings,
said Richie Ashburn, a vice president of one manufacturer, Silicones
Inc., in High Point, North Carolina. Mike Wilson, a chemist for
another silicone products maker, SiVance, in Gainesville, Florida,
said that numerous silicon products could be used to make spores or
other particles water-repellent. He also said that the ratios of
silicon to tin found in the Post and Leahy samples would be "about
right" if a tin-catalyzed silicone had been added to the spores.
Jacobsen, a Scottish-born and -educated chemist who once experimented
with silicon coatings on dust particles, said he got interested in the
spore chemistry after hearing rumors in late 2001 that a US military
facility had made the killer potions. He called it "outrageous" that
the scientific issues haven't been addressed. "America, the most
advanced country in the world, and the FBI have every resource
available to them," he said. "And yet they have no compelling
explanation for not properly analyzing the biggest forensic clue in
the most important investigation the FBI labs had ever gotten in their
history."
As a result of Ivins' death and the unanswered scientific issues,
Congress' investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office, is
investigating the FBI's handling of the anthrax inquiry.
[Byline: Greg Gordon, Tish Wells contributed]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[This report is parallel to the evidence we -- Barbara Rosenberg,
Stuart Jacobsen, and myself -- submitted to the NAS (National Academy
of Sciences) committee last summer (2010). A fuller version is in the
final stages of preparation for submission to a suitable journal. The
sad part about this is that Sandia provided the FBI with key evidence
on the levels of silicone in letter-content spores in late October
2001. If the latter had had the wit to follow up on it at that time
all this would be history and the true perpetrator(s) suitably dealt
with. Also tracking past sales of silane and siloxane chemicals to
institutes and agencies handling _Bacillus anthracis_ would have
produced a short list for immediate visits and interviews by FBI
agents with search warrants, and then the names of who would have had
access to the products of their polymerization research. - Mod.MHJ]
[see also:
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (02): ongoing questions 20110223.0601
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA: Nat'l Research Council rep.
20110216.0511
2010
----
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (06) 20100921.3407
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (05) 20100424.1326
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (04) 20100324.0933
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (03) 20100305.0727
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (02): FBI case closed 20100219.0575
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA 20100125.0281
2009
----
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (03): NAS review 20090507.1707]
.......................................................................mhj/mj/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 19 May 2011
Source: McClatchy Newspapers [edited]
Buried in FBI laboratory reports about the anthrax mail attacks that
killed 5 people in 2001 is data suggesting that a chemical may have
been added to try to heighten the powder's potency, a move that some
experts say exceeded the expertise of the presumed killer. The lab
data, contained in more than 9000 pages of files that emerged a year
after the Justice Department closed its inquiry and condemned the late
Army microbiologist Bruce Ivins as the perpetrator, shows unusual
levels of silicon and tin in anthrax powder from 2 of the 5 letters.
Those elements are found in compounds that could be used to weaponize
the anthrax, enabling the lethal spores to float easily so they could
be readily inhaled by the intended victims, scientists say.
The existence of the silicon-tin chemical signature offered
investigators the possibility of tracing purchases of the more than
100 such chemical products available before the attacks, which might
have produced hard evidence against Ivins or led the agency to the
real culprit. But the FBI lab reports released in late February [2011]
give no hint that bureau agents tried to find the buyers of additives
such as tin-catalyzed silicone polymers.
The apparent failure of the FBI to pursue this avenue of
investigation raises the ominous possibility that the killer is still
on the loose.
A McClatchy analysis of the records also shows that other key
scientific questions were left unresolved and conflicting data wasn't
sorted out when the FBI declared Ivins the killer shortly after his
[29 Jul 2008], suicide. One chemist at a national laboratory told
McClatchy that the tin-silicone findings and the contradictory data
should prompt a new round of testing on the anthrax powder. A senior
federal law enforcement official, who was made available only on the
condition of anonymity, said the FBI had ordered exhaustive tests on
the possible sources of silicon in the anthrax and concluded that it
wasn't added. Instead, the lab found that it's common for anthrax
spores to incorporate environmental silicon and oxygen into their
coatings as a "natural phenomenon" that doesn't affect the spores'
behavior, the official said.
To arrive at that position, however, the FBI had to discount its own
bulk testing results showing that silicon composed an extraordinary
10.8 percent of a sample from a mailing to the New York Post and as
much as 1.8 percent of the anthrax from a letter sent to Democratic
Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, far more than the occasional trace
contamination. Tin -- not usually seen in anthrax powder at all -- was
measured at 0.65 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, in those
letters. An FBI spokesman declined to comment on the presence of tin
or to answer other questions about the silicon-tin connection.
Several scientists and former colleagues of Ivins argue that he was a
career biologist who probably lacked the chemistry knowledge and
skills to concoct a silicon-based additive. "There's no way that an
individual scientist can invent a new way of making anthrax using
silicon and tin," said Stuart Jacobsen, a Texas-based analytical
chemist for an electronics company who's closely studied the FBI lab
results. "It requires an institutional effort to do this, such as at a
military lab." Martin Hugh-Jones, a world-renowned anthrax expert who
teaches veterinary medicine at Louisiana State University, called it
"just bizarre" that the labs found both tin -- which can be toxic to
bacteria such as anthrax during lab culturing -- and silicon. "You
have 2 elements at abnormally high levels," Hugh-Jones said. "That
reduces your probability to a very small number that it's an
accident."
The silicon-tin connection wasn't the only lead left open.... In
April [2011], McClatchy reported that after locking in on Ivins in
2007, the bureau stopped searching for a match to a unique genetic
bacterial strain scientists had found in the anthrax that was mailed
to the Post and to NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, although a senior
bureau official had characterized it as the hottest clue to date. FBI
officials say it's all a moot point, because they're positive they got
the right man in Ivins. A mentally troubled anthrax researcher at the
US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases [USAMRIID]
at Fort Detrick, Maryland, Ivins overdosed on drugs not long after
learning that he'd soon face 5 counts of capital murder.
In ending the inquiry last year [2010], the Justice Department said
that a genetic fingerprint had pointed investigators to Ivins' lab,
and gumshoe investigative techniques enabled them to compile
considerable circumstantial evidence that demonstrated his guilt.
Among these proofs, prosecutors cited Ivins' alleged attempt to steer
investigators away from a flask of anthrax in his lab that genetically
matched the mailed powder -- anthrax that had been shared with other
researchers. They also noted his anger over a looming congressional
cut in funds for his research on a new anthrax vaccine. However, the
FBI never found hard evidence that Ivins produced the anthrax or that
he scrawled threatening letters seemingly meant to resemble those of
Islamic terrorists. Or that he secretly took late-night drives to
Princeton, New Jersey, to mail them. The FBI declared Ivins the killer
soon after paying USD 5.8 million to settle a suit filed by another
former USAMRIID researcher, Steven Hatfill, whom the agency mistakenly
had targeted earlier in its investigation.
The letters, mailed just weeks after the [11 Sep 2001] terrorist
attacks, not only went to the New York Post, Leahy, and Brokaw, but
also to American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida, and to Democratic
then-Sen Tom Daschle of South Dakota. 5 people died, 17 were sickened,
and about 31 000 were forced to take powerful antibiotics for weeks.
Crews wearing moon suits spent several weeks eradicating the spores
from a Senate office building and a central Postal Service facility in
Washington.
The FBI guarded its laboratory's finding of 10.8 percent silicon in
the Post letter for years. New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler
asked FBI Director Robert Mueller how much silicon was in the Post and
Leahy letters at a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in
September 2008. The Justice Department responded 7 months later that
silicon made up 1.4 percent of the Leahy powder (without disclosing
the 1.8 percent reading) and that "a reliable quantitative measurement
was not possible" for the Post letter. The bureau's conclusions that
silicon was absorbed naturally drew a gentle challenge in February
from a panel of the National Academy of Sciences, which evaluated the
investigation's lab work.
While finding no evidence that silicon had been added to the mailed
anthrax, the panel noted deep in its report that the FBI had provided
"no compelling explanation" for conflicts in silicon test results
between the Sandia National Laboratories and its own lab. Sandia --
which used electron microscopes, unlike the FBI -- reported only 1/10
as much silicon in the New York Post letter as the bureau's lab did.
Sandia said it was all embedded in the spore coatings, where it wasn't
harmful. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology ran a 3rd set of
tests and found pockets of heavy silica concentrations, but it
couldn't say whether they were inside or outside the spores.
Jacobsen, the Texas chemist, suspects that the silica pockets
represented excess material that went through a chemical reaction and
hardened before it could penetrate the spores.
The National Academy of Sciences panel wrote that the varying
composition of the powder might have accounted for the differing
findings. While finding no evidence that silicon was added, the panel
said it "cannot rule out the intentional addition of a silicon-based
substance ... in a failed attempt to enhance dispersion" of the New
York Post powder. Tufts University chemistry professor David Walt, who
led the panel's analysis of the silicon issue, said in a phone
interview that "there was not enough silicon in the spores that could
account for the total silicon content of the bulk analysis." He said
it was unclear whether the "trace" levels of tin were significant.
