Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Hands Across the Sands
Yesterday afternoon, a Louisiana judge overruled President Obama's suspension of offshore drilling. This decision leaves Big Oil free to resume operations off the Louisiana coast, despite the obvious risks.
It's more clear than ever before: offshore drilling will continue to expand unless we keep the pressure on government leaders and the oil industry. This Saturday, we have a chance to focus the world's attention on this crucial issue through a massive coordinated action: Hands Across The Sand.
On June 26th At 11 AM, tens of thousands of individuals will head to nearby beaches to join hands in a massive demonstration of support for clean energy. With enough supporters, these simple events will make a powerful statement the world cannot ignore - please join us and draw a metaphorical line in the sand against offshore drilling
Find and attend a Hands Across The Sand event near you
We hope to make Hands Across The Sand the largest demonstration against offshore drilling in history, but we need your help to reach this goal. Please take a few moments to find an event near you. You don't even need to live near a beach - use the event-finder to choose a local solidarity event.
Can't find a nearby Hands Across the Sand event? Step up and organize one for your community - we'll connect you with local organizers to take your demonstration to the next level.
Hold a Hands Across The Sand event in your community
Thanks for everything you do. We hope to see you at the beach this Saturday!
athleen Rogers
President, Earth Day Network
athleen Rogers
President, Earth Day Network
PS, don't forget to show your support by wearing an Earth Day Network t-shirt to the beach.
© Copyright 2010, Earth Day Network
Unsubscribe from this mailing list
Visit Earthday.org; http://www.earthday.org/
© Copyright 2010, Earth Day Network
Unsubscribe from this mailing list
Visit Earthday.org; http://www.earthday.org/
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
60,000 Gallons a day My Ass!
Market Commentary and Intraday News
Scientists: Oil leaking up to 2.52M gallons daily
1 day ago
By RAY HENRY
Associated Press Writer
(AP:NEW ORLEANS) Scientists provided a new estimate for the amount of oil gushing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday that indicates it could be worse than previously thought.
A government panel of scientists said that the ruptured well is leaking between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons a day of oil. That is an increase over previous estimates that put the maximum size of the spill at 2.1 million gallons per day.
"This estimate brings together several scientific methodologies and the latest information from the sea floor, and represents a significant step forward in our effort to put a number on the oil that is escaping from BP's well," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.
The latest numbers reflect an increase in the flow that scientists believe happened after undersea robots earlier this month cut off a kinked pipe near the sea floor that was believed to be restricting the flow of oil, just as a bend in a garden hose reduces water flow. BP officials has estimated that cutting the kinked pipe likely increased the flow by up 20 percent.
The pipe was removed so BP could install a containment cap that is trapping leaking oil and drawing it a ship waiting on the ocean surface.
The new numbers are based on a combination of scientific data, including an analysis of high-resolution video taken by underwater robots, pressure meters, sonar, and measurements of oil collected by the containment device on top of the well.
It is the fourth _ and perhaps not last _ time the federal government has had to increase its estimate of how much oil is gushing. At one point, the federal government claimed only 42,000 gallons were spilling a day and then it upped the number to 210,000 gallons.
Scientists: Oil leaking up to 2.52M gallons daily
1 day ago
By RAY HENRY
Associated Press Writer
(AP:NEW ORLEANS) Scientists provided a new estimate for the amount of oil gushing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday that indicates it could be worse than previously thought.
A government panel of scientists said that the ruptured well is leaking between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons a day of oil. That is an increase over previous estimates that put the maximum size of the spill at 2.1 million gallons per day.
"This estimate brings together several scientific methodologies and the latest information from the sea floor, and represents a significant step forward in our effort to put a number on the oil that is escaping from BP's well," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.
The latest numbers reflect an increase in the flow that scientists believe happened after undersea robots earlier this month cut off a kinked pipe near the sea floor that was believed to be restricting the flow of oil, just as a bend in a garden hose reduces water flow. BP officials has estimated that cutting the kinked pipe likely increased the flow by up 20 percent.
The pipe was removed so BP could install a containment cap that is trapping leaking oil and drawing it a ship waiting on the ocean surface.
The new numbers are based on a combination of scientific data, including an analysis of high-resolution video taken by underwater robots, pressure meters, sonar, and measurements of oil collected by the containment device on top of the well.
It is the fourth _ and perhaps not last _ time the federal government has had to increase its estimate of how much oil is gushing. At one point, the federal government claimed only 42,000 gallons were spilling a day and then it upped the number to 210,000 gallons.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS - USA: (LOUISIANA) OIL SPILL SUSPECTED
**********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 3 Jun 2010
Source: The Associated Press (AP) [edited]
For days now, Dr Damon Dietrich has seen patients come through his
emergency room at West Jefferson Medical Center [Louisiana] with
similar symptoms: respiratory problems, headaches and nausea.
