MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“The death toll from the listeria outbreak that’s been traced back to Colorado cantaloupes has now climbed to 29, making it the deadliest food-bourne illness outbreak ever recorded in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the increase in the total number of deaths earlier this week, and noted that the number of people infected has gone up to 139 in 28 states.

On Wednesday night, a CDC official confirmed that this latest food-borne illness outbreak was the deadliest on record, surpassing the one linked to listeria-tainted cheese that killed 28 people in Mexico in 1985.

‘There were 28 deaths (adults as well as infants) and 20 miscarriages and still-borns from Jalisco,’ the official said in an email.

‘No other outbreak in recent times, since we began collecting/recording data in 1973 comes close. Of course the system for collecting and tracking food-bourne disease is much more precise now.’

The outbreak began in August and stemmed from Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes sold by Jensen Farms near Holly, Colorado.

The cantaloupes were recalled Sept. 14, and no melons under the recall are still on store shelves.” Read more.

“NEW YORK (CBS 2) — An insect invasion is terrorizing New York City homeowners, making life miserable, even dangerous, for many families. Parents have been forced to take extreme measures to protect their children and their homes.

CBS 2’s Dave Carlin investigates the growing Upper West Side mosquito mystery.

These rare mosquitoes are extra blood-thirsty and active year-round. Carlin saw some of them in a lab after they were collected in the unlikeliest of places, Bernard Lagan’s home on West 84th Street.

‘They trapped 150 mosquitoes in the basement in a 24-hour period coming from underground and into the basement and up in to the house through the air vents and it’s the same story as the other brownstones on this block,’ Lagan told Carlin.

It’s an invasion that has almost every resident of 84th Street between Riverside and West End Avenue slapping, scratching and suffering.

‘They’re hungry. They’re hungry,’ said resident Susan Nicholson.

‘Three on this ear; one on his cheek; one on his neck,’ another woman said, illustrating the bites on one of her children. ‘And there are some on his arms going up his arm.’

Frustrated neighbors said after numerous complaints to the city and no concrete action, they feel abandoned. So like busy bees, they’re taking matters in to their own hands: covering cracks, vents and drains, both inside and out.” Read more.

By Jo Willey – “A NEW strain of killer flu which could spread to ­Britain within 24 hours is ‘one of the biggest biological threats of our time’, experts warned.

The alert comes after people started to fall victim to seasonal flu and the more virulent swine flu at the same time.

Such a rare incidence creates the risk of a lethal mutation, leading to an ‘ominous’ super-flu virus for which humans have almost no immunity, said medical scientists.

Dr Peter Hotez, a world-renowned infectious disease expert, warned: ‘Highly infectious strains of the virus against which humans have little defence can spread from one continent to another within 24 hours.’ He said the fact scientists had detected the rare double-flu infection highlighted the need for extreme vigilance against new killer strains around the world.

Dr Hotez, president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, praised the scientists who had made the discovery.

But he warned: ‘We are required to remain vigilant against one of the biggest biological threats of our time.’

This comes as Britain’s winter flu season gets underway, amid fears it could be one of the worst outbreaks of the disease in years.

Last year more than 600 people died from winter flu in the UK, with hospitals so overwhelmed they were forced to cancel routine ­operations.

The severity of the outbreak in late 2010 took experts by surprise as it was far more virulent than had been predicted.

But many Britons still have little immunity to the virus strain because of low uptake of the vaccine that fights it.

The true nature of this year’s virus won’t be known until the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors, which leads to the quick transmission of the disease.” Read more.

“An outbreak of diseases, one of these being described as a mystery illness, has taken a heavy toll on children in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema region. At least 500 children, aged between two and five, have been admitted to the Kurnool Government General Hospital with symptoms of dengue, chikungunya and ‘strange viral fevers’, doctors say.

Since October 12, the hospital has seen the death of 22 children. Just how many of them died due to viral fever is not clear. Resident medical officer Dr Gopal Raj said the high death count is due to the large number of children admitted to the neo-natal ICU following complications at birth. Kurnool Government Hospital is the largest referral hospital in Rayalaseema, especially for newborns.

The state government ordered an inquiry on Tuesday after being criticised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) the previous day. A team of health department, sanitation and Pollution Control Board officials has been sent to Kurnool and Kadapa districts to assess the situation.” Source – Indian Express.

Mysterious disease kills 28 children in India – “In India’s Bihar state, at least 28 children have died in the past week from an unidentified illness. Officials said that all of the children were between two and eight years. They died in Muzaffarpur town, 80kms (50 miles) from the state capital, Patna. Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Choubey told that a team of doctors from Delhi is visiting Muzaffarpur on Tuesday to diagnose the disease. The children died after reporting high fever followed by bouts of unconsciousness and convulsions.” Read more.

By MARK DUNPHY – “The Haitian government has reported more than 6,500 deaths as a result of the ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti, health officials said on Saturday. Hundreds of thousands more have been sickened.