During the FBI's 7-year hunt, the Department of Homeland Security
commissioned a team of chemists at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory in California to grow anthrax-like spores under varying
conditions to see how much silicon would end up naturally in the final
product. They found little, if any, silicon in most cases, far less
than was in the New York Post letter, said Stephan Velsko, one of the
2 researchers. He called the tin readings from the FBI's anthrax data
"baffling." Peter Weber, Velsko's co-researcher, said the academy
panel's focus on the conflicting data "raises a big question," and
"it'd be really helpful for closure of this case if that was
resolved." He suggested that further "micro-analysis" with a highly
sophisticated electron microscope could "pop the question marks really
quickly." In a chapter in a recently updated book, "Microbial
Forensics," Velsko wrote that the anthrax "must have indeed been
produced under an unusual set of conditions" to create such high
silicon counts. That scenario, he cautioned, might not be "consistent
with the prosecution narrative in this case."
About 100 tin-catalyzed silicone products are on the market, and an
even wider array was available in 2000 and 2001, before the mailings,
said Richie Ashburn, a vice president of one manufacturer, Silicones
Inc., in High Point, North Carolina. Mike Wilson, a chemist for
another silicone products maker, SiVance, in Gainesville, Florida,
said that numerous silicon products could be used to make spores or
other particles water-repellent. He also said that the ratios of
silicon to tin found in the Post and Leahy samples would be "about
right" if a tin-catalyzed silicone had been added to the spores.
Jacobsen, a Scottish-born and -educated chemist who once experimented
with silicon coatings on dust particles, said he got interested in the
spore chemistry after hearing rumors in late 2001 that a US military
facility had made the killer potions. He called it "outrageous" that
the scientific issues haven't been addressed. "America, the most
advanced country in the world, and the FBI have every resource
available to them," he said. "And yet they have no compelling
explanation for not properly analyzing the biggest forensic clue in
the most important investigation the FBI labs had ever gotten in their
history."
As a result of Ivins' death and the unanswered scientific issues,
Congress' investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office, is
investigating the FBI's handling of the anthrax inquiry.
[Byline: Greg Gordon, Tish Wells contributed]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[This report is parallel to the evidence we -- Barbara Rosenberg,
Stuart Jacobsen, and myself -- submitted to the NAS (National Academy
of Sciences) committee last summer (2010). A fuller version is in the
final stages of preparation for submission to a suitable journal. The
sad part about this is that Sandia provided the FBI with key evidence
on the levels of silicone in letter-content spores in late October
2001. If the latter had had the wit to follow up on it at that time
all this would be history and the true perpetrator(s) suitably dealt
with. Also tracking past sales of silane and siloxane chemicals to
institutes and agencies handling _Bacillus anthracis_ would have
produced a short list for immediate visits and interviews by FBI
agents with search warrants, and then the names of who would have had
access to the products of their polymerization research. - Mod.MHJ]
[see also:
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (02): ongoing questions 20110223.0601
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA: Nat'l Research Council rep.
20110216.0511
2010
----
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (06) 20100921.3407
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (05) 20100424.1326
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (04) 20100324.0933
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (03) 20100305.0727
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (02): FBI case closed 20100219.0575
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA 20100125.0281
2009
----
Anthrax, human, 2001 - USA (03): NAS review 20090507.1707]
.......................................................................mhj/mj/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
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############################################################
Friday, May 20, 2011
"Whirling Disease" Spreads to Utah, Md. Waterways, Killing Off US Fish
WHIRLING DISEASE, SALMONIDS - USA (UTAH, MARYLAND)
**************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
In this posting:
[1] Utah: kokanee salmon
[2] Maryland: rainbow trout
******
[1] Utah: kokanee salmon
Date: Wed 18 May 2011
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune [edited]
Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Add yet another name to the list of
predators chasing kokanee salmon at Flaming Gorge Reservoir and its
tributaries. But unlike other fish, this new threat can't be seen
coming because it is microscopic.
Kokanee salmon [aka sockeye or red salmon] have joined the list of
fish species in the state infected with whirling disease. The
discovery came last fall [2010] during an annual disease
certification, when 9 of the 60 fish pulled from Sheep Creek -- a
popular spawning run for the introduced and non-native salmon -- came
up with spores from the whirling disease parasite.
"This was just another blow to kokanee that we didn't need," said
Ryan Mosley, Flaming Gorge project leader for the Utah Division of
Wildlife Resources (DWR).
Whirling disease attacks juvenile trout and salmon and can lead to
deformities and death.
The kokanee at the Gorge already have a number of serious threats.
Lake trout, another non-native species, dine on the salmon, and
burbot, a ferocious and illegally introduced predator, recently
entered the reservoir and also have a major craving for kokanee. Even
mammals are in on the dining. Otters in Flaming Gorge have discovered
the salmon in Sheep Creek are pretty easy pickings when they are in
the river to spawn.
Of course, humans also enjoy fishing salmon for dinner. A large
percentage of anglers make the Gorge fishery their destination
specifically because of the salmon.
"40 percent of the anglers in the summer are after kokanee," Mosley
said. State biologists are not sure what the discovery of the whirling
disease spore means to the kokanee population at Flaming Gorge, as
there is not a lot of documented research on the impact the disease
has on salmon.
However, there is another known salmon population infected with
whirling in Utah. Many feared the kokanee in Cache County's Porcupine
Reservoir could be wiped out by whirling disease, but the salmon have
held on at the reservoir. A large number of the salmon in Flaming
Gorge are a result of natural recruitment -- adults spawning and their
offspring surviving. The fish in Sheep Creek contribute only 5 percent
of that recruitment and the rest comes from kokanee that spawn in the
lake. Fish in lakes do not seem as susceptible to the whirling disease
parasite as those in streams and rivers.
Meanwhile, the DWR [Division of Wildlife Resources], in conjunction
with Wyoming Fish and Game, tries to augment the natural population by
stocking between 600 000 and 1.2 million salmon.
One other major concern is downstream from Flaming Gorge. The Green
River, a blue ribbon trout fishery recognized across the world, is now
likely to eventually be diagnosed with the disease.
However, because the majority of fish in the river are brown trout --
which are resilient to the malady -- and the rainbows in the river are
planted from hatcheries, the impact could be minimal.
"Whirling disease has not been the end of everything as many feared
could happen," Mosley said. "We have been pretty fortunate with it.
"Other states have had to deal with major impacts. I'm optimistic we
will make it through this. Hopefully, we don't see any major impacts
in either fishery."
[Byline: Brett Prettyman]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
[The state of Utah and Flaming Gorge Reservoir can be located on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
.
Photos of kokanee salmon can be seen at
and
.
- Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[2] Maryland: rainbow trout
Date: Thu 19 May 2011
Source: The Bay Net [edited]
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the
presence of whirling disease in a delivery of 8000 commercially
produced rainbow trout stocked in several Western Maryland streams.
These fish are safe to consume, as the disease does not harm humans.
"While we believe this event represents a low risk, DNR considers the
health of Maryland's trout streams and populations a key priority,"
said Fisheries Service Director Tom O'Connell. "Our goal is to
eventually raise all stocked trout within DNR hatcheries. We are
currently developing several new opportunities to expand our hatchery
resources, which will allow us to rigorously monitor and control fish
health issues."
On 11 May 2011, DNR staff observed suspicious behavior in fish that
had been stocked in the North Branch Delayed Harvest Area, Evitts
Creek, Jennings Run, and Sidling Hill Creek. They immediately ceased
stocking activities and took samples for testing. Results of this
sampling confirmed the presence of whirling disease.
The whirling disease parasite was introduced into the eastern United
States from Europe in the late 1950s and is currently known to exist
in 24 states. It was first discovered in Maryland in 1995 in the North
Branch Potomac River. Although harmless to humans, the parasite can be
fatal to trout and is particularly harmful to rainbow trout. DNR is
continuing further testing to investigate this outbreak and working
with the vendor in question to determine why potentially diseased fish may have been delivered. DNR will accept no fish from this vendor
pending the results of this assessment.
DNR established an ongoing disease monitoring program on trout
streams in 2007. Although whirling disease was introduced to several
watersheds in fall 2006, test results have shown that it has not
become established in any areas except the North Branch of the Potomac
River. Regular monitoring and Maryland's past experience and enhanced
understanding of the disease life cycle suggest that the risk of
disease to wild trout populations from this introduction may be low.
However, as a precaution, DNR biologists will conduct additional
disease sampling of adults and sentinel fingerlings over the next
several years.