In the past week, 11 workers who have been out on the water cleaning
up oil from BP's blown-out well have been treated for what Dietrich
calls "a pattern of symptoms" that could have been caused by the
burning of crude oil, noxious fumes from the oil or the dispersants
dumped in the Gulf to break it up. All workers were treated and
released.
"One person comes in, it could be multiple things," he said. "Eleven
people come in with these symptoms, it makes it incredibly suspicious."
Few studies have examined long-term health effects of oil exposure.
But some of the workers trolling Gulf Coast beaches and heading out
into the marshes and waters have complained about flu-like symptoms --
a similar complaint among crews deployed for the 1989 Exxon Valdez
spill in Alaska.
BP and US Coast Guard officials have said dehydration, heat, food
poisoning, or other unrelated factors may have caused the workers'
symptoms. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is
investigating.
Brief contact with small amounts of light crude oil and dispersants
are not harmful. Swallowing small amounts of oil can cause an upset
stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to dispersants,
however, can cause central nervous system problems, or do damage to
blood, kidneys or livers, according to the Centers For Disease Control
and Prevention.
In the 6 weeks since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing 11
workers, an estimated 21 million to 45 million gallons [95 million-170
million liters] of crude has poured into the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds
of BP contractors have fanned out along the Gulf, deploying boom,
spraying chemicals to break up the oil, picking up oil-soaked debris
and trying to keep the creeping slick out of the sensitive marshes and
away from the tourist-Mecca beaches.
A particular commercial fisherman spent a night on a vessel near the
source of the spill and left complaining of a severe headache, upset
stomach, and nose bleed. He was treated at the hospital, and sued --
becoming part of a class-action lawsuit filed last month [May 2010] in
US District Court in New Orleans against BP, Transocean, and their
insurers.
This fisherman, who was part of a crew burning oil, believes planes
were spraying dispersant in the middle of the night -- something BP
disputes.
"I began to ache all over ..." he said in the affidavit. "I was
completely unable to function at this point and feared that I was
seriously ill." Dozens of complaints, most from spill workers, have
been made related to oil exposure with the Louisiana Department of
Health and Hospitals, said spokeswoman Olivia Watkins, as well as with
the Louisiana Poison Center, clinics, and hospitals. Workers are being
told to follow federal guidelines that recommend anyone involved in
oil spill cleanup wear protective equipment such as gloves, safety
glasses, and clothing.
Michael J. Schneider, an attorney who decided against filing a
class-action lawsuit in the 1990s involving the Valdez workers, said
proving a link between oil exposure and health problems is very
difficult. "As a human being you listen to enough and you've got to
believe they're true," he said. "The problem is the science may not be
there to support them ... Many of the signs and symptoms these people
complained of are explainable for a dozen different reasons -- it's
certainly coincidental they all shared a reason in common."
Similar to the Valdez cleanup, there have been concerns in the Gulf
that workers aren't being supplied with enough protective gear.
Workers have been spotted in white jumpsuits, gloves, and booties but
no goggles or respirators.
"If they're out there getting lightheaded and dizzy every day then
obviously they ought to come in, and there should be respirators and
other equipment provided," said LuAnn White, director of the Tulane
Center for Applied Environmental Public Health. She added that most of
the volatile components that could sicken people generally evaporate
before the oil reaches shore.
BP PLC's chief operating officer Doug Suttles said reports of workers
getting sick are being investigated but noted that no one has
pinpointed the cause. Suttles said workers were being given "any
safety equipment" needed to do their jobs safely.
Unlike with Exxon Valdez, in the Gulf, the oil has been lighter, the
temperatures warm and humid, and there have been hundreds of thousands
of gallons of chemicals used to break up the oil.
Court records showed more than 6700 workers involved in the Exxon
Valdez clean up suffered respiratory problems which the company
attributed to a viral illness, not chemical poisoning.
Only one attorney representing a Valdez worker was known to
successfully settle with Exxon over health issues. According to the
terms of that confidential settlement, Exxon did not admit fault. This
attorney's client spent 4 months lifting workers in a crane for 18
hours a day as they sprayed the oil-slicked beaches with hot water,
which created an oily mist. Even though he had to wipe clean his
windshield twice a day, the worker said it never occurred to him that
the mixture might be harming his lungs.
