RSOE EDIS - Epidemic and Biology Hazard Warning Message 23/11/2011

• EH : Measles / Australia / Australia [0:0]
• EH : Unidentified Fatal Illness / South-America / Brazil [1:79]
• EH : A/H3N2 (new strain) / North-America / USA [0:0]
• EH : Chicken pox / North-America / USA [0:0]
• BH : Jellyish invasion / North-America / USA [0:0]

EH : Measles / Australia / Australia [0:0]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:52 AM PST

GLIDE Number: EH-20111123-33143-AUS
Date / time: 23/11/2011 09:50:50 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Name of Hazard: Measles
Area: Australia
Country: Australia
State/County: Australian Capital Territory
City: Weston
Description:
A student from the Orana Steiner School has been admitted to hospital with measles and at least three of his classmates have been diagnosed with the illness. ACT Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly has written to parents at the school today, saying “We are asking parents of students at Orana School to be alert to measles symptoms. “Health Protection Service has begun contacting people believed to have been exposed recommending post exposure prophylaxis in line with national guidelines. “Priority has been given to contacting the household and those most recently exposed contacts at GP surgeries and the Canberra Hospital. The guideines require the measles mumps and rubella vaccine to be given within three days or normal human immunoglobulin within six days.’’ Parents of any unvaccinated students in the same class as the students with measles are being asked to exclude their child from school until the end of next week. Symptoms of measles include fever, tiredness, runny nose, and a cough, followed by a rash which appears two to seven days later. People generally develop symptoms seven to 18 days after being exposed to a person with infectious measles. Ten days is considered normal. About one in every 1000 people with measles develops encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. Orana deputy director Marie-Anne Gigon said the school was working closely with the Health Directorate to halt the spread of measles through the school.
Not confirmed information!

EH : Unidentified Fatal Illness / South-America / Brazil [1:79]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:49 AM PST

GLIDE Number: EH-20111123-33137-BRA
Date / time: 23/11/2011 05:52:59 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Name of Hazard: Unidentified Fatal Illness
Area: South-America
Country: Brazil
State/County: The Municipality of Rio de Janeiro
City: Rio de Janeiro
Description:
A US tourist died aboard a cruise liner that docked in the port of Rio de Janeiro today after 79 people aboard became sickened by a mystery illness. The woman died aboard the MS Veendam, a luxury vessel owned by the US cruise company Holland America Line. The ship sailed from Valparaiso, Chile and docked in Rio with 1800 people on board. Police said they were awaiting a report from forensic doctors about the woman's death and they had no word on her identity. But government news agency Agencia Brasil reported that there was no indication her death was related to the health scare. Federal police, who are investigating the case, said they had been told by the Veendam's doctor that the woman likely died of natural causes, Agencia Brasil said. Ronaldo Azaro, tourism secretary for the state of Rio de Janeiro, said Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) had been informed that there was a health issue aboard the ship when the vessel left Valparaiso and later stopped over in Uruguay. Mr Azaro said at least 72 passengers and seven crew members were affected by an unspecified ailment on the journey from Chile. Anvisa officials who boarded the ship when it docked in Rio today found only two people still showed symptoms of intestinal discomfort, Mr Azaro said. He said there was no risk the Rio population could become ill. Local newspapers reported that during the journey, ship authorities issued a red alert, ordering the closure of the swimming pool and the library and calling on passengers to wash their hands every two hours.
Event updates:
Situation Update No. 1 on 23.11.2011 at 09:49:08.
Not confirmed information!

EH : A/H3N2 (new strain) / North-America / USA [0:0]

Posted: 22 Nov 2011 08:24 PM PST

GLIDE Number: EH-20111123-33132-USA
Date / time: 23/11/2011 04:22:43 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Name of Hazard: A/H3N2 (new strain)
Area: North-America
Country: USA
State/County: State of Iowa
Description:
Three children in north-central Iowa have been sickened by a new version of the flu virus. The Iowa Department of Public Health announced this afternoon that the children had tested positive for the A/H3N2 strain of the influenza virus, which has cropped up in several other states this fall. The children are from Webster or Hamilton counties. None needed hospitalization, and all have recovered. The same strain has sickened seven other Americans - in Pennsylvania, Maine and Indiana. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the department’s medical director, said the new virus is very similar to “A” strains that have been around for years. Because of that, she said, experts believe the current flu vaccine will provide some protection against it. Quinlisk said she did not believe any of the three Iowa children who became ill had received the vaccine this year. The three children’s names, ages and hometowns were not released, but Quinlisk said one of the children apparently passed the virus to the other two. Two years ago, public-health authorities declared a crisis after the appearance of a new flu virus, H1N1. Quinlisk said H3N2 strain is causing less concern because it has more similarities to previous strains and because it appears to cause relatively mild illnesses. “The H1N1 virus was different because it was very new and it seemed to spread very easily from person to person,” she said. However, Quinlisk said state health authorities have increased their surveillance activities in the Iowa region where the H3N2 virus popped up, and they are coordinating their efforts with federal experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quinlisk said such situations have cropped up two or three times in the past decade. “It’s not real common, but it’s not that different, either,” she said. Flu viruses routinely mutate, forcing health authorities to repeatedly reformulate vaccines.
Not confirmed information!

EH : Chicken pox / North-America / USA [0:0]

Posted: 22 Nov 2011 08:09 PM PST

GLIDE Number: EH-20111123-33128-USA
Date / time: 23/11/2011 04:05:14 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Name of Hazard: Chicken pox
Area: North-America
Country: USA
State/County: State of Indiana
City: Lakeville
Description:
While it may be flu season, there's another virus that has made one school take immediate action. LaVille Elementary School, in Lakeville, Ind., has eight confirmed cases of chicken pox. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), five or more cases qualify as an “outbreak.” Now, the school’s goal is to keep this outbreak contained and make sure the rest of their students are pox-free. They are requiring that all students provide proof that they are up-to-date on their chicken pox vaccines in order to be allowed into class. The school’s principal said that he has not seen a situation like this before. “This is the most we've ever had and I’ve been here almost twenty years,” Principal John Farthing said. The school has set up a free vaccine clinic with help from the Marshall and St. Joseph Counties Health Departments. On Tuesday, they provided more than 100 children with vaccines Tuesday. “The majority of the kids we’ve seen have had one vaccination before, some have never received the vaccine,” said Susan Lechlitner, public health nurse for the Marshall County Health Department. Parents like Dalana Barger said the on-site clinic makes it easier to ensure kids aren't susceptible to chicken pox. “I was glad this was here. I didn’t have to call her doctor and rush around,” she said. The Marshall County Health Department plans to be at the school Wednesday administering more vaccines.
Not confirmed information!

BH : Jellyish invasion / North-America / USA [0:0]

Posted: 22 Nov 2011 10:03 AM PST

GLIDE Number: BH-20111122-33126-USA
Date / time: 22/11/2011 18:00:15 [UTC]
Event: Biological Hazard
Name of Hazard: Jellyish invasion
Area: North-America
Country: USA
State/County: State of Hawaii
Description:
For the third time in two months a massive jellyfish has washed ashore on Oahu. The latest incident happened Sunday off Maili Beach. Minda Cortado snapped a few photos of the rhizostome before it was gently placed back into the ocean. Marine scientists say there are stinging cells on its "umbrella" but seldom irritate human skin. In September, a monster jelly washed ashore at hukilau beach in laie and another at kailua beach. Marine scientists say any visit by the deep-ocean creature is rare.