wow this one again in the flu news...I am really beginning to think they are trying to tell us something important, without letting the cat out of the bag





Scientists Find Link Between La Niña and the Flu


MEXICO CITY, Feb 14, 2012 (Tierramérica) - Weather patterns could have an influence on the spread of epidemics like that of the H1N1 influenza virus, initially known as swine flu, which broke out in Mexico and the United States in 2009.

That is the hypothesis set forth in a scientific article that calls for research into the links between weather variations, bird migration, and influenza pandemics.

"We examined the four most recent human influenza pandemics (1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009) and found that each pandemic occurred in spring or early summer and was preceded by below-normal sea surface temperatures, indicative of the La Niña phase," Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health told Tierramérica.

"Wild birds are thought to be the primary reservoir of influenza A viruses and facilitate the emergence of new pandemic lineages through the introduction of virus to domestic animals and humans," says the article by Shaman and his colleague Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard School of Public Health.

"Migratory birds, with their long travel distances and many stopovers, are thought to be particularly critical for the mixing and reassortment of influenza virus genomes," the authors add.

The article, "The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) – Pandemic Influenza Connection: Coincident or Causal?" was published in January by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

La Niña is the cold phase of ENSO, a cyclical climate phenomenon that affects weather patterns around the world and forms part of the system that regulates heat in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

ENSO accompanies simultaneous changes in surface ocean temperature and air pressure. During episodes of La Niña, cold water currents in the eastern Pacific intensify.

ENSO has a three- to seven-year cycle. But La Niña can occur in consecutive years, as it has in 2011 and the first two months of 2012.

Shaman and Lipsitch say "La Niña conditions bring divergent influenza subtypes together in some parts of the world and favour the reassortment of influenza through simultaneous multiple infection of individual hosts and the generation of novel pandemic strains."

ENSO has been shown to influence the health and behaviour of migratory birds by altering bird biomass, flight and stopover patterns, time to moult, and population density, they note.

The climate phenomenon drastically affects weather conditions, including temperatures, precipitation, wind speed and direction, which can influence the behaviour of migratory birds.

In April 2009, cases began to appear in Mexico of a previously unknown influenza A virus, which was subsequently given the name H1N1. As the epidemic spread, the federal government and the Mexico City government ordered schools and businesses to close, and cancelled mass public events like concerts or mass.

In June that year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an H1N1 pandemic and promoted the development of vaccines and oseltamivir, sold by Swiss drug giant Roche under the brand name Tamiflu.

"It has always been known that weather patterns have affected viruses, since the time of the ancient Greeks," Federico Ortiz, a Mexican physician who wrote the book "Código A (H1N1). Diario de una pandemia" ("Code A (H1N1); Diary of a Pandemic") in 2009, told Tierramérica.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=106757


Govt rolls up sleeves to anticipate bird flu outbreak


The Health Ministry says it has taken necessary measures to anticipate a possible bird flu outbreak, such as by ensuring the availability of medical workers, community health centers, hospitals and antiviral drugs.

The ministry's head of animal-borne infectious disease control, Rita Kusriastuti, said that her ministry had prepared 100 hospitals with bird flu treatment facilities, including in all but one of the 32 provinces across the archipelago.

Rita said that the ministry had trained its staffers on how to survey bird-flu medical facilities as well and had trained medical workers how to recognize bird flu symptoms.

Rita added that her ministry had also cooperated with a research consortium led by the University of Indonesia’s School of Medicine to work on a prototype of a bird flu vaccine

So far, the ministry has distributed the antiviral drug oseltamivir to community health clinics in 13 endemic provinces: Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, Jogjakarta, East Java, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau, Lampung, Bali and South Sulawesi. In other non-endemic provinces, oseltamivir is provided at respective provincial health agency.

Dr Fera Ibrahim, coordinator of a research consortium for bird flu vaccines said that currently there were some DNA prototypes of a bird-flu vaccine based on genetic research.

The prototype has been tested on house mice, which showed immune response. Now the prototype is being evaluated to obtain the most effective composition for the vaccine.