Within weeks, he and others, who wore little to no protective gear,
were coughing and experiencing other symptoms that were eventually
nicknamed Valdez crud. Now 60, the worker cannot get through a short
conversation without coughing and gasping for breath like a drowning
man. He sometimes needs the help of a breathing machine and inhalers,
and has to be careful not to choke when he drinks and eats. Watching
the Gulf situation unfold, he says, makes him sick. "I just watch this
stuff everyday and know these people are on the very first rung on the
ladder and are going to go through a lot of misery," said the Valdez
worker, who now lives in Prescott, Arizona.
[Byline: Noaki Schwartz, Matthew Brown]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The Gulf of Mexico is very different from Alaska and the Valdez
spill. The Gulf is hot and humid, which can take a toll on the body
before the conscious mind is aware of it. Dehydration is a large
factor, and can occur before a person is aware of it in hot and humid
environments. Symptoms of dehydration can include light-headedness and
dizziness, also fatigue.
In this kind of heat the volatile hydrocarbons [in the oil] would have
dissipated. Perhaps the issue is not the oil but the dispersants, as
noted by the CDC above.
Some smells are more offensive to some people [than others]. Oil and
saltwater and heat have a peculiar smell, and while offensive, it may
not in itself be harmful, but the perception combined with the heat
and dehydration may lead to a distorted picture. Likewise, it may be
the chemical dispersants associated with the smells, which may be even
more unpleasant. Workers spending much time in protective equipment
are even more susceptible to dehydration.
I do not know what chemicals or microbes are being used to cause
dispersion of the oil, so it is impossible for me to comment on those
factors. - Mod.TG]
[A lot hinges on the definition of "long-term exposure". - Mod.JW]
[The state of Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico can be seen on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
........................................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 and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 3 Jun 2010
Source: The Associated Press (AP) [edited]
For days now, Dr Damon Dietrich has seen patients come through his
emergency room at West Jefferson Medical Center [Louisiana] with
similar symptoms: respiratory problems, headaches and nausea.
In the past week, 11 workers who have been out on the water cleaning
up oil from BP's blown-out well have been treated for what Dietrich
calls "a pattern of symptoms" that could have been caused by the
burning of crude oil, noxious fumes from the oil or the dispersants
dumped in the Gulf to break it up. All workers were treated and
released.
"One person comes in, it could be multiple things," he said. "Eleven
people come in with these symptoms, it makes it incredibly suspicious."
Few studies have examined long-term health effects of oil exposure.
But some of the workers trolling Gulf Coast beaches and heading out
into the marshes and waters have complained about flu-like symptoms --
a similar complaint among crews deployed for the 1989 Exxon Valdez
spill in Alaska.
BP and US Coast Guard officials have said dehydration, heat, food
poisoning, or other unrelated factors may have caused the workers'
symptoms. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is
investigating.
Brief contact with small amounts of light crude oil and dispersants
are not harmful. Swallowing small amounts of oil can cause an upset
stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to dispersants,
however, can cause central nervous system problems, or do damage to
blood, kidneys or livers, according to the Centers For Disease Control
and Prevention.
In the 6 weeks since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing 11
workers, an estimated 21 million to 45 million gallons [95 million-170
million liters] of crude has poured into the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds
of BP contractors have fanned out along the Gulf, deploying boom,
spraying chemicals to break up the oil, picking up oil-soaked debris
and trying to keep the creeping slick out of the sensitive marshes and
away from the tourist-Mecca beaches.
A particular commercial fisherman spent a night on a vessel near the
source of the spill and left complaining of a severe headache, upset
stomach, and nose bleed. He was treated at the hospital, and sued --
becoming part of a class-action lawsuit filed last month [May 2010] in
US District Court in New Orleans against BP, Transocean, and their
insurers.
This fisherman, who was part of a crew burning oil, believes planes
were spraying dispersant in the middle of the night -- something BP
disputes.
"I began to ache all over ..." he said in the affidavit. "I was
completely unable to function at this point and feared that I was
seriously ill." Dozens of complaints, most from spill workers, have
been made related to oil exposure with the Louisiana Department of
Health and Hospitals, said spokeswoman Olivia Watkins, as well as with
the Louisiana Poison Center, clinics, and hospitals. Workers are being
told to follow federal guidelines that recommend anyone involved in
oil spill cleanup wear protective equipment such as gloves, safety
glasses, and clothing.
Michael J. Schneider, an attorney who decided against filing a
class-action lawsuit in the 1990s involving the Valdez workers, said
proving a link between oil exposure and health problems is very
difficult. "As a human being you listen to enough and you've got to
believe they're true," he said. "The problem is the science may not be
there to support them ... Many of the signs and symptoms these people
complained of are explainable for a dozen different reasons -- it's
certainly coincidental they all shared a reason in common."
