1,000 ducks killed due to avian flu in Ninh Son District, Vietnam

Bird flu prevention authority in the central Ninh Thuan Province has raised an alarm about a possible return of a new epidemic after an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu was discovered last week among a flock of poultry in the province’s Ninh Son District.

 

About 1,000 ducks owned by Dang Hung Kien, a farmer in the Ninh Son District, were immediately culled after a variety of samples were confirmed to have been infected with H5N1 bird flu.

 

The farmer had earlier reported to the local health preventive authority that a large number of birds in his flock had died of symptoms of H5N1, such as blindness and paralysed legs.

 

A series of preventive measures were undertaken to quarantine the infected areas.

 

Earlier in May, an outbreak of H5N1 was discovered in the same district and a total of 2,500 ducks were culled.

 

The Ministry of Health’s Preventive Medicine Department has asked the health sector in Ninh Thuan to roll out precautionary measures to prevent any possible transmission of A/H5N1 bird flu strain to humans.

 

The provincial Health Department was tasked with intensifying communication campaigns regarding protection measures for those living in high-risk areas.

 

It will also focus on management and supervision while keeping a close watch over vulnerable residents to detect infected cases immediately.

 

Local hospitals were requested to prepare necessary facilities, equipment and medicine stocks for supervising and treating suspected cases.

 

The Preventive Medicine Department also recommended regular washing of hands with soap, practicing personal hygiene and avoiding direct contact with A/H5N1 patients or sick poultry to effectively prevent the disease.

 

Vietnam recorded its first A/H5N1 cases in fowl and humans in December 2003.

 

The virus has since spread and triggered a number of outbreaks, causing severe health and economic damage.

Courtesy of vietnamnews.vn

http://tinyurl.com/on9r8ca

Tens of thousands of carp have died in a reservoir in Soria, Spain

Tens of thousands of carp have died in a reservoir in Soria, Spain

Thousands of dead fish have ‘mysteriously’ washed up along the coast of Rades, Tunisia, Africa

Thousands of dead fish have been found dead, mysteriously stranded on the edge of the sea at Rades, near the commercial port, according to several witnesses on the spot.

 

To learn more, Jawhara FM has contacted Harry McCaffrey, Executive Director of the national Institute of science and technology of the sea.

 

The official said that it is unclear the causes of this phenomenon and need to wait for the results of analyses of samples that teams of local authorities have taken.

Courtesy of jawharafm.net

http://goo.gl/rR1Wy1

14,000 ducks killed due to avian flu in Pingtung County, Taiwan

About 14,000 broiler ducks at three farms in Pingtung County’s Yanpu (鹽埔) and Kaoshu (高樹) townships were culled on Thursday after it was discovered they were infected with avian influenza, the second confirmed case in Pingtung County within a week.

 

Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Director-General Chang Su-san (張淑賢) said ducks at the three farms were found to have contracted a new strain of the avian influenza H5 subtype virus on Wednesday, and a full culling was conducted at the affected farms on Thursday.

 

Chang said the three farms are within a 1km radius of a farm in Pingtung’s Sinyuan Township (新園), where 5,780 broiler ducks infected with the H5 subtype virus were culled last Thursday.

 

She said the ducks culled this week were healthy, but preventive culling was conducted in accordance with epidemic prevention regulations, adding that the bureau instructed farmers to disinfect and clean the animals’ enclosures to prevent the spread of the virus.

 

Ducks are potential carriers of avian influenza that exhibit few symptoms and low mortality rates when infected.

 

The bureau said it will now take samples from all farms within a 1km radius of the affected farms.

 

Any operators that refuse the bureau’s inspection will face a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 (US$913 and US$4,569), and those who fail to report any erratic farm animal deaths will face a maximum fine of NT$1 million, Chang said

 

The Pingtung outbreak is the latest in a series of reported cases since ducks and chickens at farms in Chiayi and Changhau counties were found infected with avian influenza late last month. The total number of ducks and chickens culled this year has exceeded 5 million, the bureau said.

 

The bureau said a serious outbreak might occur in the autumn, and has called on epidemic prevention officers to thoroughly disinfect affected facilities, as well as vehicles and equipment used for disease control purposes.

Courtesy of taipeitimes.com

http://tinyurl.com/npb53dy

MEGA DIP SPIKES ON THE WEAK MAGNETOSPHERE @ APPROX 17:45, 18:15 HRS UTC

**VERY URGENT**

  MEGA DIP SPIKES ON THE WEAK MAGNETOSPHERE @ APPROX 17:45, 18:15 HRS UTC. FURTHER EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANO ACTIVITY & ADVERSE WEATHER PATTERNS WILL BE GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE COSMIC RAYS STRIKING THE EARTH’S CORE

***BE ALERT***

Swine flu tests positive for 3 more persons in India

Three persons tested positive for swine flu in the city on Saturday, taking the total count to six since August 27. Three others are suspected to be infected by the H1N1 virus. Their blood samples have been sent for testing. The cases have started trickling again as the minimum temperature of the city dipped below 25 degree Celsius.