“If everything falls into place, the vaccine will be available for mass consumption within four to five years to come,” Fera was quoted by Kompas.com. (han)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012 ... break.html


H3N2v Swine Flu Case Confirmed In Long An Vietnam
Recombinomics Commentary 09:15
February 15, 2012

As reported by the National Influenza Center - Pasteur Institute of Ho. Ho Chi Minh, influenza surveillance system key southern countries found cases of A/H3N2 flu originated from pigs.

This is a new 2-year-old female patients in Duoc, Long An influenza have been treated at Children's Hospital 1 and then cured. Samples of these patients have been tested in a laboratory at the CDC standard WHO official - the United States and has been confirmed.

Yang said, this is the first case reported in Vietnam A/H3N2 flu originated from pigs. This slight movement of cases and no evidence of transmission from person to person.

The above translation describe the first case (2F) of H3N2v in Vietnam (Duoc, Long An). In contrast to earlier reports, which described similar cases in the United States, this report describes a PCR confirmed case in the Mekong Delta region in southern Vietnam.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02151 ... ng_An.html

working on an orginal source with a goggle translation


Vietnam claims first swine influenza virus (H3N2) infection



HANOI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam claimed the first patient who was infected by swine influenza virus (H3N2) in April 2011 and was re-confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 10, 2012.

The news was announced here on Wednesday by Dr. Nguyen Thanh Duong, deputy director of the Vietnam Preventive Medicine Department, under the Ministry of Health (MOH).

According to the report, the patient was a 2-year-old girl from southern Long An province, who was treated at the No. 1 Children Hospital in April 2011 and later got recovered. She was confirmed then by the southern influenza supervisory network as infected by swine influenza virus H3N2.

On January 10, 2012, the testing result was re-confirmed by the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under WHO standard criteria.

The MOH instructed the national influenza supervisory network to enhance the check-up and timely discover the possible H3N2, as well as closely coordinate with the WHO Vietnam Office to monitor this type of disease. It was the first H3N2 - infected case in Vietnam with no signs of human-to-human infection. Since April 2011, there is not any other case, reported the MOH.

However, due to the current expansion of the bird flu out-break in many localities across the country, the MOH warned relevant agencies and residents to strictly implement hygienic measures relating to poultry and animal slaughtering, and go to the hospital as soon as possible for treatment when there is any sign of being infected.



http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/healt ... 412473.htm



Bird flu hits six more provinces


HCMC – As of February 13, the bird-flu virus of the H5N1 type has been detected in six more provinces, comprising Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Ha Nam, Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang in the north, and Kien Giang in the south, taking to nine the number of provinces hit by the contagious avian influenza.

Earlier, the recurrence of H5N1 has been reported in Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri and Soc Trang.

Meanwhile, the mouth-and-foot disease in cattle has been found in Thai Binh Province after settling down for a long time, according to the Department of Veterinary.

The outbreak of bird flu infected 1,470 water fowls in a poultry farm in Hai Phong Province’s Duong Kinh District and 460 out of that died with typical symptoms.

The dead poultry tested positive for H5N1-type bird flu. The whole flock of infected ducks has been destroyed and bird flu preventive measures have been taken in line with regulations, according to local veterinary department.

Agriculture minister Cao Duc Phat has decided to set up seven inspection teams to control the current situation. At present, inspection teams are making efforts to ensure proper prevention against bird flu.

http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/Home/s ... ion/21794/



Child dies from flu; Teen was not vaccinated (Texas)

A San Antonio teen's death is a reminder that the flu can still be deadly. It's also a reminder of the consequences of not being vaccinated.

Metro health confirmed that the child is the only pediatric flu death in Texas.

Health officials say that while this flu season may be late, its packing a punch.

So far there have been 22 laboratory confirmed cases of flu, 12 of them occurring this month.

Even though its already February, the health department is urging everyone six months or older to protect themselves and their family members from influenza.

Everyday prevention tips include staying away from sick people and washing hands frequently to reduce the spread of germs. Officials say that if you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading influenza to others.