DNR hatchery resources cannot meet all the demand for stocked trout,
so commercially produced fish are used to supplement spring trout
stocking. Vendors that supply fish to the State are required to be
certified disease free for 3 years. In order to meet spring stocking
goals, DNR is reallocating rigorously tested DNR hatchery produced
fish originally slated for fall stocking.
DNR annually stocks approximately 328 000 fish for the spring trout
season. DNR reminds anglers to help prevent the spread of disease and
invasive organisms by cleaning boots and equipment thoroughly after
fishing. Most importantly, do not move fish from one stream to another
or discard carcasses in streams or on stream banks.
A brochure on whirling disease is available at
.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The state of Maryland can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at.
Photos of rainbow trout can be seen at
and
.
- Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[Whirling disease affects fish in the trout and salmon [Salmonid]
family. By damaging cartilage, whirling disease can kill young fish
directly, or cause infected fish to swim in an uncontrolled whirling
motion. This can make it impossible for them to escape predators or to
effectively seek food.
Whirling disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called
_Myxobolus cerebralis_. The parasite was introduced to the United
States from Europe in the 1950s and has spread to many streams across
the country. The whirling disease parasite has been found in wild fish
and fish hatcheries in 25 states.
Once established in a stream, the parasite cannot be eradicated, nor
can its worm host, without significantly damaging the ecosystem.
Whirling disease has no known human health effects. Currently there is
no known treatment for affected fish. However, practice management in
hatcheries can reduce the risk.
The disease does not affect humans, only fish in the trout and salmon
family. The infective stage of the parasite can penetrate human skin
and tissues but it does not survive at a human's natural body
temperature. Therefore the disease is harmless to humans and even if
an infected fish is consumed, it will not affect humans.
The disease can be quite devastating to fish and is a concern for all
when it is found in a body of water. Anglers can help by disinfecting
boats, boots, lines, live-wells, and other equipment prior to arrival
at a new/different body of water.
Portions of this comment were extracted from
[see also: other usa outbreaks
2007
----
Whirling disease, fish - USA (AK) 20070606.1826
Whirling disease, fish - USA (MD) (03) 20070505.1454
Whirling Disease, fish - USA (MD) (02) 20070217.0598
Whirling disease, fish - USA (MD) 20070215.0571
2006
----
Whirling disease, fish - USA (UT) 20061214.3517
Whirling disease, fish - USA (OR): transmission 20061105.3175
2005
----
Whirling disease, fish hatchery - USA (UT) 20050429.1194
2003
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Wyoming) 20030228.0495
2002
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Montana) 20021012.5534
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Utah) 20020711.4724
Whirling disease, trout - USA: resistance 20020326.3820
2001
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Utah) 20010209.0263
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Wyoming) 20010105.0041
2000
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (New York) 20001122.2028
Whirling disease, trout hatchery - USA (Wyoming) (02) 20000605.0902
Whirling disease, trout hatcheries - USA (Wyoming) 20000517.0774
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Utah) 20000421.0592
Whirling disease - USA (New Mexico) 20000117.0063]
.................................................sb/tg/mj/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
############################################################
Reply Reply to all Forward
**************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
In this posting:
[1] Utah: kokanee salmon
[2] Maryland: rainbow trout
******
[1] Utah: kokanee salmon
Date: Wed 18 May 2011
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune [edited]
Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Add yet another name to the list of
predators chasing kokanee salmon at Flaming Gorge Reservoir and its
tributaries. But unlike other fish, this new threat can't be seen
coming because it is microscopic.
Kokanee salmon [aka sockeye or red salmon] have joined the list of
fish species in the state infected with whirling disease. The
discovery came last fall [2010] during an annual disease
certification, when 9 of the 60 fish pulled from Sheep Creek -- a
popular spawning run for the introduced and non-native salmon -- came
up with spores from the whirling disease parasite.
"This was just another blow to kokanee that we didn't need," said
Ryan Mosley, Flaming Gorge project leader for the Utah Division of
Wildlife Resources (DWR).
Whirling disease attacks juvenile trout and salmon and can lead to
deformities and death.
The kokanee at the Gorge already have a number of serious threats.
Lake trout, another non-native species, dine on the salmon, and
burbot, a ferocious and illegally introduced predator, recently
entered the reservoir and also have a major craving for kokanee. Even
mammals are in on the dining. Otters in Flaming Gorge have discovered
the salmon in Sheep Creek are pretty easy pickings when they are in
the river to spawn.
Of course, humans also enjoy fishing salmon for dinner. A large
percentage of anglers make the Gorge fishery their destination
specifically because of the salmon.
"40 percent of the anglers in the summer are after kokanee," Mosley
said. State biologists are not sure what the discovery of the whirling
disease spore means to the kokanee population at Flaming Gorge, as
there is not a lot of documented research on the impact the disease
has on salmon.
However, there is another known salmon population infected with
whirling in Utah. Many feared the kokanee in Cache County's Porcupine
Reservoir could be wiped out by whirling disease, but the salmon have
held on at the reservoir. A large number of the salmon in Flaming
Gorge are a result of natural recruitment -- adults spawning and their
offspring surviving. The fish in Sheep Creek contribute only 5 percent
of that recruitment and the rest comes from kokanee that spawn in the
lake. Fish in lakes do not seem as susceptible to the whirling disease
parasite as those in streams and rivers.
Meanwhile, the DWR [Division of Wildlife Resources], in conjunction
with Wyoming Fish and Game, tries to augment the natural population by
stocking between 600 000 and 1.2 million salmon.
One other major concern is downstream from Flaming Gorge. The Green
River, a blue ribbon trout fishery recognized across the world, is now
likely to eventually be diagnosed with the disease.
However, because the majority of fish in the river are brown trout --
which are resilient to the malady -- and the rainbows in the river are
planted from hatcheries, the impact could be minimal.
"Whirling disease has not been the end of everything as many feared
could happen," Mosley said. "We have been pretty fortunate with it.
"Other states have had to deal with major impacts. I'm optimistic we
will make it through this. Hopefully, we don't see any major impacts
in either fishery."
[Byline: Brett Prettyman]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
[The state of Utah and Flaming Gorge Reservoir can be located on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
Photos of kokanee salmon can be seen at
- Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[2] Maryland: rainbow trout
Date: Thu 19 May 2011
Source: The Bay Net [edited]
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the
presence of whirling disease in a delivery of 8000 commercially
produced rainbow trout stocked in several Western Maryland streams.
These fish are safe to consume, as the disease does not harm humans.
"While we believe this event represents a low risk, DNR considers the
health of Maryland's trout streams and populations a key priority,"
said Fisheries Service Director Tom O'Connell. "Our goal is to
eventually raise all stocked trout within DNR hatcheries. We are
currently developing several new opportunities to expand our hatchery
resources, which will allow us to rigorously monitor and control fish
health issues."
On 11 May 2011, DNR staff observed suspicious behavior in fish that
had been stocked in the North Branch Delayed Harvest Area, Evitts
Creek, Jennings Run, and Sidling Hill Creek. They immediately ceased
stocking activities and took samples for testing. Results of this
sampling confirmed the presence of whirling disease.
The whirling disease parasite was introduced into the eastern United
States from Europe in the late 1950s and is currently known to exist
in 24 states. It was first discovered in Maryland in 1995 in the North
Branch Potomac River. Although harmless to humans, the parasite can be
fatal to trout and is particularly harmful to rainbow trout. DNR is
continuing further testing to investigate this outbreak and working
with the vendor in question to determine why potentially diseased fish may have been delivered. DNR will accept no fish from this vendor
pending the results of this assessment.
DNR established an ongoing disease monitoring program on trout
streams in 2007. Although whirling disease was introduced to several
watersheds in fall 2006, test results have shown that it has not
become established in any areas except the North Branch of the Potomac
River. Regular monitoring and Maryland's past experience and enhanced
understanding of the disease life cycle suggest that the risk of
disease to wild trout populations from this introduction may be low.
However, as a precaution, DNR biologists will conduct additional
disease sampling of adults and sentinel fingerlings over the next
several years.
DNR hatchery resources cannot meet all the demand for stocked trout,
so commercially produced fish are used to supplement spring trout
stocking. Vendors that supply fish to the State are required to be
certified disease free for 3 years. In order to meet spring stocking
goals, DNR is reallocating rigorously tested DNR hatchery produced
fish originally slated for fall stocking.
DNR annually stocks approximately 328 000 fish for the spring trout
season. DNR reminds anglers to help prevent the spread of disease and
invasive organisms by cleaning boots and equipment thoroughly after
fishing. Most importantly, do not move fish from one stream to another
or discard carcasses in streams or on stream banks.
A brochure on whirling disease is available at
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The state of Maryland can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at
Photos of rainbow trout can be seen at
and
- Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[Whirling disease affects fish in the trout and salmon [Salmonid]
family. By damaging cartilage, whirling disease can kill young fish
directly, or cause infected fish to swim in an uncontrolled whirling
motion. This can make it impossible for them to escape predators or to
effectively seek food.
