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Tag: illness

  • Bird Flu Spikes in China as 23 More Cases Reported

    This past week, 23 people in China have been infected with the H7N9 strain of bird flu, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, in addition to the previous week that saw 24 new cases which confirms this virus is becoming more active.

    In the newest cases, reported from several different provinces of China, was a 38-year-old man who died on Jan. 9.

    The others were in hospitals, some in serious or critical condition, the WHO said. Several had reported recent exposure to poultry or poultry markets, but the WHO said the source of the virus was still under investigation.

    The H7N9 bird flu virus emerged in March last year and has so far infected at least 199 people in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, killing 52 of them, according to an update from the WHO’s spokesman Gregory Hartl.

    Some cases were said to be due to close contact to another infected person, but WHO said on Monday that “so far, there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.”

    Hartl told Reuters last week that the United Nations health agency had noted the recent rapid increase in human H7N9 infections and was keeping a watchful eye.

    “So far we haven’t seen anything that causes us to change our risk assessment,” he said.

    The WHO’s assessment is that “the current likelihood of community-level spread … is considered to be low.”

    But, scientists warn that the H7N9 virus contains genetic markers that could help it infect mammals easier than other avian viruses. Infected birds also do not show symptoms, making it harder to track the disease.

    “After almost a decade of sitting on the proverbial edge of the H5N1 pandemic cliff and not falling off, people are beginning to think that we never will fall,” Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said by email. “But the best scientific assessment of microbial genetics tells us we could still fall off of that cliff and if we do, the global consequences could be devastating.”

    Experts are blaming the current infection on the winter flu season for the significant increase in the number of cases of human H7N9 infection. However, the CDC and the WHO are obviously concerned.

    Public health authorities and doctors have been put on alert to watch for signs that the more active circulating virus might be mutating and adapting, allowing transmission between people.

    Image via NDN

  • AP: Monsanto’s Chemicals are Sickening Argentina

    A recent AP investigation might change your mind if you think the Haitian farmers acted brashly when they destroyed the seeds Monsanto donated to them as relief from an earthquake.

    Argentina is, today, the world’s third-largest soy producer, and the thanks in no small part go to American biotechnology firms like Monsanto. But decades of genetically-modified growth accompanied by special insecticides and agrochemicals are taking a terrible toll on the Argentinian population.

    The AP noted dozens of individual cases of people using agrochemicals in illegal ways. Santa Fe has cancer rates that are between two and four times higher than Argentina’s national average, and the state of Chaco (the nation’s poorest) sees four times as many children born with birth defects since biotechnology took over.

    A pediatrician and co-founder of Argentina’s Doctors of Fumigated Towns, Dr. Medardo Avila Vazquez, said “The change in how agriculture is produced has brought, frankly, a change in the profile of diseases. We’ve gone from a pretty healthy population to one with a high rate of cancer, birth defects, and illnesses seldom seen before.”

    Argentina was once famous for its grass-fed cattle, but in 1996, Monsanto marketed a model of higher crop yields through less pesticides, mostly because the seeds were genetically modified to include the pesticide, and then sprayed with accompanying agrochemicals produced by Monsanto.

    The campaign worked well for Monsanto: 100 percent of Argentina’s soy and almost all the corn, wheat, and cotton are grown from GM seeds. Soy farming now occupies 47 million acres, and now Argentinian cattle are fed in feedlots, just like the United States.

    Unfortunately for the farmers, insects evolve much more rapidly than Monsanto’s chemical formulas due to their short lives. Put simply, as more chemicals were sprayed on the bugs, more chemicals were needed to kill them.

    The 1990 figures show 9 million gallons of agrochemical concentrate were sprayed in Argentina per acre; by 2013, 84 million gallons of concentrate were sprayed, an amount that is more than double that utilized by farmers in the United States.

    In 2009, Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez ordered a commission to study the impact of frequent agrochemical spraying on human health. It published an initial report that demanded “systematic controls over concentrations of herbicides and their compounds” but the commission hasn’t met since 2010.

    Monsanto spokesperson Thomas Helscher said in a written statement that his company “does not condone the misuse of pesticides or the violation of any pesticide law, regulation, or court ruling… Monsanto takes the stewardship of products seriously and we communicate regularly with our customers regarding proper use of our products.”

