Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Cyclone Trevor is expected to strengthen and hit the Northern Territory on Saturday as the equivalent of a category 3 or 4 Atlantic hurricane.
Thursday, March 21st, 2019
3/20/1995: Aum Shinrikyo religious cult members, riding on separate subway trains, secretly release lethal sarin gas killing 12 and injuring more than 5000.
Wednesday, March 20th, 2019Snake envenomation in Nambibia
Tuesday, March 19th, 2019- “…..From August, 2015, to July, 2016, there were 721 snakebites recorded, with a peak in December. Of these, 372 resulted in serious injury. 569 bites happened in regions outside the city, and the patients were transferred to Katutura State Hospital after stabilisation.
- 123 injured people were children younger than 5 years,
- 120 injured people were aged 6–18 years old, and
- 133 injured people were older than 19 years.
- Children younger than 6 years were affected more by the bites than older children and adults.
- Of the 33 deaths recorded, 21 were children younger than 6 years…..
- 116 (18%) of 721 patients were treated with polyvalent or monovalent antivenom, and 30 (26%) of these patients died.
- The low administration of antivenom therapy could be a result of supply line deficiency, insufficient knowledge of clinical providers, or other factors. ….”
Fears are growing for more than 500,000 people in the Mozambique city of Beira, after aid agency officials warned that 90% of the area had been “destroyed” by Cyclone Idai.
Tuesday, March 19th, 2019- Category 2 storm with 175 kph (110 mph winds)
- The official death toll stood at 84
- “everything indicates that we can have a record of more than 1,000 dead.” Nyusi described seeing “bodies floating” in the water after two rivers broke their banks “wiping out entire villages ” and isolating others.
- “It’s a real humanitarian disaster of large proportions,”
Cyclone Idai & Mozambique
Monday, March 18th, 2019‘…….”Officially, we have a record of more than 84 dead but everything indicates that we can have a record of more than 1,000 dead,” [President] Nyusi said, adding that “100,000 people are in danger.”…..’
NYC & Superstorm Sandy: Household Disaster Preparedness Research
Saturday, March 2nd, 2019Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Household Disaster Preparedness in New York City before Superstorm Sandy: Findings and Recommendations
U.S.: Infectious Diseases Occurring in Workplaces
Saturday, February 23rd, 2019Su C, de Perio MA, Cummings KJ, McCague A, Luckhaupt SE, Sweeney M. Case Investigations of Infectious Diseases Occurring in Workplaces, United States, 2006–2015. Emerg Infect Dis. 2019;25(3):397-405. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2503.180708
Reported case investigations of infectious disease occurring in workplaces, by industry categories, occupations, and diseases, United States, 2006–2015*
| Industry category (NAICS code) | Occupations | Infectious diseases | References† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (11) | Hunter | Brucellosis | (61) |
| Farmer | Variant influenza A(H3N2); Escherichia coli infection | (83); (71) | |
|
|
Rodent breeder
|
LCMV infection
|
(82)
|
| Construction (23)
|
Laborer
|
Coccidioidomycosis
|
(23,25)
|
| Manufacturing (31–33) | Drum maker | Anthrax | (2) |
| Poultry vaccine production worker | Salmonellosis | (29) | |
| Poultry-processing worker | Campylobacteriosis | (17) | |
| Furniture company worker | Tuberculosis | (54) | |
| Slaughterhouse inspector | Q fever | (65) | |
|
|
Automobile manufacturing worker
|
Legionnaires’ disease
|
(81)
|
| Transportation (48) | Truck driver | Streptococcus suis infection; cryptosporidiosis | (79); (88) |
|
|
Pilot, flight attendant
|
Malaria
|
(37)
|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services (54)
|
Laboratory worker
|
Vaccinia virus infection, HIV infection, plague, cowpox, meningococcal disease, brucellosis
|
(13,30–35,86)
|
| Administrative support and waste management and remediation services (56)
|
Landscaper
|
Tularemia
|
(21)
|
| Education services (61)
|
School employee, teacher
|
Influenza
|
(8)
|
| Healthcare and social assistance (62) | Healthcare worker (security guard, nurse, nursing aide, physician, volunteer, environmental services) | Mumps; MRSA skin infection; norovirus gastroenteritis; adenovirus 14 infection; RSV infection; Trichophyton tonsurans skin infection; meningococcal disease; influenza; salmonellosis; Ebola virus disease; measles; TB | (51); (52); (56); (57); (62); (64); (66); (11,68); (87); (14); (92); (12,77) |
|
|
Childcare worker
|
E. coli infection
|
(72)
|
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation (71) | Wildlife biologist | Plague | (59) |
| Animal caretaker | MRSA skin infection | (63) | |
| Adult film performer | HIV infection | (36) | |
| Spa maintenance worker | MAC infection | (22) | |
| Filmmaker | Coccidioidomycosis | (24) | |
|
|
Day camp counselor
|
Histoplasmosis
|
(26)
|
| Food services (72)
|
Cook, food server
|
Norovirus gastroenteritis; salmonellosis; E. coli infection
|
(20); (19);
(89)
|
| Other services except public administration (81) | Embalmer | TB | (16) |
| Animal refugee worker | Tuberculosis; sealpox virus infection | (28); (18) | |
| Pet store worker | Salmonellosis | (74) | |
|
|
Missionary worker
|
Melioidosis; dengue fever
|
(75); (70)
|
| Public administration (92) | US Customs officer | Measles | (9,10) |
| Police officer | Meningococcal disease | (66) | |
| Firefighter | Cryptosporidiosis | (88) | |
| Correctional officer | Cryptosporidiosis; Shiga toxin–producing E. coli infection; TB; coccidioidomycosis; | (78); (71); (12); (90) | |
| Military | Legionellosis; TB | (73); (53) |
*An expanded version of this table showing complete details on all cases is available online (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/EID/article/25/3/18-0708-T1.htm). HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; LCMV, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; MAC, Mycobacterium avium complex; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus; TB, tuberculosis. NAICS, 2012 North American Industry Classification System (https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/).
†Reference numbers >50 and additional details on the literature search are available in the Appendix.
Was it an “honor killing?”
Tuesday, February 19th, 2019“A court in Pakistan has acquitted the father, brother and uncle of a woman who died in a suspected honor killing last year.
Sana Cheema, 26, lived in Italy but died while visiting her family in Gujrat in April 2018.
She was originally buried without an autopsy – but when exhumed a cause of death was identified as strangulation…..”