Whirling disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called
_Myxobolus cerebralis_. The parasite was introduced to the United
States from Europe in the 1950s and has spread to many streams across
the country. The whirling disease parasite has been found in wild fish
and fish hatcheries in 25 states.
Once established in a stream, the parasite cannot be eradicated, nor
can its worm host, without significantly damaging the ecosystem.
Whirling disease has no known human health effects. Currently there is
no known treatment for affected fish. However, practice management in
hatcheries can reduce the risk.
The disease does not affect humans, only fish in the trout and salmon
family. The infective stage of the parasite can penetrate human skin
and tissues but it does not survive at a human's natural body
temperature. Therefore the disease is harmless to humans and even if
an infected fish is consumed, it will not affect humans.
The disease can be quite devastating to fish and is a concern for all
when it is found in a body of water. Anglers can help by disinfecting
boats, boots, lines, live-wells, and other equipment prior to arrival
at a new/different body of water.
Portions of this comment were extracted from
[see also: other usa outbreaks
2007
----
Whirling disease, fish - USA (AK) 20070606.1826
Whirling disease, fish - USA (MD) (03) 20070505.1454
Whirling Disease, fish - USA (MD) (02) 20070217.0598
Whirling disease, fish - USA (MD) 20070215.0571
2006
----
Whirling disease, fish - USA (UT) 20061214.3517
Whirling disease, fish - USA (OR): transmission 20061105.3175
2005
----
Whirling disease, fish hatchery - USA (UT) 20050429.1194
2003
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Wyoming) 20030228.0495
2002
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Montana) 20021012.5534
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Utah) 20020711.4724
Whirling disease, trout - USA: resistance 20020326.3820
2001
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Utah) 20010209.0263
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Wyoming) 20010105.0041
2000
----
Whirling disease, trout - USA (New York) 20001122.2028
Whirling disease, trout hatchery - USA (Wyoming) (02) 20000605.0902
Whirling disease, trout hatcheries - USA (Wyoming) 20000517.0774
Whirling disease, trout - USA (Utah) 20000421.0592
Whirling disease - USA (New Mexico) 20000117.0063]
.................................................sb/tg/mj/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
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Reply Reply to all Forward
Saturday, April 30, 2011
HANTAVIRUS UPDATE 2011 - AMERICAS (24) ARGENTINA (1) CHILE (5) USA (4)
Korean hemorrhagic fever (Hantavirus) was one of three hemorrhagic fevers and one of more than a dozen agents that the United States researched as potential biological weapons before suspending its biological weapons program.
*************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
In this update:
[1] Argentina (Santa Fe)
[2] Chile (Los Rios)
[3] Chile (Araucania)
[4] USA (Montana)
******
[1] Argentina (Santa Fe)
Date: Fri 29 Apr 2011
Source: Diario Victoria [in Spanish, trans. & summ, Mod.TY, edited]
Following up on another fatal victim, a young man from Granadero
Baigorria, Rosario municipal health [office]stated that the initial
tests indicate that he was infected by [a] hantavirus and not by
leptospirosis. On Tuesday [26 Apr 2011] the 28-year-old man from
Granadero Baigorria who worked as a shepherd in a wetland farm, died
after 2 agonizing days in a Rosario hospital, according to the Santa
Fe Director of Epidemiology, Julio Befani.
According to the Director's statement, the youth was taken 1st on
Tuesday [26 Apr 2011] to the Alberdi de Rosario Hospital and from
there was referred to the Clemente Alvarez [facility] where death
occurred. [Benfani] clarified [the situation] that the cause of death
has not yet been established, and that laboratory samples were sent
for testing and final classification at the Instituto Maiztegui in
Santa Fe. "We only know that he [the patient] was admitted with a
febrile syndrome compatible with [a] hantavirus or leptospirosis
[infection], but as of now we do not have [laboratory] results so we
are not sure if he died of one or the other disease."
For another case, the Director of Epidemiology of the Rosario office,
Lelio Mangiaterra, stated that the tests for a 24-year-old person from
Siete Colinas, who died last week [week of 17 Apr 2011] revealed that
the death was caused by [a] hantavirus [infection].
Mangiaterra explained that the spread of these diseases is
multicausal. "It is due to environmental conditions and the confluence
of rodents on the island [such as] the increase in the river [level],
an ecological phenomenon such as decreases in predators, or absence of
fires. It is important to note that the focus [of transmission] is not
in an urban environment."
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts vis ProMED-mail
[Several hantaviruses have been associated with human infection in
Argentina: Andes virus (western Argentina, in the long-tailed pygmy
rice rat host, _Oligoryzomys longicaudatus_); related Andes-like
viruses Hu39694 (in central Argentina; rodent host unknown);
Lechiguana (in central Argentina in the yellow pygmy rice rat _O.
flavescens_); Oran (in northwestern Argentina in _O. longicaudatus_);
and Bermejo (western Argentina in _O. flavescens_) virus. This case
may have been caused by Lechiguana virus infection, but without
laboratory confirmation, it is not possible to say with certainty.
An image of _O. flavescens_ can be accessed at
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Argentina showing the
location of Granadero Baigorria in Santa Fe province can be accessed
at
- Mod.TY]
******
[2] Chile (Los Rios)
Date: Wed 27 Apr 2011
Source: EMOL [in Spanish, trans. & summ. Mod.TY edited]
A 45-year-old individual from Frutillare would be the 4th case of [a]
hantavirus [infection] registered in the Los Rios region. The
individual is currently interned in the Puerto Montt Hospital Base
according to details from Radio Bio Bio. According to reports, the
individual is stable and up to now help by mechanical respiration has
not been necessary.
Health authorities in the area are carrying out rigorous procedures
to establish the place were the infection occurred and establish if
there are other infected people.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
[The most likely hantavirus involved in this case and the following
one, below, is Andes virus.
An image of the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (_Oligoryzomys
longicaudatus_), the sigmodontine rodent host of Andes hantavirus, can
be seen at
.
The regions of Chile can be seen on the map at
.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Chile showing the Los
Lagos region can be accessed at
- Mod.TY]
******
[3] Chile (Araucania)
Date: Mon 25 Apr 2011
Source: El Austral [in Spanish, trans. & summ, Mod.TY, edited]
A new victim was hit by hantavirus [infection] in La Araucania.
Saturday afternoon [23 Apr 2011] a young woman of just 19 years died
in the [Valdivia] Regional Hospital suspected of having the disease.
On Thursday [21 Apr 2011] she came to the [Temuco] regional medical
center with a serious respiratory picture, coming from a rural area in
Melipeuco. The patient was connected to a mechanical respirator and
the rapid test [for a hantavirus infection] was positive; this would
be the 4th fatal victim of the virus in La Araucania.
According to the Health SEREMI [Regional Ministerial Secretariat of
Health], Gloria Rodriguez, [later, the patient] was admitted to the
intensive care unit of the Temuco Hospital. Although the rapid test
was positive, the SERMI said that they awaited confirmation from the
Institute of Public Health [ISP], the results of which would be
available this week. "We have information that this concerns the young
woman from a rural area in Melipeuco, which would be suspicious of [a]
hantavirus [infection], but this week we sent sample to the ISP and
began visits to to the place where she had been infected and
interviewed the family.
According to the information provided by SEREMI, if the tests are
positive, this would be the 3rd fatal case due to [a] hantavirus
infection in the region just this year [2011]. However, this would be
the 4th person affected by the virus, given that one survived.
As for these infections, SERMI indicated that since we are in autumn,
it is important that the families take necessary precautions,
especially in rural areas that the long-tailed [pygmy] rat inhabits.
"Despite the fact that the disease is more frequent in summer, it is
important to also take into account the measures in this season and in
winter, above all when there are colonies of these rats [in
buildings]," she said. It is important to avoid entry of these rats,
keep houses clean, garbage in sealed, covered containers and control
rats outside of houses. Also, it is important to not camp near high
risk areas.
[Byline: Tania Marquez]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts vis ProMED-mail
[A map showing the location of the Araucania region of Chile can be
accessed at
and Melipeuco in that region at
- Mod.TY]
******
[4] USA (Montana)
Date: Mon 25 Apr 2011
Source: The Republic [edited]
Park County health officials say a 46-year-old Livingston-area woman
has died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Coroner Al Jenkins tells
the Livingston Enterprise that the woman died on 8 Apr [2011] while
she was being transported to a Billings hospital. The woman had
visited Park Clinic on 7 Apr [2011] with symptoms including a high
fever, muscle fatigue and an extreme headache. She checked into the
emergency room the next day also suffering from shortness of breath
and extreme congestion.
[Sin Nombre] hantavirus can be contracted through inhaling the
droppings or urine of deer mice [_Peromyscus maniculatus_] or touching
the droppings or urine and then touching one's eyes, nose or mouth.