    If you want to watch a full-length documentary about the effects, physical and legal, of Monsanto’s work, Seeds of Death is sure to be a highly informative experience:

    [Image via Seeds of Death

  • Whooping Cough Cases on the Rise

    Whooping Cough Cases on the Rise

    Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are rising in some areas of the United States. Nevada is one area that has seen a rise in whooping cough cases in 2013, with Clark County having 103 reported cases of the illness so far this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the best way to avoid whooping cough is by getting a vaccine.

    For those who aren’t too familiar with whooping cough, the CDC describes it as “a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants.” While many people receive a whooping cough vaccine as a child (doses of the DTaP vaccine start at 2 months), the CDC also recommends that all adults have their vaccine updated, since it can wear off over time.

    While cases of pertussis in the U.S. have generally declined over the years, some parts of the country are seeing higher rates of whooping cough over previous years. According to Las Vegas Review Journal, around 16,000 whooping cough cases have been reported to the CDC as of September 15, with 13 states, including Nevada, reporting an increase compared to 2012. No deaths resulting from whooping cough have been reported in Nevada.

    Nancy A. Wood, an infection-prevention specialist at Canton-Potsdam Hospital in New York, says that the reason whooping cough cases are rising is because some people aren’t getting vaccinated. “Older people who haven’t gotten whooping cough vaccination are getting whooping cough and then giving it to the children,” Wood said. Wood also says that some people choose not to vaccinate their kids, which leaves them “vulnerable.” Wood didn’t specifically mention if the areas in Nevada with higher whooping cough cases have a lower rate of people with the vaccination.

    Most new parents do get their children vaccinated for whooping cough, but the numbers of parents who hare having their children opt out of the vaccination are increasing. One reason listed for opting out is the potential side effects. According to the CDC, while rare, possible side effects include “seizure, high fever, serious allergic reaction, long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness and permanent brain damage.” Choosing not to vaccinate is fairly controversial, as seen below. Do you think everyone should be vaccinated? Respond below.

    Symptoms of Whooping Cough

    While whooping cough is relatively rare, it’s helpful to know the signs of symptoms of the illness, which the Mayo Clinic provides.

    Once you become infected with whooping cough, it can take one to three weeks for signs and symptoms to appear. They’re usually mild at first and resemble those of a common cold:

    Runny nose
    Nasal congestion
    Sneezing
    Red, watery eyes
    A mild fever
    Dry cough

    After a week or two, signs and symptoms worsen. Thick mucus accumulates inside your airways, causing uncontrollable coughing. Severe and prolonged coughing attacks may:

    Provoke vomiting
    Result in a red or blue face
    Cause extreme fatigue
    End with a high-pitched “whoop” sound during the next breath of air

    Image via YouTube

  • Mysterious Respiratory Illness Kills 2 in Alabama

    After the SARS outbreak in 2002, medical professionals around the world are on the lookout for respiratory diseases that could potentially spread. Earlier this year, health officials in the U.K. identified a new type of coronavirus that could cause coughing, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. The first patient diagnosed with the virus died from a severe respiratory infection.

    Now, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are warning the public about unknown respiratory illnesses that have popped up in southeast Alabama.

    Two people have already died after being admitted to hospitals with a cough, shortness of breath, and a fever. Five others exhibited the same symptoms but survived.

    The ADPH has stated that laboratory samples have been taken from all of the patients, which the ADPH’s Bureau of Clinical Laboratories and the CDC’s Respiratory Laboratory are now testing.

    The ADPH is now recommending that hospitals use respiratory precautions such as masks when dealing with respiratory patients. It is also recommended that people experiencing respiratory symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, and fever seek out medical care for evaluation.

  • George H.W. Bush Still in Hospital, Could be Discharged as Soon as This Week

    Former President George H.W. Bush has been in the Houston-area Methodist Hospital for nearly two months now, battling an illness which included a constant fever. Around Christmas Bush was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) so that hospital staff could “more closely monitor his condition, which was stated to be “guarded” at the time.

    Now, it appears that the 41st president of the United States may be going home soon. Bush family spokesperson Jim McGrath has announced that he and the family are “hopeful” that Bush will be coming home later this week. From McGrath’s Twitter feed:

    An HBO documentary titled 41 revealed last year that Bush has been battling symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in recent years. He can no longer walk on his own and relies on a wheelchair for mobility.

    Bush was released from the ICU just before New Year’s and has continued to recover. McGrath stated around one week ago that the elder Bush had watched college football during his stay, and that “he has taken pride watching wins by Texas A&M and Houston Texans.”