According to the United Nations (UN) World Health Organization (WHO), Haiti has recorded nearly 470,000 cases of cholera, including 6,595 deaths, since an epidemic of the disease erupted approximately one year ago.

WHO spokesperson Tarek Jasarevic said the disease could infect another 75,000 people by the end of the year if the current trend continues. Of the nearly 470,000 patients, some 250,000 people have been hospitalized.

If the rate does continue, the number of total victims could reach more than half a million in a country of approximately 9.7 million.

After a decline in weekly cholera cases in August, the number of cases rose again in September. Areas such as the South and Nippes departments, Nord, Centre and the capital of Port-au-Prince all saw significant increases.” Read more.

“A team of international researchers has discovered a new Ebola-like virus – Lloviu virus — in bats from northern Spain. Lloviu virus is the first known filovirus native to Europe, they report in a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens on Octobr 20th.

The study was a collaboration among scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) in Spain, Roche Life Sciences, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Grupo Asturiano para el Estudio y Conservación de los Murciélagos, Consejo Suerior de Investigaciones Científicas and the Complutense University in Spain.

Filoviruses, which include well-known viruses like Ebola and Marburg, are among the deadliest pathogens in humans and non-human primates, and are generally found in East Africa and the Philippines. The findings thus expand the natural geographical distribution of filoviruses.

‘The study is an opportunity to advance the knowledge of filoviruses’ natural cycle,’ said Ana Negredo, one of the first authors of the study.

Scientists at ISCIII analyzed lung, liver, spleen, throat, brain and rectal samples from 34 bats found in caves in Asturias and Cantabria, Spain, following bat die-offs in France, Spain and Portugal in 2002 affecting mainly one bat species.

They screened these samples for a wide range of viruses using the polymerase chain reaction, a molecular technique that allows scientists to amplify genetic material, and. detected a filovirus. Filoviruses include ebolaviruses and marburgviruses, two viruses associated with severe disease in humans and other primates.” Read more.

By Jenn McGarrigle – “Fisheries officials closed areas around Nanaimo for shellfish harvesting due to unacceptable marine biotoxin results Wednesday.

Some areas south of Nanaimo are closed to harvesting all bivalve shellfish (oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and geoducks). Other areas in and around Nanaimo are closed to harvest of all bivalve shellfish except manila clams, littleneck clams, oysters and mussels; or are open except for harvesting of butter clams and scallops.

A complete list of the closures, as well as a map of the sub-areas around Nanaimo, is available at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/psp. This information is also available by calling toll-free 1-866-431-3474.

Red Tide (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning contamination) is caused by microscopic marine organisms that product toxins that can accumulate in bivalve shellfish because these animals filter feed.

Eating shellfish in a red tide zone can result in serious illness or death.” Read more.

“The measles outbreak which has infected more than 200 Aucklanders has now spread to Waiheke Island.

A 17-year-old resident on the island recently tested positive for the disease, Dawn Rigby, Manager of the Waiheke Trust says.

It is not known where the teenager contracted measles but because of the school holidays his contact with others has been limited.

There are no other suspected cases on Waiheke.

Since the measles outbreak began in May there have been 229 confirmed cases of the disease in Auckland.

Health officials are urging anyone who has not been immunised against the disease to be vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health is working with the three Auckland district health boards to ensure there is a sufficient supply of the measles vaccine, as the disease continues to spread.

Officials will administer the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for anyone who is not immunised free of charge.

The best protection against the disease is to have two doses of the MMR vaccine.

It is vital people born after January 1, 1969 check their immunisation status and if they are not vaccinated or have only received one dose of the vaccination, they should arrange an MMR vaccination.” Read more.

Flashback: UN Reports Measles Outbreaks in Ethiopia and Kenya – Dozens of Children Killed, Thousands Sickened – “GENEVA — United Nations officials say outbreaks of measles in Ethiopia and Kenya have killed dozens of children and sickened thousands of others. UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said Friday at least 17,584 measles cases, including 114 deaths, have been reported by Ethiopian health officials in the first half of the year. World Health Organization spokesman Tarek Jasarevic says at least 462 cases of measles, including 11 deaths, have been confirmed in recent months among Somali refugee children in the Kenyan refugee complex known as Dadaab. He says 2 million children in Ethiopia are at risk of contracting measles.” Read more.

Flashback: Measles Outbreak in Britain Continues: More Cases in First 3 Months of 2011 Than All of 2010 – “Britain is facing a measles outbreak with nearly more cases reported in the first three months of this year than the whole of 2010. The rise has sparked health officials to urge eveyone to ensure they are immunised against the potentially deadly infection. Data from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed 334 confirmed cases of measles to the end of April in England and Wales – compared with 374 in all of last year. London was the worst affected area, with 104 cases, while the North East of England and Wales fared best with no cases reported.” Read more.