--
Communicated by:
Tony Schountz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology
School of Biological Sciences
University of Northern Colorado
501 20th Street
Greeley, CO 80639
[These types of report usually do not indicate which hantavirus is
involved. In fact, there are many, several capable of causing
hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The virus involved in this fatal case
is most likely Sin Nombre virus.
An image of _Peromyscus maniculatus_, the rodent host of Sin Nombre
virus, can be accessed at
.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the USA showing the
location of Montana can be accessed at
and Park county in Montana at
- Mod.TY]
[see also:
Hantavirus update 2011 - Americas (23): USA, Chile 20110422.1265
Hantavirus update 2011 - Americas (21): Chile (BI), USA (CO)
20110409.1105
Hantavirus update 2011 - Americas (08): Argentina (SA) susp.
20110228.0662
2010
----
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (41): Argentina (BA) 20101231.4614
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (40): Chile, French Guiana
20101224.4542
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (36): USA (CO) 20101101.3955]
.................................................jw/ty/ejp/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
############################################################
*************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
In this update:
[1] Argentina (Santa Fe)
[2] Chile (Los Rios)
[3] Chile (Araucania)
[4] USA (Montana)
******
[1] Argentina (Santa Fe)
Date: Fri 29 Apr 2011
Source: Diario Victoria [in Spanish, trans. & summ, Mod.TY, edited]
Following up on another fatal victim, a young man from Granadero
Baigorria, Rosario municipal health [office]stated that the initial
tests indicate that he was infected by [a] hantavirus and not by
leptospirosis. On Tuesday [26 Apr 2011] the 28-year-old man from
Granadero Baigorria who worked as a shepherd in a wetland farm, died
after 2 agonizing days in a Rosario hospital, according to the Santa
Fe Director of Epidemiology, Julio Befani.
According to the Director's statement, the youth was taken 1st on
Tuesday [26 Apr 2011] to the Alberdi de Rosario Hospital and from
there was referred to the Clemente Alvarez [facility] where death
occurred. [Benfani] clarified [the situation] that the cause of death
has not yet been established, and that laboratory samples were sent
for testing and final classification at the Instituto Maiztegui in
Santa Fe. "We only know that he [the patient] was admitted with a
febrile syndrome compatible with [a] hantavirus or leptospirosis
[infection], but as of now we do not have [laboratory] results so we
are not sure if he died of one or the other disease."
For another case, the Director of Epidemiology of the Rosario office,
Lelio Mangiaterra, stated that the tests for a 24-year-old person from
Siete Colinas, who died last week [week of 17 Apr 2011] revealed that
the death was caused by [a] hantavirus [infection].
Mangiaterra explained that the spread of these diseases is
multicausal. "It is due to environmental conditions and the confluence
of rodents on the island [such as] the increase in the river [level],
an ecological phenomenon such as decreases in predators, or absence of
fires. It is important to note that the focus [of transmission] is not
in an urban environment."
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts vis ProMED-mail
[Several hantaviruses have been associated with human infection in
Argentina: Andes virus (western Argentina, in the long-tailed pygmy
rice rat host, _Oligoryzomys longicaudatus_); related Andes-like
viruses Hu39694 (in central Argentina; rodent host unknown);
Lechiguana (in central Argentina in the yellow pygmy rice rat _O.
flavescens_); Oran (in northwestern Argentina in _O. longicaudatus_);
and Bermejo (western Argentina in _O. flavescens_) virus. This case
may have been caused by Lechiguana virus infection, but without
laboratory confirmation, it is not possible to say with certainty.
An image of _O. flavescens_ can be accessed at
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Argentina showing the
location of Granadero Baigorria in Santa Fe province can be accessed
at
******
[2] Chile (Los Rios)
Date: Wed 27 Apr 2011
Source: EMOL [in Spanish, trans. & summ. Mod.TY edited]
A 45-year-old individual from Frutillare would be the 4th case of [a]
hantavirus [infection] registered in the Los Rios region. The
individual is currently interned in the Puerto Montt Hospital Base
according to details from Radio Bio Bio. According to reports, the
individual is stable and up to now help by mechanical respiration has
not been necessary.
Health authorities in the area are carrying out rigorous procedures
to establish the place were the infection occurred and establish if
there are other infected people.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
[The most likely hantavirus involved in this case and the following
one, below, is Andes virus.
An image of the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (_Oligoryzomys
longicaudatus_), the sigmodontine rodent host of Andes hantavirus, can
be seen at
The regions of Chile can be seen on the map at
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Chile showing the Los
Lagos region can be accessed at
******
[3] Chile (Araucania)
Date: Mon 25 Apr 2011
Source: El Austral [in Spanish, trans. & summ, Mod.TY, edited]
A new victim was hit by hantavirus [infection] in La Araucania.
Saturday afternoon [23 Apr 2011] a young woman of just 19 years died
in the [Valdivia] Regional Hospital suspected of having the disease.
On Thursday [21 Apr 2011] she came to the [Temuco] regional medical
center with a serious respiratory picture, coming from a rural area in
Melipeuco. The patient was connected to a mechanical respirator and
the rapid test [for a hantavirus infection] was positive; this would
be the 4th fatal victim of the virus in La Araucania.
According to the Health SEREMI [Regional Ministerial Secretariat of
Health], Gloria Rodriguez, [later, the patient] was admitted to the
intensive care unit of the Temuco Hospital. Although the rapid test
was positive, the SERMI said that they awaited confirmation from the
Institute of Public Health [ISP], the results of which would be
available this week. "We have information that this concerns the young
woman from a rural area in Melipeuco, which would be suspicious of [a]
hantavirus [infection], but this week we sent sample to the ISP and
began visits to to the place where she had been infected and
interviewed the family.
According to the information provided by SEREMI, if the tests are
positive, this would be the 3rd fatal case due to [a] hantavirus
infection in the region just this year [2011]. However, this would be
the 4th person affected by the virus, given that one survived.
As for these infections, SERMI indicated that since we are in autumn,
it is important that the families take necessary precautions,
especially in rural areas that the long-tailed [pygmy] rat inhabits.
"Despite the fact that the disease is more frequent in summer, it is
important to also take into account the measures in this season and in
winter, above all when there are colonies of these rats [in
buildings]," she said. It is important to avoid entry of these rats,
keep houses clean, garbage in sealed, covered containers and control
rats outside of houses. Also, it is important to not camp near high
risk areas.
[Byline: Tania Marquez]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts vis ProMED-mail
[A map showing the location of the Araucania region of Chile can be
accessed at
and Melipeuco in that region at
******
[4] USA (Montana)
Date: Mon 25 Apr 2011
Source: The Republic [edited]
Park County health officials say a 46-year-old Livingston-area woman
has died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Coroner Al Jenkins tells
the Livingston Enterprise that the woman died on 8 Apr [2011] while
she was being transported to a Billings hospital. The woman had
visited Park Clinic on 7 Apr [2011] with symptoms including a high
fever, muscle fatigue and an extreme headache. She checked into the
emergency room the next day also suffering from shortness of breath
and extreme congestion.
[Sin Nombre] hantavirus can be contracted through inhaling the
droppings or urine of deer mice [_Peromyscus maniculatus_] or touching
the droppings or urine and then touching one's eyes, nose or mouth.
--
Communicated by:
Tony Schountz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology
School of Biological Sciences
University of Northern Colorado
501 20th Street
Greeley, CO 80639
[These types of report usually do not indicate which hantavirus is
involved. In fact, there are many, several capable of causing
hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The virus involved in this fatal case
is most likely Sin Nombre virus.
An image of _Peromyscus maniculatus_, the rodent host of Sin Nombre
virus, can be accessed at
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the USA showing the
location of Montana can be accessed at
[see also:
Hantavirus update 2011 - Americas (23): USA, Chile 20110422.1265
Hantavirus update 2011 - Americas (21): Chile (BI), USA (CO)
20110409.1105
Hantavirus update 2011 - Americas (08): Argentina (SA) susp.
20110228.0662
2010
----
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (41): Argentina (BA) 20101231.4614
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (40): Chile, French Guiana
20101224.4542
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (36): USA (CO) 20101101.3955]
.................................................jw/ty/ejp/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
############################################################
############################################################
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
EQUINE HERPESVIRUS, EQUINE - USA (06): (NEW JERSEY)
EQUINE HERPESVIRUS, EQUINE - USA (06): (NEW JERSEY)
***************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Fri 15 Apr 2011
Source: newjerseynewsroom.com [edited]
2nd Monmouth County horse farm quarantined amid equine herpes
outbreak
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tourelay Farm and Overbrook Farm see activity restricted for 3
weeks.
A 2nd horse farm in Colts Neck, Monmouth County, has been quarantined
as part of a state Department of Agriculture [NJDA] investigation into
an outbreak of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus, type 1
(EHV-1) that has led to the death of 1 horse and sickened 5 others.