Similar to the Valdez cleanup, there have been concerns in the Gulf
that workers aren't being supplied with enough protective gear.
Workers have been spotted in white jumpsuits, gloves, and booties but
no goggles or respirators.
"If they're out there getting lightheaded and dizzy every day then
obviously they ought to come in, and there should be respirators and
other equipment provided," said LuAnn White, director of the Tulane
Center for Applied Environmental Public Health. She added that most of
the volatile components that could sicken people generally evaporate
before the oil reaches shore.
BP PLC's chief operating officer Doug Suttles said reports of workers
getting sick are being investigated but noted that no one has
pinpointed the cause. Suttles said workers were being given "any
safety equipment" needed to do their jobs safely.
Unlike with Exxon Valdez, in the Gulf, the oil has been lighter, the
temperatures warm and humid, and there have been hundreds of thousands
of gallons of chemicals used to break up the oil.
Court records showed more than 6700 workers involved in the Exxon
Valdez clean up suffered respiratory problems which the company
attributed to a viral illness, not chemical poisoning.
Only one attorney representing a Valdez worker was known to
successfully settle with Exxon over health issues. According to the
terms of that confidential settlement, Exxon did not admit fault. This
attorney's client spent 4 months lifting workers in a crane for 18
hours a day as they sprayed the oil-slicked beaches with hot water,
which created an oily mist. Even though he had to wipe clean his
windshield twice a day, the worker said it never occurred to him that
the mixture might be harming his lungs.
Within weeks, he and others, who wore little to no protective gear,
were coughing and experiencing other symptoms that were eventually
nicknamed Valdez crud. Now 60, the worker cannot get through a short
conversation without coughing and gasping for breath like a drowning
man. He sometimes needs the help of a breathing machine and inhalers,
and has to be careful not to choke when he drinks and eats. Watching
the Gulf situation unfold, he says, makes him sick. "I just watch this
stuff everyday and know these people are on the very first rung on the
ladder and are going to go through a lot of misery," said the Valdez
worker, who now lives in Prescott, Arizona.
[Byline: Noaki Schwartz, Matthew Brown]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The Gulf of Mexico is very different from Alaska and the Valdez
spill. The Gulf is hot and humid, which can take a toll on the body
before the conscious mind is aware of it. Dehydration is a large
factor, and can occur before a person is aware of it in hot and humid
environments. Symptoms of dehydration can include light-headedness and
dizziness, also fatigue.
In this kind of heat the volatile hydrocarbons [in the oil] would have
dissipated. Perhaps the issue is not the oil but the dispersants, as
noted by the CDC above.
Some smells are more offensive to some people [than others]. Oil and
saltwater and heat have a peculiar smell, and while offensive, it may
not in itself be harmful, but the perception combined with the heat
and dehydration may lead to a distorted picture. Likewise, it may be
the chemical dispersants associated with the smells, which may be even
more unpleasant. Workers spending much time in protective equipment
are even more susceptible to dehydration.
I do not know what chemicals or microbes are being used to cause
dispersion of the oil, so it is impossible for me to comment on those
factors. - Mod.TG]
[A lot hinges on the definition of "long-term exposure". - Mod.JW]
[The state of Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico can be seen on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
........................................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 and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
Friday, June 4, 2010
Third Party Candidate-FAIL in Imperialistic USA
Ex- presidential Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney was for the earth; http://www.grist.org/article/mckinney
and for the disinfranchised people of the world; http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=131972
Of course, NO 3rd party candidate has much of a chance of succeeding in the USA today,...
The Powers-That-Be wont let them.
Ask Ron Paul; http://www.campaignforliberty.com/
Ask Ralph Nader; http://www.votenader.org/
Ask Bob Barr; http://www.lp.org/
Fight Against American Imperialism - Join the FREE GAZA MOVEMENT in USA Today;
http://www.freegaza.org/
and for the disinfranchised people of the world; http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=131972
Of course, NO 3rd party candidate has much of a chance of succeeding in the USA today,...
The Powers-That-Be wont let them.
Ask Ron Paul; http://www.campaignforliberty.com/
Ask Ralph Nader; http://www.votenader.org/
Ask Bob Barr; http://www.lp.org/
Fight Against American Imperialism - Join the FREE GAZA MOVEMENT in USA Today;
http://www.freegaza.org/
CYCLOSPORIASIS - CANADA: (ONTARIO)
********************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 3 Jun 2010
Source: Winnipeg Free Press [edited]
Health officials in the Sarnia area are investigating a serious
parasitic outbreak among people who attended a charity cooking event
on 12 May 2010.
