Keeping tabs on Dengue Fever: Stay tuned |
For this weekend is the peak of the biggest travel holiday on earth; The Lunar New Year. |
| In many Asian cultures it is a long held tradition that people return home to attend a reunion dinner with their families on the eve of the lunar New Year. |
Duck and chicken are, as you might imagine, popular dishes during these gatherings. And the live markets do tremendous business this time of year. |
All of which provides opportunities for flu viruses to hitch rides to remote areas of the world where they may not have arrived yet, and for viruses to be carried from rural areas back to the cities. Read more at afludiary.blogspot.com |
| Bird flu hits many provinces |
| Bird flu is now spreading rapidly in many provinces after a long period of containment, the Department of Animal Health (DAH) said on February 8. |
All avian flu is passed through contact with feces, urine, and sweat. Ending the crowded live markets cuts down contact between birds and birds and people, as well as mutation of the influenza. If Indonesia, Viet Nam, Cambodia, India, and China would do the same - all influenza would plummet!
Live poultry sales to be banned as of July
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According to Environment Minister Maged George, live poultry will be gradually phased out to be replaced by frozen poultry produced by licensed slaughterhouses. Read more at www.almasryalyoum.com |
| Bird flu kills Takeo ducks |
Sample tissue from ducks in Takeo province that died in an outbreak of a disease officials could not identify earlier this week have tested positive for the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird fluRead more at www.phnompenhpost.com |
GAVI Alliance - Immunize Every
Child’s photostream
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Children in line for vaccines
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| BANGLADESH: Children queue to
receive measles vaccinations |
Indonesia Reports 15 New Bird Flu Deaths |
Indonesia on Wednesday reported 15 more bird flu fatalities in 2009, taking the human death toll in the country worst hit by the illness to 134.
Officials recorded 20 cases of the illness last year, 19 of them fatal, the Health Ministry said in a statement. |
| Tell the USDA to Protect Organic and Reject Monsanto’s GE Alfalfa! |
The USDA is getting closer to approving Monsanto’s genetically engineered alfalfa. One of the biggest impacts of allowing the use of GE alfalfa is contamination of other crops, including organic alfalfa, which is used by most organic dairies. The USDA actually acknowledges the problem of contamination, but claims consumers and others in the organic movement may not care about the contamination. This is absurd, considering one of the main reasons many people seek out organic food is to avoid genetically engineered crops.
We need to let the USDA know that consumers don’t want genetically engineered foods, and don’t want organic foods to be contaminated. Tell the USDA to reject the approval for Monsanto’s GE alfalfa.
Read more at action.foodandwaterwatch.org |
AMERICA/MEXICO - Dengue cases in Mexico nearly doubled in 2009 |
Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - According to health authorities in Mexico, the country closed the year with an increase of 50% more cases of dengue fever than those recorded in 2008. Among the causes of the increase include the mutation of the insect vector, the Aedes aegypti, which now reproduces itself almost year round, even in winter.
According to the Health Ministry, the mosquito has developed resistance to insecticides and has managed to adapt to areas of higher altitude, thus extending the areas of infection.
The latest report from the National Center for epidemiological surveillance indicates that cases of classical dengue fever reported in 2009 were 40,865, up from 27,479 in 2008. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 4/1/2010) Read more at www.fides.org |
Every time you see someone pulling up to an intersection or turning right on red , with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a cell phone, each time someone puts off a repair to “save” money - think about the promises made about the safety of this well, or that gene modification, or the newest wonder drug, pesticide, synthetic whatever. | We closed out 2009 with another stunning reminder that human error still poses a major risk for oil spills and other environmentally significant accidents: a high-tech escort tug, the Pathfinder, hit the very same well-mapped reef in Prince William Sound that the Exxon Valdez ran up against twenty years ago. |
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“Come Fly With Me” The next pandemic will fly Boeing or Airbus!
