Tag: disease

Bird flu outbreak nears worst outbreak ever seen in America with 37 MILLION dead

Ricky Scaparo – May 6, 2022

A bird flu virus that’s sweeping across the U.S. is rapidly becoming the country’s worst outbreak, having already killed over 37 million chickens and turkeys and with more deaths expected through next month as farmers perform mass culls across the Midwest.

Under the guidance of the federal government, farms must destroy entire commercial flocks if just one bird tests positive for the virus, to stop the spread. That’s leading to distressing scenes across rural America.

According to Yahoo News, In Iowa, millions of animals in vast barns are suffocated in high temperatures or with poisonous foam. In Wisconsin, lines of dump trucks have taken days to collect masses of bird carcasses and pile them in unused fields. Neighbors live with the stench of the decaying birds.

The crisis is hurting egg-laying hens and turkeys the most, with the disease largely being propagated by migrating wild birds that swarm above farms and leave droppings that get tracked into poultry houses.

That’s probably how the virus contaminated egg operations in Iowa, which produce liquid and powdered eggs that go into restaurant omelets or boxed cake mixes. Further north under the same migration paths lie Minnesota’s turkey farms, which supply everything from deli meats for submarine sandwiches to whole birds for the holidays.

Prices for such products are soaring to records, adding to the fastest pace of U.S. inflation in four decades. The supply deficits triggered by the flu also come as world food prices reach new highs. From the war in Ukraine to adverse weather for crops, it’s all throwing supply chains into turmoil and compounding the crisis that’s pushed millions of people into hunger since the start of the pandemic.

“Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, here comes the bird flu,” said Karyn Rispoli, an egg market reporter at commodity researcher Urner Barry. Wholesale egg prices touched a record $2.90 a dozen in April in government data. Whole turkeys touched an all-time high $1.47 a pound according to Urner Barry.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

US Reports Its First Human Case of H5 Bird Flu

Newsmax – April 29, 2022

The first known human case of H5 bird flu in the United States has appeared in a person in Colorado, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday.

The person tested positive for avian influenza A(H5) virus and was involved in the culling of poultry presumed to have had H5N1 bird flu, the CDC said in a statement.

“This case does not change the human risk assessment for the general public, which CDC considers to be low,” the agency added.

The patient reported fatigue for a few days as the only symptom and has since recovered, the CDC said, adding that the person was being isolated and treated with the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir.

H5N1 viruses have been found in U.S. commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states since the CDC started monitoring for illness among people exposed to the viruses in late 2021.

“CDC has tracked the health of more than 2,500 people with exposures to H5N1 virus-infected birds and this is the only case that has been found to date. Other people involved in the culling operation in Colorado have tested negative for H5 virus infection, but they are being retested out of an abundance of caution,” the CDC said.

Globally, this is the second human case associated with this specific group of H5 viruses, which are currently predominant, the CDC said. The first was reported in Britain in December 2021.

https://www.newsmax.com

Mystery hepatitis surge in children in the UK causing liver failure

Ricky Scaparo – April 15, 2022

Parents have been urged to be on the lookout for signs of hepatitis in kids after 74 cases were detected in the UK. The condition can, in serious cases, lead to liver failure and experts have not yet pinned down the reason for the mysterious outbreak.

Prof Graham Cooke, NIHR Research Professor of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London explained that hepatitis is a broad term to describe inflammation of the liver.

He said that this could be down to a range of issues – such as a virus of exposure to a toxic substance, including alcohol and some medications. “Globally, the most important causes are viruses that have adapted to infect the liver. “Early tests appear to have excluded these as a cause in the hepatitis currently under investigation.

So far, there have been 60 cases in England and 11 in Scotland of unexplained hepatitis, or liver inflammation, since the start of the year, most of them in children who are 2 to 5 years old. Case numbers in Wales and Northern Ireland haven’t been released.

Although no child has died, a “small number” have needed a liver transplant, said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 8 April. This means they will have to take drugs that suppress the immune system for the rest of their lives, which will leave them at risk of infections.

Hepatitis is often associated with specific pathogens, such as the hepatitis C virus, but it can be triggered by many other things. There have previously been small clusters of cases caused by the hepatitis A virus, which can be spread by fecal contamination of food or water.