About 400 people attended the Chef's Challenge event held by the
local Big Sisters charity, and as of Wednesday [2 Jun 2010], more
than 70 people have reported becoming ill.
Seven people have been confirmed as having cyclospora after lab tests.
Cyclospora is a one-cell parasite that infects the small intestine
and spreads through contaminated food or water. If not treated, the
illness can last from a few days to a month or longer.
Lambton Community Health spokeswoman Lori Lucas says symptoms include
stomach cramps, watery diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, headache,
fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[There is little doubt that _Cyclospora cayetanensis_ is endemic in
the United States and Canada as well as elsewhere. The epidemiology,
especially the reservoir if any, is poorly known. An investigation
into a recent outbreak in Canada was published in 2009 (Shah et al.
Challenges of investigating community outbreaks of cyclosporiasis,
British Columbia, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009;15:1286-8). The
epidemiology and biology have recently been reviewed (Ortega and
Sanchez. Update on _Cyclospora cayetanensis_, a food-borne and
waterborne parasite. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2010;23:218-34). - Mod.EP]
[see also:
2005
----
Cyclosporiasis - USA (FL)(03) 20050604.1564
Cyclosporiasis - USA (FL)(02) 20050506.1259
Cyclosporiasis - USA (FL) 20050429.1200
Cyclosporiasis - Canada (Ontario) 20050506.1257
2004
----
Cyclosporiasis - USA (PA) 20040918.2584
Cyclosporiasis - USA (TX, IL) 20040526.1419
1999
----
Cyclosporiasis - USA (Missouri) 19990907.1574
Cyclosporiasis - USA (multistate): closure (02) 19990820.1447
Cyclosporiasis - USA (multistate) 19990625.1078
1998
----
Cyclospora, risk assessment: RFI 19981124.2262
Cyclospora, the CDC & Guatemalan raspberries 19981121.2248
Cyclospora & Guatemalan raspberries, source unknown 19980715.1333
Cyclospora, new - Vietnam 19980424.0760
1997
----
Cyclospora, safety of fresh fruit, imported & domestic 19971016.2138
Cyclospora - Germany: imported (02) 19970702.1416
Cyclospora - Germany: imported 19970702.1411
Cyclospora, raspberries 19970613.1239
Cyclospora - US (New York City) and Canada (Ontario) 19970530.1106
Cyclospora, outbreak - USA (Houston, TX) 19970521.1030
Cyclospora alert - USA 19970509.0956
Cyclospora & Cryptosporidium pseudo-outbreaks - USA, 1995 19970426.0850
Cyclospora outbreak, vehicle identified 19970228.0464
Cyclospora oocycts (03) 19970125.0149
Cyclospora oocycts (02) 19970121.0117
Cyclospora oocycts: RFI 19970117.0090
1996
----
Cyclospora - USA/Canada: Correction 19961119.1938
Cyclospora - USA/Canada (7) 19961118.1931
Cyclospora - USA/Canada (6) 19961117.1920
Cyclospora - USA/Canada (5): RFI 19961114.1906]
........................................ep/msp/lm
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
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 and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
##################################################
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 3 Jun 2010
Source: Winnipeg Free Press [edited]
Health officials in the Sarnia area are investigating a serious
parasitic outbreak among people who attended a charity cooking event
on 12 May 2010.
About 400 people attended the Chef's Challenge event held by the
local Big Sisters charity, and as of Wednesday [2 Jun 2010], more
than 70 people have reported becoming ill.
Seven people have been confirmed as having cyclospora after lab tests.
Cyclospora is a one-cell parasite that infects the small intestine
and spreads through contaminated food or water. If not treated, the
illness can last from a few days to a month or longer.
Lambton Community Health spokeswoman Lori Lucas says symptoms include
stomach cramps, watery diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, headache,
fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[There is little doubt that _Cyclospora cayetanensis_ is endemic in
the United States and Canada as well as elsewhere. The epidemiology,
especially the reservoir if any, is poorly known. An investigation
into a recent outbreak in Canada was published in 2009 (Shah et al.