  • George H.W. Bush “Alert” and “in Good Spirits” in ICU

    Former President George H.W. Bush is still in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Houston-area Methodist Hospital, but a Bush family spokesperson today announced that the former president’s condition is improving. The spokesperson expressed hope that Bush will make it through the current illness. From the statement:

    “President Bush remains in the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital, where he continues to improve. The President is alert and, as always, in good spirits – and his exchanges with doctors and nurses now include singing. The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes and, like their doctors, are cautiously optimistic that the current course of treatment will be effective.”

    Bush has been in the hospital for more than a month now, battling a fever that’s cause has not been released. This week, Bush was moved into the ICU of the hospital for staff to more closely monitor his condition, which was considered “guarded.” He was visited on Christmas by his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and his son Neil Bush and Family. Other members of Bush’s family, including former President George W. Bush and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, have also visited him during his stay in the hospital.

    Bush is currently 88 years old, but was known to be healthy and active in the months and years before his current hospitalization.

  • Ex-President Bush Now in Intensive Care

    Former President George H.W. Bush has been admitted to the intensive care unit of the Houston-area Methodist hospital. Bush has been in the hospital for more than a month now, battling what is reported to be a constant fever.

    According to the Houston Chronicle, Bush’s fever is not responding to treatment with Tylenol. The fever rose on Wednesday, December 24, but doctors are reported to have said Bush has improved since that time. Bush is now considered to be in “guarded” condition. The cause of the fever has not been released.

    Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving one term from 1989 to 1993. Before being elected president, Bush flew 58 U.S. Navy combat missions during World War II. He went on to become the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and President Ronald Reagan’s vice president from 1981 to 1989.

    The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that Bush was visited on Christmas by his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and his son Neil’s family. The other members of Bush’s family have also been able to visit him in the past month, including former U.S. president George W. Bush, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

    Despite being 88 years old, Bush was known to be healthy and active in recent years. He celebrated his 85th birthday, just three years ago, by jumping out of an airplane:

  • Beer (Lots of It) May Help You Stave Off Colds

    Good news, everyone: next time you drink a case of beer and awaken in your front yard, smelling of strip clubs and Taco Bell, you can just tell everyone that you did it for your health.

    Researchers at Sapporo Medical University in Japan (yes, that Sapporo) have determined that a chemical found in beer may help protect against a common virus that could give you one of those crappy winter colds.

    It’s called human respiratory syncytial virus and is one of the major causes of lower respiratory infection in babies and younger kids. Most kids will have been infected at some point before they turn four years old. But it’s not only small children that are affected by RSV, as adults can develop cold-like symptoms from the virus. If you live in a temperate (non-tropical climate), you’re most likely to contract the virus during the winter.

    The scientists says that humulone, aka the thing in hops that makes your beer deliciously bitter, can help stave off RSV.

    In summarion, your babies need to get blitzed.

    Ok, not really. But who am I to tell you have to raise your kid? The researchers know most parents don’t want to start their babies on the sauce that early, and they tell the AFP:

    “We are now studying the feasibility of applying humulone to food or non-alcoholic products. The challenge really is that the bitter taste is going to be difficult for children.

    In reality, it’s you that could benefit from drinking more beer. The only problem is that they say you’ll need to drink about 30 beers in order to benefit from the humulone (no word on whether or not hoppier beers would cut that number).

    Wait, did I say “problem?” I meant challenge accepted. No more colds for this guy.

  • R. Kelly Sick – Pisses on Jimmy Fallon and the Today Show

    R. Kelly is sick and has missed appearances on Today and Jimmy Fallon, according to AceShowBiz. The R & B singer is suffering from complications from a throat surgery last year. He was supposed to be on the Today Show on June 28 and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon today, but will not be appearing on either. He will also be missing his launch party for his new book, SoulaCoaster.

    R Kelly will be in Chicago for the next few days for medical treatment to what is likely complications from surgery to an abscess on his vocal chords. According to his publicist, it is unclear how long the singer will be out of the game.

    The singer underwent surgery last summer at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. This led to the cancellation of his appearance at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica. In December, he would return to the stage to perform on The X Factor.

    The recent publicity appearances are due to the release of his new album “Write Me Back” on June 26. Today, June 28, “SoulaCoaster: The Diary of Me” is available for purchase. In the book, he discusses meeting Tupac Shakur & Notorious B.I.G. and how they influenced him to combine rap and R&B.