Few details are being released about the 13 year-old teen that died.

http://www.kens5.com/news/Child-dies-fr ... 11303.html

Brace yourselves! The blizzards head back as Britain swaps Siberian winds for Arctic gales


Heavy snow and winds are about to return with a vengeance, as forecasters predict another six inches of snow is heading back to Britain.

After a week's respite of surprisingly mild weather, Arctic gales are sneaking up on our shores, replacing the Siberian winds which covered much of the nation with a thick blanket of snow just two weeks ago.

Up to six inches of snow may fall in Scotland and northern England between Friday night and Sunday.


Scotland will feel the first waves, with sleet expected tomorrow - and then Northern Scotland must prepare for the worst as a 21-hour snow and blizzard alert kicks in from midnight on Friday night.

Scotland was warned of transport disruption, with wind gusts of up to 55mph delivering blizzards producing 'significant accumulations' of snow.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1mXSmWnN2

Feds mull 10 per cent cut to Parliament's $585M budget

Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to trim operating costs in Ottawa, and Conservative MPs held a secret meeting on Wednesday to look at how they can curb spending -- including parliamentary perks that some want to protect.

While MPs at the meeting weren't keen to reveal what was discussed, it appears the government could cut up to 10 per cent of the parliamentary budget, CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported.

The annual budget for the Parliament of Canada in this fiscal year is $586,331,000. That includes operating costs for the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament.

A 10-per-cent cut could mean about $58.6 million in savings for taxpayers.

While it's expected that MP salaries of $157,731 will be frozen this year, some other key cuts could include:

A scaling back of MP office budgets

A drop on round-trip flights for MPs from 64 to 52

Eliminating all business-class travel on flights

Tony Clement, president of the Treasury Board, has publicly mused that any cuts should be balanced.

"You have to be fair to the employee, which in this case is the MPs, and you have to be fair to the taxpayers," he said.

But Parliament is the only federal department that doesn't publicly post its expenditures. Other departments are required to make their costs public. And the meeting called by Prime Minister Stephen Harper took place behind closed doors.

Insiders say that Labour Minister Lisa Raitt teared up at last week's caucus meetings because she is concerned that fewer free flights would mean less time with her family and her young children.

And for once, it appears that MPs from all sides of the political spectrum are united against serious cuts.

"There is a lot of work and effort being done by MPs here in Ottawa. They work long days and long hours, so I certainly empathize with them," said Conservative Yukon MP Ryan Leef.

Edmonton NDP MP Linda Duncan has also raised issue with cutbacks on travel, since it would remove opportunities for discussions with voters, she said.

"I would hope they wouldn't cut back on that travel, because that enables constituents to talk directly to us."

Sources say that no decisions have been made, and that more meetings on the proposed cuts are planned.

But so far, it's not clear if MP pensions will come under any increased scrutiny.



Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20 ... z1mXPZvwH0




Drummond report on Ontario calls for cutbacks


The Ontario government must curtail its spending with the kind of cuts not seen since the Mike Harris years, according to a report by former TD Bank chief economist Don Drummond.

Released Wednesday, Drummond’s report calls for extensive spending reductions and warns that without his recommended belt-tightening, the province will face a crippling $30-billion deficit by 2017-18.

Drummond warns that failing to follow such severe austerity measures could cause Ontario’s debt, which currently stands at $215 billion, to balloon to more than $411 billion in five years.

To avoid this and balance the books by 2017-18, Drummond outlines 362 recommendations in his 665-page, two-volume report, which he calls “a wrenching reduction from the path that spending is now on.”

His recommendations include moving more patients away from hospital care to cheaper forms of health care. He also calls for increases in school class sizes, tighter controls over public-sector wages and moves to curtail the underground economy.


He said the moves are “necessary if Ontario is to escape its recent history of rising public debt that forces the government to spend more than it should on interest payments.”

He also admits the cuts will be painful.

“The government will have to cut program spending more deeply on a real per capita basis and over a much longer period of time than the Harris government did in the 1990s,” he writes in the report.