Challenges of investigating community outbreaks of cyclosporiasis,
British Columbia, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009;15:1286-8). The
epidemiology and biology have recently been reviewed (Ortega and
Sanchez. Update on _Cyclospora cayetanensis_, a food-borne and
waterborne parasite. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2010;23:218-34). - Mod.EP]
[see also:
2005
----
Cyclosporiasis - USA (FL)(03) 20050604.1564
Cyclosporiasis - USA (FL)(02) 20050506.1259
Cyclosporiasis - USA (FL) 20050429.1200
Cyclosporiasis - Canada (Ontario) 20050506.1257
2004
----
Cyclosporiasis - USA (PA) 20040918.2584
Cyclosporiasis - USA (TX, IL) 20040526.1419
1999
----
Cyclosporiasis - USA (Missouri) 19990907.1574
Cyclosporiasis - USA (multistate): closure (02) 19990820.1447
Cyclosporiasis - USA (multistate) 19990625.1078
1998
----
Cyclospora, risk assessment: RFI 19981124.2262
Cyclospora, the CDC & Guatemalan raspberries 19981121.2248
Cyclospora & Guatemalan raspberries, source unknown 19980715.1333
Cyclospora, new - Vietnam 19980424.0760
1997
----
Cyclospora, safety of fresh fruit, imported & domestic 19971016.2138
Cyclospora - Germany: imported (02) 19970702.1416
Cyclospora - Germany: imported 19970702.1411
Cyclospora, raspberries 19970613.1239
Cyclospora - US (New York City) and Canada (Ontario) 19970530.1106
Cyclospora, outbreak - USA (Houston, TX) 19970521.1030
Cyclospora alert - USA 19970509.0956
Cyclospora & Cryptosporidium pseudo-outbreaks - USA, 1995 19970426.0850
Cyclospora outbreak, vehicle identified 19970228.0464
Cyclospora oocycts (03) 19970125.0149
Cyclospora oocycts (02) 19970121.0117
Cyclospora oocycts: RFI 19970117.0090
1996
----
Cyclospora - USA/Canada: Correction 19961119.1938
Cyclospora - USA/Canada (7) 19961118.1931
Cyclospora - USA/Canada (6) 19961117.1920
Cyclospora - USA/Canada (5): RFI 19961114.1906]
........................................ep/msp/lm
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
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
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or archived material.
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Thursday, June 3, 2010
BP asks Twitter to Remove Fake BP PR Account
No sense of humor, I guess. KUDOS to
Leroy Stick – the man behind @BPGlobalPR;
Blog; http://networkedblogs.com/4s6WS
Wont you join him there? The idea is not to let BP forget.
BPGlobalPR Twitter;
http://twitter.com/BPGlobalPR
Leroy Stick – the man behind @BPGlobalPR;
Blog; http://networkedblogs.com/4s6WS
Wont you join him there? The idea is not to let BP forget.
BPGlobalPR Twitter;
http://twitter.com/BPGlobalPR
Palin Plan to Open Up Artic Wildlife Refuge to Big Oil Exploration
Sarah Palin has a plan for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge which she is circulating on Twitter and Facebook. Palin's vision involves drill pads and pipelines, oil spills and air pollution... and pools of toxic waste.
In Palin’s world, the answer to the appalling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is to "drill baby drill" in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Help us rein in Palin and her Big Oil allies: demand that the Obama administration protect the Arctic Refuge. Send a letter speaking out against Sarah Palin's Arctic drilling plans today.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an international treasure. Caribou, muskoxen and moose, wolves and wolverines, foxes and grizzlies, and millions of migratory birds live in this wild place. If it were in the lower 48 states, a landscape as magnificent as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would be as revered as Yellowstone or Yosemite.
The Refuge is a crown jewel of America's public lands. Help us keep this wilderness free of oil rigs and oil spills.
Sarah Palin claims that onshore drilling is "safe" - the same onshore drilling that led to an oil spill on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline just last week. There is no failsafe way to drill for oil, a lesson that the Gulf spill is driving home all too well.
Last week the Obama Administration kept the Arctic Ocean safe from a Gulf-style catastrophe by blocking offshore drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Take action today: keep the last frontier safe from Sarah and her oil industry allies.
Thank you!
S
incerely,
Kathy Kilmer
The Wilderness Society
Letter to Salazar;
http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/saynotopalin/xkg7eed4o7ex5j3n?
In Palin’s world, the answer to the appalling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is to "drill baby drill" in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Help us rein in Palin and her Big Oil allies: demand that the Obama administration protect the Arctic Refuge. Send a letter speaking out against Sarah Palin's Arctic drilling plans today.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an international treasure. Caribou, muskoxen and moose, wolves and wolverines, foxes and grizzlies, and millions of migratory birds live in this wild place. If it were in the lower 48 states, a landscape as magnificent as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would be as revered as Yellowstone or Yosemite.
The Refuge is a crown jewel of America's public lands. Help us keep this wilderness free of oil rigs and oil spills.
Sarah Palin claims that onshore drilling is "safe" - the same onshore drilling that led to an oil spill on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline just last week. There is no failsafe way to drill for oil, a lesson that the Gulf spill is driving home all too well.