The hepatitis viruses A to E have all been ruled out in the current outbreak, though. Finding the cause will require carefully investigating every case to see if they have factors in common, says Graham Cooke, an infectious disease specialist at Imperial College London.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Long COVID: The search for a cure

Joel S. Hirschhorn – April 19, 2022

The COVID pandemic is far from over. It has now morphed into long COVID with millions of people suffering.

Sometimes what seems like a miraculous new medical remedy comes along. And without government involvement. In those cases, millions of long COVID sufferers have an opportunity to use a new remedy and judge whether it’s safe and truly effective. In contrast, the medical establishment and specialists work at fixing the many diverse symptoms and illnesses of long COVID patients.

So, what are long COVID sufferers to do? There are no easy choices.

This analysis and discussion aim to help them make informed and difficult decisions.

Over the past year or so a great many victims of long COVID believe they have found a medical cure. There is a lot of skepticism among medical professionals treating long COVID patients, often at specialized hospital centers – and that skepticism is warranted.

A recent article is titled, “66 hospitals, health systems that have launched post-COVID-19 clinics.” It notes: “Many hospitals and health systems have created COVID-19 recovery programs, or post-COVID clinics, to support patients who experience lingering symptoms weeks or months after being cleared of the illness – a population now widely known as COVID-19 long-haulers. Most COVID-19 recovery programs currently involve an initial evaluation and, as needed, referrals to a network of specialists such as pulmonologists, cardiologists and neurologists, among others.”

Several excellent, detailed investigative reports examine the system that the impressively credentialed Dr. Bruce Patterson and his company IncellDX have created. His treatment has also built a large following on social media sites. No surprise. COVID long-haulers want to restore their quality of life.

One big problem in fairly examining the new revolutionary medical solution is the vast array of long COVD symptoms, as shown in the figure below. Physicians face the daunting challenge of addressing many symptoms successfully to fully satisfy patients.

https://www.wnd.com

Health officials warn of ‘large’ outbreak of serious bacterial illness in Florida that is primarily affecting gay and bisexual men

Ricky Scaparo – April 13, 2022

Health officials are warning Florida residents about a “large” outbreak of a potentially fatal bacterial illness known as meningococcal disease that’s primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.

So far this year, there have been 21 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease as of Monday, according to Florida Department of Health data. That’s higher than the state’s five-year average of cases of the disease.

“[Florida Department of Health] epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options,” the department said in a statement.

Most of the cases are in central Florida, and more than half are in people between the ages of 20 and 39, according to state health department data. The “large, ongoing” outbreak is primarily among men who have sex with men, including those living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, the Florida health department recommends the meningococcal conjugate vaccine to the following groups during this outbreak: College and university students, people with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised) and people with HIV.

Multiple cases of meningococcal disease have also been reported among Florida college students over the last few months, but at this time, there is no evidence that the cases among college students are related to the larger outbreak among men who have sex with men, CDC officials said.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

U.S. Death Toll Rises To 14.6 Million As The New Bird Flu Plague Spreads Like Wildfire All Over The Globe

– March 28, 2022

In the United States and all across the world, millions upon millions of chickens and turkeys are dying as a result of an absolutely horrifying new bird flu plague.  Considering the fact that global food supplies have become extremely tight and even Joe Biden is admitting that food shortages are looming, this is definitely something that we don’t need right now.  The very first confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial flock in the U.S. was confirmed on February 8th, and in less than two months it has spread to facilities all over the nation.  Sadly, we have just learned that it has now even reached the top turkey-producing state in the entire country…

For the first time, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in Minnesota, the top turkey-producing state in the nation, said agricultural officials over the weekend. Some 14.6 million birds in domestic flocks have died of HPAI or in culling of infected herds to reduce the spread of the viral disease this year.

To me, that death toll is extremely alarming.

In less than two months, over 14 million chickens and turkeys in the United States have already been wiped out by this plague.

If things are this bad already, what will the total death toll look like six months from now?

One expert that was interviewed by NBC News says that he is anticipating an “explosion” of new cases in the weeks ahead…

The measures may do little to stop the spread of the virus, according to Henry Niman, a virologist and biochemist in Pittsburgh who has been tracking the bird flu’s spread. He is expecting an “explosion” of bird flu cases in birds in the coming weeks.

“This outbreak I think is likely going to be bigger than 2015,” he said, noting that the disease is already widespread in other regions of the world, such as Europe and Canada.

If he is correct, we are potentially facing a true national catastrophe.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com

France says 10 million birds culled in massive flu outbreak

AFP Staff Writers – March 23, 2022

Some 10 million ducks, chickens and other poultry have been culled in France since November in one of the most widespread outbreaks of bird flu in years, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday.