 

A 40-year-old woman from Manjalpur and another woman (43) from Warasiya tested positive on Saturday morning along with a 41-year-old man from Tandalja. Of the three suspected cases, one sample was collected from the city and two others were collected from Padra and Dahod.

 

According to doctors, the rise in cases is not surprising. The virus had been declared a local seasonal infection and will affect people like any other flu, throughout the year.

 

“The virus becomes inactive only when the minimum temperature of the city rises to a daily average of about 28 degree Celsius. This is why there were no cases when the summer was in full blow. The dip in the night temperatures in August led to the increase in cases,” said district health officer M T Chari, adding that it is difficult to ascertain the behaviour of the virus.

 

The viral infection had earlier killed a woman, whose was the first case to surface since the three-and-half-month wave that ended in April in this year. On August 27, the four-month-pregnant women (36) died due to swine flu after being admitted to SSG Hospital. Her father, brother and husband were also tested positive for symptomatic swine flu and were treated. Another 17-year-old patient from Akshar Chowk was tested positive for the viral infection earlier this month.

 

According to doctors, receiving swine flu cases throughout the year is no surprise. “Swine flu cases will trickle in throughout the year, except the extreme summers. Every patient of flu has to be extra cautious. High-grade fever, sore throat and breathlessness should be reported,” Chari added.

 

The increase in cases between January and April this year was the highest during a wave since the pandemic of 2009-2010. The city had registered 615 cases of swine flu of whom 78 had died in the city.

 

The increase in cases between January and April this year was the highest during a wave since the pandemic of 2009-2010. The city had registered 615 cases of swine flu of which 78 had died in the city.

Courtesy of timesofindia.indiatimes.com

http://tinyurl.com/qylw8fa

Transformer at substation explodes and catches fire in Waldwick, New Jersey, USA

MITSU YASUKAWA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Just under 2,000 people in northern and central Bergen County were without power after an explosion at a PSE&G substation in Waldwick on Sunday morning, according to the utility.

 

Several area fire departments and mutual aid units were dispatched to the scene of the PSE&G substation at Hopper Avenue at about 10:40 a.m.

 

Authorities evacuated residents on Bohnert Place following the explosion, and several families are now staying at the borough ambulance core building, said Waldwick Mayor Tom Giordano, who is also president of the fire department.

 

Giordano said that the Garfield fire department was dosing the fire with foam and officials expected it to be extinguished within several hours.

 

There were areas in Westwood, Hillsdale and Woodcliff Lake without power, said Karen Vossen, a PSE&G spokeswoman. She said electricity was expected to be restored to them from sometime between 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

 

There were no injuries, according to the mayor, and he said the fumes from the fire do not pose any danger to nearby residents.

 

Waldwick police declined to comment.

 

The incident is under investigation, Vossen added.

Courtesy of northjersey.com

http://tinyurl.com/oote46c

MAGNITUDE 2.7 LONG VALLEY AREA, CALIFORNIA, USA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=459153

Subject To Change

Depth: 6 km

Distances: 397 km N of Los Angeles, United States / pop: 3,792,621 / local time: 11:20:51.2 2015-09-13
193 km SE of Carson City, United States / pop: 55,274 / local time: 11:20:51.2 2015-09-13
104 km S of Hawthorne, United States / pop: 3,269 / local time: 11:20:51.2 2015-09-13
17 km E of Mammoth Lakes, United States / pop: 8,234 / local time: 11:20:51.2 2015-09-13

MAGNITUDE 4.9 GULF OF CALIFORNIA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=459136

Subject To Change

Depth: 5 km

Distances: 743 km SW of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico / pop: 1,512,354 / local time: 09:05:00.8 2015-09-13
177 km NE of La Paz, Mexico / pop: 171,485 / local time: 09:05:00.8 2015-09-13
39 km W of Topolobampo, Mexico / pop: 7,580 / local time: 09:05:00.8 2015-09-13

MAGNITUDE 4.7 CARLSBERG RIDGE

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20003j5s#general_summary

Subject To Change

Depth: 10 km

Distances: 402km (250mi) SE of Tamrida, Yemen
662km (411mi) ESE of Bereeda, Somalia
678km (421mi) E of Bandarbeyla, Somalia
780km (485mi) E of Qandala, Somalia
1474km (916mi) S of Muscat, Oman