The disease was discovered on Wednesday [13 Apr 2011) by a private
veterinarian treating a sick horse at the 1st farm, Overbrook Farm.
The filly was euthanized by the veterinarian after it failed to
respond to treatment. 5 other Overbrook Farm horses are recovering
from the illnesses.
The Agriculture Department's tracing activities at Overbrook Farm to
determine the extent of the outbreak led to Friday's [15 Apr 2011]
quarantine of Tourelay Farm but no sick horses have been reported
there.
Overbrook Farm was quarantined Thursday (14 Apr 2011), meaning horse
movement on and off the property has ceased and only essential farm
personnel are allowed access to limit the spread of the virus. While
the disease is not dangerous to humans, personnel must utilize
biosecurity measures, such as disinfectant foot baths, coveralls,
disposable gloves, hand washing and disinfectant hand gels, and
non-sharing of tack between horses.
The Overbrook Farm and Tourelay Farm quarantines are expected to last
21 days, unless more horses become ill. All quarantines are based on
risk assessment.
The Agriculture Department has been in contact with Colts Neck
Township officials to keep them informed of the efforts to contain the
virus and protect animals.
The EHV-1 virus spreads quickly from horse to horse, has a high
morbidity, and can cause a wide range of clinical signs, from a
complete lack of clinical signs to respiratory problems, especially in
young horses, and spontaneous abortions in pregnant mares. The
neurologic form of EHV-1, additionally, can cause an acute paralytic
syndrome, which results in a high mortality. The incubation period of
EHV-1 is typically 2 to 10 days. The virus spreads readily through
direct contact with infected materials.
The virus does not affect other domestic animals, with the exception
of llamas and alpacas.
Concerned owners should consult their veterinarian prior to taking
any action as the clinical signs of infection with the neurological
form of EHV-1 are common to many other diseases. The neurologic form
of EHV is a reportable disease in New Jersey.
More information about the disease, in PDF format, is available at
.
If an owner has a horse that is exhibiting neurologic signs or
suspects equine herpes, they are directed to call their veterinarian
immediately.
The NJDA Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory provides testing for the
neurologic form of EHV-1. For more information for to
.
[byline: Tom Hester Sr]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The websites provided within the article are very helpful and
thorough. - Mod.TG
New Jersey can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive
map at. Monmouth County can be seen on
the map at
. -
Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[see also:
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (05): (NY) quarantine lifted
20110417.1201
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (04): (NY) Cornell U 20110407.1083
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (03): (NY) Cornell U 20110405.1057
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (02): (NY) Cornell U, RFI
20110403.1038
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA: (NY) Cornell University
20110402.1021
2010
---
Equine herpesvirus - USA (04): (NY) 20101129.4286
Equine herpesvirus - USA (03): (NJ) 20100408.1131
Equine herpesvirus - USA (02): (NJ) susp. 20100403.1071
Equine herpesvirus - USA: (LA) 20100101.0016]
.................................................tg/mj/sh
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
############################################################
***************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Fri 15 Apr 2011
Source: newjerseynewsroom.com [edited]
2nd Monmouth County horse farm quarantined amid equine herpes
outbreak
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tourelay Farm and Overbrook Farm see activity restricted for 3
weeks.
A 2nd horse farm in Colts Neck, Monmouth County, has been quarantined
as part of a state Department of Agriculture [NJDA] investigation into
an outbreak of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus, type 1
(EHV-1) that has led to the death of 1 horse and sickened 5 others.
The disease was discovered on Wednesday [13 Apr 2011) by a private
veterinarian treating a sick horse at the 1st farm, Overbrook Farm.
The filly was euthanized by the veterinarian after it failed to
respond to treatment. 5 other Overbrook Farm horses are recovering
from the illnesses.
The Agriculture Department's tracing activities at Overbrook Farm to
determine the extent of the outbreak led to Friday's [15 Apr 2011]
quarantine of Tourelay Farm but no sick horses have been reported
there.
Overbrook Farm was quarantined Thursday (14 Apr 2011), meaning horse
movement on and off the property has ceased and only essential farm
personnel are allowed access to limit the spread of the virus. While
the disease is not dangerous to humans, personnel must utilize
biosecurity measures, such as disinfectant foot baths, coveralls,
disposable gloves, hand washing and disinfectant hand gels, and
non-sharing of tack between horses.
The Overbrook Farm and Tourelay Farm quarantines are expected to last
21 days, unless more horses become ill. All quarantines are based on
risk assessment.
The Agriculture Department has been in contact with Colts Neck
Township officials to keep them informed of the efforts to contain the
virus and protect animals.
The EHV-1 virus spreads quickly from horse to horse, has a high
morbidity, and can cause a wide range of clinical signs, from a
complete lack of clinical signs to respiratory problems, especially in
young horses, and spontaneous abortions in pregnant mares. The
neurologic form of EHV-1, additionally, can cause an acute paralytic
syndrome, which results in a high mortality. The incubation period of
EHV-1 is typically 2 to 10 days. The virus spreads readily through
direct contact with infected materials.
The virus does not affect other domestic animals, with the exception
of llamas and alpacas.
Concerned owners should consult their veterinarian prior to taking
any action as the clinical signs of infection with the neurological
form of EHV-1 are common to many other diseases. The neurologic form
of EHV is a reportable disease in New Jersey.
More information about the disease, in PDF format, is available at
If an owner has a horse that is exhibiting neurologic signs or
suspects equine herpes, they are directed to call their veterinarian
immediately.
The NJDA Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory provides testing for the
neurologic form of EHV-1. For more information for to
[byline: Tom Hester Sr]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The websites provided within the article are very helpful and
thorough. - Mod.TG
New Jersey can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive
map at
the map at
Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[see also:
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (05): (NY) quarantine lifted
20110417.1201
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (04): (NY) Cornell U 20110407.1083
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (03): (NY) Cornell U 20110405.1057
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA (02): (NY) Cornell U, RFI
20110403.1038
Equine herpesvirus, equine - USA: (NY) Cornell University
20110402.1021
2010
---
Equine herpesvirus - USA (04): (NY) 20101129.4286
Equine herpesvirus - USA (03): (NJ) 20100408.1131
Equine herpesvirus - USA (02): (NJ) susp. 20100403.1071
Equine herpesvirus - USA: (LA) 20100101.0016]
.................................................tg/mj/sh
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
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DENGUE/DHF UPDATE 2011 (16)
***************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
In this update:
[1] Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Beni, La Paz)
[2] Cases in various countries:
Brazil (Paraibo)
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro state)
Brazil (Ceara)
Brazil (Alagoas)
Brazil (Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Campinas, Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Parana)
Paraguay (Health Regions IX and XII)
Paraguay (national)
Argentina (Chaco)
Maldives
Barbados
USA (Maui, Hawaii)
******
[1] Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Beni, La Paz)
Date: Tue 12 Apr 2011
From: Juan Saavedra Quintanilla [in Spanish,
trans. Mod.TY, edited]
Up to 8 Apr [2011] (13th epidemiological week), 11 341 probable
dengue cases have been reported, with 2280 confirmed and 27 deaths.
These numbers exceed the total numbers of dengue cases of 2010, which
were more than 9000 cases.
The departments [state or province equivalent] most affected are
Santa Cruz de la Sierra with 5727 probable cases, 1404 confirmed cases
and 11 deaths; Beni with 3269 probable cases, 314 confirmed cases and
14 deaths, and La Paz reports 993 probable cases, 308 confirmed cases
and one death.
More than 80 per cent are due to [dengue virus] serotype 2 and the
rest for serotypes 1 and 3. In the Caja Petrolera de Salud (Santa
Cruz) Hospital, more than 80 per cent of admitted patients have a
positive tourniquet test, minor mucosal bleeding, thrombocytopenia and
ascites, vascular wall edema and/or plural leakage as a manifestation
of increased capillary permeability. According to the WHO
classification, this corresponds with DHF grades I and II; more than
50 per cent have elevated transaminases, and about 75 per cent of the
admitted patients indicate that this is their 1st dengue episode.
Vector control and other measures are being intensified to deal with
this [situation].
--
Dr Juan Saavedra Quintanilla
Jefe Servicio Infectologia
Caja Petrolera de Salud
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
[ProMED-mail thanks Dr Saavedra for this firsthand report of the
dengue outbreak in Santa Cruz and La Paz departments. One hopes that
this epidemic in the Santa Cruz department is not as severe as ones in
the recent past, which have filled hospital beds there and overtaxed
health care systems.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Bolivia showing the
location of Santa Cruz department can be accessed at
. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map showing the
location of the Beni department can be accessed at
. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map
of Bolivia showing the location of La Paz department can be accessed
at. - Mod.TY]
******
[2] Cases in various countries:
- Brazil (Paraiba). 13 Apr 2011. The director of epidemiological
surveillance of the Joao Pessoa municipality indicated in a new
bulletin that there is an increase in the number of dengue cases.