Last week the Obama Administration kept the Arctic Ocean safe from a Gulf-style catastrophe by blocking offshore drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Take action today: keep the last frontier safe from Sarah and her oil industry allies.
Thank you!
S
incerely,
Kathy Kilmer
The Wilderness Society
Letter to Salazar;
http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/saynotopalin/xkg7eed4o7ex5j3n?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
WHEAT STEM RUST, Ug99 GROUP: NEW RACES
**************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 26 May 2010
Source: Physorg [edited]
Mutant fungus threatens global wheat supply
-------------------------------------------
Four new mutations of Ug99, a strain of a deadly wheat pathogen known
as stem rust, have overcome existing sources of genetic resistance
developed to safeguard the world's wheat crop. Leading experts at a
global event organized by the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, said the
evolving pathogen may pose an even greater threat to global wheat
production than the original Ug99.
The new "races" have acquired the ability to defeat 2 of the most
important stem rust-resistance genes. "With the new mutations,
countries cannot afford to wait," said Ravi Singh, International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). "Already, most of the varieties
worldwide are vulnerable to the original form of Ug99. We will now
have to make sure that every new wheat variety has iron-clad
resistance to both Ug99 and the new races."
New mutations identified in South Africa will make wheat crops more
vulnerable as pathogens now will find new wind trajectories for
migration. "We do not have as much information as we would like on the
aggressiveness of the pathogen," said David Hodson, FAO. "The original
Ug99 does not seem to have increased as much as originally feared. But
the new variants pose a grave challenge."
Wealthy farmers have chemicals for dealing with wheat rust, but
chemical control is costly and unaffordable for most resource-poor
farmers. The best strategy is replacement of susceptible varieties
with new resistant varieties. CIMMYT and ICARDA [International Centre
for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas], in collaboration with
countries under threat, have developed high-yielding Ug99-resistant
varieties that are now being distributed in the most threatened areas.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Wheat stem rust is caused by the fungus _Puccinia graminis_ f. sp.
_tritici_. Overall yield losses of up to 80 percent are reported, but
some fields are totally destroyed. New races are emerging, and the
most dangerous at present is strain Ug99 (discovered in Uganda in
1999) which has overcome the major resistance gene Sr31 used in our
current wheat varieties. Since then Ug99 has appeared in Kenya,
Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen, and Iran, and even more virulent variants of
Ug99 able to overcome additional resistance genes have emerged.
It is estimated that Ug99 could reduce world wheat production by 60
million tons and the pathogen is considered a global threat to food
security. Resistance breeding programmes have been set up with
international cooperation (Delhi Declaration, see link below) to
establish wheat varieties resistant to Ug99.
Rust spores are carried on prevailing winds, and regions at high risk
of a Ug99 incursion were identified accordingly to the east of Uganda
in the Middle East and South Asia. With a new source of Ug99 strains
now reported in South Africa, additional routes of aerial transmission
have opened up increasing the threat to regions in the southern
hemisphere. It is suggested that at least one new strain in South
Africa may be an introduction rather than a mutation from local races,
and this poses the question of where the source may be and how the
incursion may have occurred.
Maps
Africa and Middle East:
South Africa:
Pictures of stem rust symptoms on wheat:
and
Links
Additional news stories:
and
Information on wheat stem rust:
Information on Ug99:
,
,
, and
New Ug99 strain in South Africa:
_P. graminis_ f.sp. _tritici_ taxonomy:
Delhi Declaration on Ug99:
Global Rust Initiative:
[see also:
2009
----
Stem rust, wheat - India: new strain 20090717.2548
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99: resistance breeding 20090326.1168
Wheat rusts - Kenya, India, Australia 20090312.1019
2008
----
Wheat stem rust Ug99 - Australia ex Ethiopia: interception 20081203.3807
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - multicountry: update 20081120.3660
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Iran: 1st rep, alert 20080307.0925
2007
----
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Kenya: new variant 20071217.4054
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - multistate: resistance screening 20071208.3957
Barley yellow dwarf virus & stem rust, cereals - Kenya 20070705.2132
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Yemen (02): government response 20070430.1399
Wheat stem rust, spread: FAO, Global Rust Initiative 20070414.1241
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Yemen: 1st report 20070117.0229
2006
----
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Pakistan: susp., 1st report 20060514.1366
Stem rust, wheat - multicountry: new strains 20060406.1039
2005
----
Wheat stem rust, Ug99, new strain - East Africa 20050928.2849
Wheat stem rust, new strain - Uganda 20050912.2698
2002
----
Wheat stem rust fungus, new virulence genes - So Afr 20020814.5049
2000
----
Wheat stem rust in resistant wheat lines - Uganda 20000702.1092
1999
----
Stem-rust fungus, mutant, wheat - Uganda 19990519.0812]
........................................dha/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:
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 26 May 2010
Source: Physorg [edited]
Mutant fungus threatens global wheat supply
-------------------------------------------
Four new mutations of Ug99, a strain of a deadly wheat pathogen known
as stem rust, have overcome existing sources of genetic resistance
developed to safeguard the world's wheat crop. Leading experts at a
global event organized by the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, said the
evolving pathogen may pose an even greater threat to global wheat
production than the original Ug99.