Call to cap health-care, education spending increases

Key to meeting the target is capping annual increases in health-care spending at 2.5 per cent, something Drummond said no jurisdiction has achieved in the last 30 years.

Health-care spending in Ontario currently rises by almost seven per cent a year.


In education, Drummond calls for annual spending increases capped at one per cent and says current increases of three to five per cent a year are not sustainable.

He calls for cuts to non-teaching positions and suggests school bus service be subject to user fees and opened up to competitive bidding.

Drummond also wants the Ontario Child Benefit held at $1,100 per child, per year, instead of allowing it to rise to the $1,310 called for in the 2011 budget.

Other measures call for the province to boost revenue by clamping down on the underground economy, and allowing slot machines in more locations.


He also wants the LCBO to consider expanding locations and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to fold its two head offices into one while closing one of two casinos in Niagara Falls.

Leading up to the release of the report, the government hinted it was free to choose which of Drummond’s recommendations it will adopt.

For example, Drummond calls for the elimination of all-day kindergarten, which the Liberals have already said they will not do.

Drummond, however, says failing to follow his recommendations means the government will have to find the money elsewhere, either through new taxes or other spending cuts.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/s ... eport.html

25 million tons of tsunami debris floating toward US shores

Wrecked cars, portions of homes, boats, furniture and more -- all swept up by the destructive, magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan 11 months ago -- are on a slow-motion collision course with California.

But no one's tracking the debris, Jim Churnside, a physicist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency's (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, told FoxNews.com.

"It would be really nice, but it’s really difficult," Churnside expained.

The wreckage from the March 11, 2011, disaster could include virtually anything that floats, according to oceanographer and beachcomber Curtis Ebbesmeyer -- and that includes portions of houses, boats, ships, furniture, cars and even human remains.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/ ... z1mXMGhU50

credits to Kuerno De Chivo

260 dead dolphins

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/02/260 ... ed-on.html


Wetland Bird Toll hits 800

Up to 800 birds have been found dead at wetlands in Christchurch's eastern suburbs and the oxidation ponds.

The Christchurch City Council said yesterday that during the past few weeks dead birds have been found on the banks of the oxidation ponds in Bromley.

Dead birds have also been found in the Bexley area and the Travis Wetland.

Council ornithologist Andrew Crossland said between 600 and 800 dead birds had been found.

"The earthquakes in Christchurch have caused a lot of changes to water quality but also to effluent levels at the oxidation ponds," he said.

"It's got nothing to do with anything physical such as liquefaction but more to do with the fluctuating water levels and changes like that."

Investigations were underway but the initial diagnosis was avian botulism, a paralysing disease caused by a toxin which thrives in shallow, warm water.

Avian botulism can not be transferred to people.

However, the council was urging people and animals to avoid infected or dead birds until specialist testing was complete.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/6 ... l-hits-800



Birds Invade Town: Thousands Of Crows Descend On Pennsylvania College (VIDEO)

Thousands of crows have descended on a small Pennsylvania college town, disrupting life for students and residents who have had to deal with relentless noise and bird droppings that sound "like raindrops falling," CBS Pittsburgh reports.

Residents of California, Pa., a town 35 miles south of Pittsburgh, which is home to the California University of Pennsylvania, said the birds start arriving at dusk and hang out overnight, leaving a huge mess on the tops of houses, cars and everything in between.

"At 7 in the morning, it's louder than my alarm," resident Jess Priest told Channel 11 News.

"It's really bad. It keeps us up at night. They go to the bathroom everywhere. Our cars get destroyed," another resident, Jen Sasko, told the station.

Bree Robinson, a student at California University of Pennsylvania, told reporters that residents have been trying different tactics to scare off the birds, but nothing seems to work.

"One day I was so mad I said I was going to build a scarecrow. I didn't know if they actually worked. I put it in the tree and it didn't," Robinson told CBS Pittsburgh.