Joao Pessoa has a total of 893 reported dengue cases, which
represents an increase of 249 cases in 15 days. Confirmed cases of
classical dengue fever from (type 1 [virus]) increased from 126 to 199
in the past 2 weeks. There is an alert situation in the capital with a
current incidence of 113 cases per 100 000 population; this is not
characterized as an epidemic.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Paraiba state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Rio de Janeiro state). 14 Apr 2011. Almost 20 per cent of
Rio de Janeiro state is having a dengue epidemic. According to the
statement issued yesterday [13 Apr 2011] by the state Secretariat of
Health, residents in 17 municipalities run the risk of being hit by
the disease. There are 3 more cities [at risk] than last week, when 14
faced this situation. The bulletin also stated that since January
[2011], 35 dengue deaths were confirmed, most in the capital, with 11
deaths. The Rio [de Janeiro] municipality is not under an epidemic,
but the situation is complicated. According to the bulletin, of the 45
489 [dengue] cases reported in 2011 [in the state], 48 per cent are
concentrated in the capital.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Rio de Janeiro state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Ceara). 16 Apr 2011. In all of Ceara, the number of
confirmed dengue cases has reached 11 807. There are more than 1000
cases confirmed in this past week. One case was confirmed as dengue
[virus] type 4. In 2010, there were 13 196 dengue cases in the state.
The number of dengue deaths increases each week in Ceara. This past
week, 3 deaths were confirmed, and now there are 25 deaths due to the
disease with 38 still under investigation.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Ceara state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Alagoas). 13 Apr 2011. In the last 3 months [January
through March 2011], Alagoas registered 6240 fewer dengue cases than
in the same period last year [2010], representing a decrease of 70 per
cent. During the same period of 2010, 9672 [dengue] cases were
registered, whereas between 1 Jan - 2 Apr [2011], there were 3432
cases. in
Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Alagoas state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Sao Paulo state). 12 Apr 2011. The Sao Paulo state
Secretariat of Health confirmed 10 cases of dengue [virus] type 4
[infections] in the state as of this Monday [11 Apr 2011]. According
to this agency, the cases are concentrated in the Sao Jose do Rio
Preto region (438 km [272 mi] from Sao Paulo city).
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY]
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state). 13 Apr 2011. Ribeirao
Preto confirmed an additional 853 dengue cases this past week. The
city now has 8256 confirmed cases of the disease, according to the
bulletin issued by the Secretariat of Health this Wednesday (13 [Apr
2011]). The city is undergoing a [dengue] epidemic. Despite these
large numbers, there has been a decline in relation to last year
[2010], when almost 14 000 cases were registered up to the last week
of March 2010. In all of 2010, the city had 30 000 cases with 9
deaths. This year [2011], the city has one confirmed [dengue] death,
in January 2011. Another 2 [deaths] are under investigation.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Campinas, Sao Paulo state). 13 Apr 2011. In just 15 days,
the number of confirmed dengue cases climbed 17 per cent, going from
480 people with the disease to 562. According to data from the
[health] office, 4 people had complications from the disease, and
another 3 presented with DHF symptoms. No deaths have been registered.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Campinas, Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state). 11 Apr 2011. As of the end of
this weekend, the number of confirmed dengue cases in Sorocaba totaled
609, according to a bulletin issued by the municipal Secretariat of
Health. Of this total, 583 are patients who contracted the disease in
the city, and 26 were imported [from elsewhere].
in Portuguese, trans. Mod TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Brazil (Parana). 10 Apr 2011. The number of confirmed dengue cases
in health area 10 have reached 393, but according to information from
this agency, the total could exceed 400, once laboratory results for
181 [more cases] become available.
in
Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Parana state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Paraguay (Health Regions IX and XII). 17 Apr 2011. According to
Health Region XII, 24 dengue cases have been confirmed. The region was
considered practically free of the disease up until the present.
Health Region IX yesterday [16 Apr 2011] registered 250 positive
dengue cases, with another 150 with samples awaiting [test results].
in Spanish, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Paraguay can be accessed
at. - Mod TY]
- Paraguay (national). 16 Apr 2011. The minister of public health and
social welfare, Esperanza Martinez, admitted that this is the worst
dengue epidemic in the history of this South American country. From
January 2011 to the present, 26 792 people with febrile syndromes have
been registered, and the reported incidence rate has increased to 157
cases per 100 000 population. Ivan Allende, director of health
surveillance, stated to reporters that there are 62 deaths associated
with the disease, of which 30 were confirmed, 13 were discarded, and
another 19 continue under investigation. Allende stated that the
greatest outbreaks were in Asuncion and its metropolitan area, and the
serious situation will continue for another 2 or 3 weeks more.
in Spanish, trans. Mod.TY.
- Argentina (Chaco). 16 Apr 2011. The minister of health, Francisco
Baquero, indicated that to date Chaco registered 5 confirmed cases and
7 probable cases of dengue fever, and there are another 5 under study.
The patients with confirmed diagnoses were released [from health care]
and are in perfect condition. There is concern in Choco because of the
serious epidemics in the neighboring countries of Paraguay, Brazil and
Bolivia. in
Spanish, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Argentina showing the
location of Chaco province can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Saudi Arabia (Jeddah). 16 Apr 2011. There have been 26 suspected
cases of dengue fever since the floods, 6 of which were confirmed,
Sami Badawood, director of health affairs in Jeddah, said in a phone
interview
.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Saudi Arabia showing the
location of Jeddah can be accessed at. -
Mod.TY]
- Maldives. 12 Apr 2011. The Maldives is battling a growing epidemic
of dengue fever which is believed to have contributed to the deaths of
at least 5 people this year [2011]. More than 300 cases were reported
in the 1st 2 months of 2011, compared with 737 cases and 2 fatalities
reported last year [2010]. The more serious cases have
disproportionately affected children.
.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of the
Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- Barbados. 11 Apr 2011. A recent release issued by the Ministry of
Health has revealed that over the 1st 9 weeks of this year [2011], 135
cases of dengue fever were confirmed by laboratory testing, and one
death was recorded. The ministry also revealed that 570 cases of
dengue fever and 4 deaths were recorded in 2010. This compares with
2008 when, during the 1st 9 weeks of the year, 2 deaths were verified,
and 212 cases were documented, following an epidemic in 2007
.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of
Barbados in the Caribbean can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
- USA (Maui, Hawaii). 13 Apr 2011. Three new cases of dengue fever
are suspected in Hana, along with a possible case in Haliimaile and an
additional 2 or 3 Upcountry, according to health officials. Maui
district health officer Dr Lorrin Pang also said at least one of 2
cases previously suspected in Keanae has been confirmed by a
laboratory in Hawaii, although he was still waiting for official
verification from a Center for Disease Control lab in Puerto Rico
.
[David Duffy has reminded us that Hana was the
focus of the 2001 outbreak, very wet and rural on the windward side.
Haliimaile is near the Kahului Airport in dry sugar cane country on
the leeward side.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the USA showing the
location of Maui in Hawaii state can be accessed at
. - Mod.TY]
[see also:
Dengue/DHF update 2011 (15) 20110411.1146
Dengue/DHF update 2011 (12) 20110325.0938
Dengue/DHF update 2011 (10) 20110306.0743
2010
---
Dengue/DHF update 2010 (53) 20101018.3777
Dengue/DHF update 2010 (38) 20100727.2520
---
Dengue - USA (Hawaii) (04) 20011006.2424
Dengue - USA (Hawaii) 20010922.2296]
.................................................sb/lm/ty/msp/sh
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
############################################################
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
In this update:
[1] Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Beni, La Paz)
[2] Cases in various countries:
Brazil (Paraibo)
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro state)
Brazil (Ceara)
Brazil (Alagoas)
Brazil (Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Campinas, Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state)
Brazil (Parana)
Paraguay (Health Regions IX and XII)
Paraguay (national)
Argentina (Chaco)
Maldives
Barbados
USA (Maui, Hawaii)
******
[1] Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Beni, La Paz)
Date: Tue 12 Apr 2011
From: Juan Saavedra Quintanilla
trans. Mod.TY, edited]
Up to 8 Apr [2011] (13th epidemiological week), 11 341 probable
dengue cases have been reported, with 2280 confirmed and 27 deaths.
These numbers exceed the total numbers of dengue cases of 2010, which
were more than 9000 cases.
The departments [state or province equivalent] most affected are
Santa Cruz de la Sierra with 5727 probable cases, 1404 confirmed cases
and 11 deaths; Beni with 3269 probable cases, 314 confirmed cases and
14 deaths, and La Paz reports 993 probable cases, 308 confirmed cases
and one death.