The new "races" have acquired the ability to defeat 2 of the most
important stem rust-resistance genes. "With the new mutations,
countries cannot afford to wait," said Ravi Singh, International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). "Already, most of the varieties
worldwide are vulnerable to the original form of Ug99. We will now
have to make sure that every new wheat variety has iron-clad
resistance to both Ug99 and the new races."
New mutations identified in South Africa will make wheat crops more
vulnerable as pathogens now will find new wind trajectories for
migration. "We do not have as much information as we would like on the
aggressiveness of the pathogen," said David Hodson, FAO. "The original
Ug99 does not seem to have increased as much as originally feared. But
the new variants pose a grave challenge."
Wealthy farmers have chemicals for dealing with wheat rust, but
chemical control is costly and unaffordable for most resource-poor
farmers. The best strategy is replacement of susceptible varieties
with new resistant varieties. CIMMYT and ICARDA [International Centre
for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas], in collaboration with
countries under threat, have developed high-yielding Ug99-resistant
varieties that are now being distributed in the most threatened areas.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Wheat stem rust is caused by the fungus _Puccinia graminis_ f. sp.
_tritici_. Overall yield losses of up to 80 percent are reported, but
some fields are totally destroyed. New races are emerging, and the
most dangerous at present is strain Ug99 (discovered in Uganda in
1999) which has overcome the major resistance gene Sr31 used in our
current wheat varieties. Since then Ug99 has appeared in Kenya,
Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen, and Iran, and even more virulent variants of
Ug99 able to overcome additional resistance genes have emerged.
It is estimated that Ug99 could reduce world wheat production by 60
million tons and the pathogen is considered a global threat to food
security. Resistance breeding programmes have been set up with
international cooperation (Delhi Declaration, see link below) to
establish wheat varieties resistant to Ug99.
Rust spores are carried on prevailing winds, and regions at high risk
of a Ug99 incursion were identified accordingly to the east of Uganda
in the Middle East and South Asia. With a new source of Ug99 strains
now reported in South Africa, additional routes of aerial transmission
have opened up increasing the threat to regions in the southern
hemisphere. It is suggested that at least one new strain in South
Africa may be an introduction rather than a mutation from local races,
and this poses the question of where the source may be and how the
incursion may have occurred.
Maps
Africa and Middle East:
South Africa:
Pictures of stem rust symptoms on wheat:
Links
Additional news stories:
Information on wheat stem rust:
Information on Ug99:
New Ug99 strain in South Africa:
_P. graminis_ f.sp. _tritici_ taxonomy:
Delhi Declaration on Ug99:
Global Rust Initiative:
[see also:
2009
----
Stem rust, wheat - India: new strain 20090717.2548
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99: resistance breeding 20090326.1168
Wheat rusts - Kenya, India, Australia 20090312.1019
2008
----
Wheat stem rust Ug99 - Australia ex Ethiopia: interception 20081203.3807
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - multicountry: update 20081120.3660
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Iran: 1st rep, alert 20080307.0925
2007
----
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Kenya: new variant 20071217.4054
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - multistate: resistance screening 20071208.3957
Barley yellow dwarf virus & stem rust, cereals - Kenya 20070705.2132
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Yemen (02): government response 20070430.1399
Wheat stem rust, spread: FAO, Global Rust Initiative 20070414.1241
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Yemen: 1st report 20070117.0229
2006
----
Wheat stem rust, strain Ug99 - Pakistan: susp., 1st report 20060514.1366
Stem rust, wheat - multicountry: new strains 20060406.1039
2005
----
Wheat stem rust, Ug99, new strain - East Africa 20050928.2849
Wheat stem rust, new strain - Uganda 20050912.2698
2002
----
Wheat stem rust fungus, new virulence genes - So Afr 20020814.5049
2000
----
Wheat stem rust in resistant wheat lines - Uganda 20000702.1092
1999
----
Stem-rust fungus, mutant, wheat - Uganda 19990519.0812]
........................................dha/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:
Subscribe to:
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