As for the California University of Pennsylvania, staff members have tried setting up laser lights and diffusing a plant-based "fog" to keep them off campus property, according to the Associated Press. Unfortunately, the birds have responded by moving to other areas of the town.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/1 ... 76765.html

Woman threatens to jump off Athens office block after Greek minister warns 'the people cannot take any more'

This is the dramatic moment a Greek woman threatened to jump from an Athens office block - because she was about to lose her job because of the euro debt crisis.

Lambrousi Harikleia said she would commit suicide from the second floor of the Labour Housing Organisation building which has been earmarked for closure.

The suicide threat came after Greece's Public Order Minister Christos Papoutsis had warned: 'Greece has made all the efforts that it needed to do, and the people cannot take any more.'
Local media reported that she was eventually led away to safety.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1mXTn05VP

Iran dares the west as it flaunts its nuke power: Oil prices touch six-month high of $120 a barrel on supply worries

Aftershocks of the bomb explosions in New Delhi and Bangkok had barely subsided on Wednesday when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dropped another bombshell by showcasing the country's advancements in nuclear technology - a move seen as Tehran's determination to precipitate a confrontation with the West.

Iran's claim that it has achieved major advances in its programme to master production of nuclear fuel is being seen as a defiant move in response to increasingly tough Western sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.

Showcasing its nuclear prowess, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled on state television what was described as Iran's first domestically produced 20-percent enriched nuclear fuel for Tehran's research reactor.

He said 3,000 more centrifuges had been added to his country's uranium enrichment effort, and officials said new-generation, high-capacity centrifuges had been installed in Iran's Natanz facility.
All this was shown live on state owned English broadcaster Press TV to accentuate the effect.
Using a split screen to show the nuclear rod placement even as he was speaking, it sent shockwaves in the hearts and minds of the western world.

Crude oil prices were virtually talked up with this war mongering scenario, ending at a six month high of $120 per barrel.

Ahmadinejad also said that uranium exploration in Iran had been stepped up and a new yellowcake processing factory would be pre-launched next month. And he ordered Iran to build four more nuclear research reactors. The Iranian President then went on to attack the Western countries for their 'double talk'.
'These are the countries which are stocking nuclear piles but preaching to others against it,' he said.
Wednesday's event caused even more concern coming as it did alongside Iran's warning that it could cut oil sales to six EU countries in a further show of resistance to international pressure.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/in ... z1mXU8jECj

Oil pipeline blown up in rebel city of Homs on 13th day of bombardment as Syrian forces storm central district of Damascus

An explosion hit a major oil pipeline in a rebel-held district of Homs this morning as the Syrian government's bombardment of the city entered its 13th day.

Elite forces backed by armoured personnel carriers also stormed part of Damascus today, firing machine guns in the air, in the closest deployment of troops to the centre of the capital in the 11-month uprising.
Meanwhile, troops launched a new offensive on the city of Hama, firing on residential neighbourhoods from armoured vehicles and mobile anti-aircraft guns.

The escalation of the conflict comes as France's foreign minister announced it had started negotiating a new UN Security Council resolution on Syria with Russia and wanted to discuss creating 'humanitarian corridors' in the country.

China, which along with Russia vetoed a resolution earlier this month, was quick to warn that mistakes by the UN Security Council could worsen the bloodshed.

The leader of a global Islamic group also stressed that the international community must rule out military intervention as a solution to the crisis.

In Washington, a State Department official said the U.S. and its allies were closely monitoring Syria's stockpiles of chemical arms and portable anti-aircraft missiles amid concerns they could fall into the hands of militant groups.

The attack on the oil pipeline, near a large Sunni Muslim district, sent thick, black smoke billowing into the sky for several hours after the blast.
The Local Co-ordination Committees and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Homs pipeline was in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Baba Amro, which has been shelled by (LCC) regime troops for the past 12 days.
It was not clear what caused the explosion.

The authorities have accused 'terrorist saboteurs' of hitting the pipeline while opposition activists said the military, which began firing shells, mortar rounds and rockets into Baba Amro on February 3, has been hitting it by mistake.





Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1mXV3PQw5