More than 80 per cent are due to [dengue virus] serotype 2 and the
rest for serotypes 1 and 3. In the Caja Petrolera de Salud (Santa
Cruz) Hospital, more than 80 per cent of admitted patients have a
positive tourniquet test, minor mucosal bleeding, thrombocytopenia and
ascites, vascular wall edema and/or plural leakage as a manifestation
of increased capillary permeability. According to the WHO
classification, this corresponds with DHF grades I and II; more than
50 per cent have elevated transaminases, and about 75 per cent of the
admitted patients indicate that this is their 1st dengue episode.
Vector control and other measures are being intensified to deal with
this [situation].
--
Dr Juan Saavedra Quintanilla
Jefe Servicio Infectologia
Caja Petrolera de Salud
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
[ProMED-mail thanks Dr Saavedra for this firsthand report of the
dengue outbreak in Santa Cruz and La Paz departments. One hopes that
this epidemic in the Santa Cruz department is not as severe as ones in
the recent past, which have filled hospital beds there and overtaxed
health care systems.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Bolivia showing the
location of Santa Cruz department can be accessed at
location of the Beni department can be accessed at
of Bolivia showing the location of La Paz department can be accessed
at
******
[2] Cases in various countries:
- Brazil (Paraiba). 13 Apr 2011. The director of epidemiological
surveillance of the Joao Pessoa municipality indicated in a new
bulletin that there is an increase in the number of dengue cases.
Joao Pessoa has a total of 893 reported dengue cases, which
represents an increase of 249 cases in 15 days. Confirmed cases of
classical dengue fever from (type 1 [virus]) increased from 126 to 199
in the past 2 weeks. There is an alert situation in the capital with a
current incidence of 113 cases per 100 000 population; this is not
characterized as an epidemic.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Paraiba state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Rio de Janeiro state). 14 Apr 2011. Almost 20 per cent of
Rio de Janeiro state is having a dengue epidemic. According to the
statement issued yesterday [13 Apr 2011] by the state Secretariat of
Health, residents in 17 municipalities run the risk of being hit by
the disease. There are 3 more cities [at risk] than last week, when 14
faced this situation. The bulletin also stated that since January
[2011], 35 dengue deaths were confirmed, most in the capital, with 11
deaths. The Rio [de Janeiro] municipality is not under an epidemic,
but the situation is complicated. According to the bulletin, of the 45
489 [dengue] cases reported in 2011 [in the state], 48 per cent are
concentrated in the capital.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Rio de Janeiro state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Ceara). 16 Apr 2011. In all of Ceara, the number of
confirmed dengue cases has reached 11 807. There are more than 1000
cases confirmed in this past week. One case was confirmed as dengue
[virus] type 4. In 2010, there were 13 196 dengue cases in the state.
The number of dengue deaths increases each week in Ceara. This past
week, 3 deaths were confirmed, and now there are 25 deaths due to the
disease with 38 still under investigation.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Ceara state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Alagoas). 13 Apr 2011. In the last 3 months [January
through March 2011], Alagoas registered 6240 fewer dengue cases than
in the same period last year [2010], representing a decrease of 70 per
cent. During the same period of 2010, 9672 [dengue] cases were
registered, whereas between 1 Jan - 2 Apr [2011], there were 3432
cases.
Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Alagoas state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Sao Paulo state). 12 Apr 2011. The Sao Paulo state
Secretariat of Health confirmed 10 cases of dengue [virus] type 4
[infections] in the state as of this Monday [11 Apr 2011]. According
to this agency, the cases are concentrated in the Sao Jose do Rio
Preto region (438 km [272 mi] from Sao Paulo city).
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY]
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state). 13 Apr 2011. Ribeirao
Preto confirmed an additional 853 dengue cases this past week. The
city now has 8256 confirmed cases of the disease, according to the
bulletin issued by the Secretariat of Health this Wednesday (13 [Apr
2011]). The city is undergoing a [dengue] epidemic. Despite these
large numbers, there has been a decline in relation to last year
[2010], when almost 14 000 cases were registered up to the last week
of March 2010. In all of 2010, the city had 30 000 cases with 9
deaths. This year [2011], the city has one confirmed [dengue] death,
in January 2011. Another 2 [deaths] are under investigation.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Campinas, Sao Paulo state). 13 Apr 2011. In just 15 days,
the number of confirmed dengue cases climbed 17 per cent, going from
480 people with the disease to 562. According to data from the
[health] office, 4 people had complications from the disease, and
another 3 presented with DHF symptoms. No deaths have been registered.
in Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Campinas, Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state). 11 Apr 2011. As of the end of
this weekend, the number of confirmed dengue cases in Sorocaba totaled
609, according to a bulletin issued by the municipal Secretariat of
Health. Of this total, 583 are patients who contracted the disease in
the city, and 26 were imported [from elsewhere].
in Portuguese, trans. Mod TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state can be accessed at
- Brazil (Parana). 10 Apr 2011. The number of confirmed dengue cases
in health area 10 have reached 393, but according to information from
this agency, the total could exceed 400, once laboratory results for
181 [more cases] become available.
Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil showing the
location of Parana state can be accessed at
- Paraguay (Health Regions IX and XII). 17 Apr 2011. According to
Health Region XII, 24 dengue cases have been confirmed. The region was
considered practically free of the disease up until the present.
Health Region IX yesterday [16 Apr 2011] registered 250 positive
dengue cases, with another 150 with samples awaiting [test results].
in Spanish, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Paraguay can be accessed
at
- Paraguay (national). 16 Apr 2011. The minister of public health and
social welfare, Esperanza Martinez, admitted that this is the worst
dengue epidemic in the history of this South American country. From
January 2011 to the present, 26 792 people with febrile syndromes have
been registered, and the reported incidence rate has increased to 157
cases per 100 000 population. Ivan Allende, director of health
surveillance, stated to reporters that there are 62 deaths associated
with the disease, of which 30 were confirmed, 13 were discarded, and
another 19 continue under investigation. Allende stated that the
greatest outbreaks were in Asuncion and its metropolitan area, and the
serious situation will continue for another 2 or 3 weeks more.
in Spanish, trans. Mod.TY.
- Argentina (Chaco). 16 Apr 2011. The minister of health, Francisco
Baquero, indicated that to date Chaco registered 5 confirmed cases and
7 probable cases of dengue fever, and there are another 5 under study.
The patients with confirmed diagnoses were released [from health care]
and are in perfect condition. There is concern in Choco because of the
serious epidemics in the neighboring countries of Paraguay, Brazil and
Bolivia.
Spanish, trans. Mod.TY.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Argentina showing the
location of Chaco province can be accessed at
- Saudi Arabia (Jeddah). 16 Apr 2011. There have been 26 suspected
cases of dengue fever since the floods, 6 of which were confirmed,
Sami Badawood, director of health affairs in Jeddah, said in a phone
interview
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Saudi Arabia showing the
location of Jeddah can be accessed at
Mod.TY]
- Maldives. 12 Apr 2011. The Maldives is battling a growing epidemic
of dengue fever which is believed to have contributed to the deaths of
at least 5 people this year [2011]. More than 300 cases were reported
in the 1st 2 months of 2011, compared with 737 cases and 2 fatalities
reported last year [2010]. The more serious cases have
disproportionately affected children.
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of the
Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean can be accessed at
- Barbados. 11 Apr 2011. A recent release issued by the Ministry of
Health has revealed that over the 1st 9 weeks of this year [2011], 135
cases of dengue fever were confirmed by laboratory testing, and one
death was recorded. The ministry also revealed that 570 cases of
dengue fever and 4 deaths were recorded in 2010. This compares with
2008 when, during the 1st 9 weeks of the year, 2 deaths were verified,
and 212 cases were documented, following an epidemic in 2007
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of
Barbados in the Caribbean can be accessed at
- USA (Maui, Hawaii). 13 Apr 2011. Three new cases of dengue fever
are suspected in Hana, along with a possible case in Haliimaile and an
additional 2 or 3 Upcountry, according to health officials. Maui
district health officer Dr Lorrin Pang also said at least one of 2
cases previously suspected in Keanae has been confirmed by a
laboratory in Hawaii, although he was still waiting for official
verification from a Center for Disease Control lab in Puerto Rico
[David Duffy
focus of the 2001 outbreak, very wet and rural on the windward side.
Haliimaile is near the Kahului Airport in dry sugar cane country on
the leeward side.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the USA showing the
location of Maui in Hawaii state can be accessed at
[see also:
Dengue/DHF update 2011 (15) 20110411.1146
Dengue/DHF update 2011 (12) 20110325.0938
Dengue/DHF update 2011 (10) 20110306.0743
2010
---
Dengue/DHF update 2010 (53) 20101018.3777
Dengue/DHF update 2010 (38) 20100727.2520
---
Dengue - USA (Hawaii) (04) 20011006.2424
Dengue - USA (Hawaii) 20010922.2296]
.................................................sb/lm/ty/msp/sh
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
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