The country has been hit by several epidemics since 2015 but they have mainly been contained to the southwest where ducks are bred for the lucrative foie gras liver pate industry.

But this winter has seen the virus spread farther north along the western Atlantic coast to the Pays de la Loire region, spreading rapidly among farms in the Vendee, Loire-Atlantique and Maine-et-Loire departments since late February.

Nearly 1,000 sites have reported cases, including at least 450 in the Vendee, considered strategic by the ministry because it is home to many farms that raise chickens and other birds exclusively for breeding.

However the situation appears to be “stabilising” in the southwest, the ministry said.

Quarantine measures have been taken against the virus and farmers are compensated by the government for losses that can run into the millions of euros.

The H5N1 virus has been detected in 34 European countries this winter, with northern Italy hit particularly hard, prompting authorities to cull 18 million birds so far.

Officials say there is no risk to humans from eating products that may have been produced from infected birds.

https://www.seeddaily.com

Lone star tick, linked to Heartland virus, has now spread to 6 states in the US

Ricky Scaparo – March 17, 2022

Ticks carrying a mysterious and rare virus that can sicken or even kill older adults or people with underlying conditions have been found in at least six states, a new study reported Wednesday.

Test samples revealed that lone star ticks in Georgia had picked up the Heartland virus, Emory University researchers reported in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication.

“We want to bring awareness rather than panic,” said Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of environmental sciences at Emory. “People tend to go out more in the spring and they might get exposed to ticks, which are increasing rapidly, particularly in the South, this time of year.”

Not much is yet known about the Heartland virus, which when transmitted to a person by a tick bite can cause fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle or joint pain. It’s unclear if other ticks can also spread the virus or if people can be infected in other ways, the CDC said.

As of January 2021, just 50 cases of the disease caused by the virus have been reported, according to the CDC. In severe cases, patients have ended up in the hospital and while most have fully recovered with supportive care, a few older individuals with medical conditions have died, the CDC reported.

Some people infected with the virus have been diagnosed with lower than normal white blood cell counts and lower than normal counts of platelets, which aid in blood clotting. Liver function tests can show increased levels of liver enzymes, which can indicate illness.

The Heartland virus was discovered in 2009 in northwest Missouri after two men were hospitalized with symptoms including high fevers, diarrhea, and muscle pains. The virus has been reported in lone star ticks from Missouri, Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, and New York, although it’s unknown if the virus has spread to other areas of the U.S., according to the CDC.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Nearly 2.8 Million Birds (Mostly Chickens And Turkeys) Have Died In The First Month Of America’s Raging New Bird Flu Pandemic

– March 9, 2022

On top of everything else, now a highly pathogenic avian influenza pandemic is ripping across the United States, and it has already resulted in the deaths of almost 2.8 million birds.  Most of the birds that have died have been chickens or turkeys.  And since this was just in the very first month of the pandemic, there is no telling how bad it could eventually become.  What will the eventual death toll look like?  Will it be in the tens of millions?  That is definitely a possibility.  And what would happen if the bird flu mutates into a version that spreads easily among humans?  We might want to start thinking about that, because that is possible too.

I knew that the bird flu outbreak was bad, but I didn’t know that it had gotten this bad.  The following comes from a prominent farming website…

With new outbreaks in Iowa and Missouri, nearly 2.8 million birds — almost entirely chickens and turkeys — have died in one month due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the Agriculture Department said on Monday. The viral disease has been identified in 23 poultry farms and backyard flocks in a dozen states since February 8, when the first report of “high path” bird flu in a domestic flock was reported.

2.8 million dead birds in just one month.

Will next month be even worse?

And the number of states that have detected bird flu has actually gone up since that article came out.  Nebraska just became the 13th state to detect a positive case of HPAI.

To me, one of the most alarming things is that this flu just keeps hitting more commercial flocks.  On Monday, officials announced that a commercial flock of turkeys in northwest Iowa had been affected…

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com

Billions of GMO Mosquitoes Set to Be Released in California, Florida

Center for Food Safety  – March 8, 2022

In defiance of science and public health concerns, Monday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the mass release of billions of experimental genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes into the U.S.’ most populous and agriculturally significant states.

The British biotechnology company Oxitec was granted an experimental use permit for the release of a genetically engineered version of the species Aedes aegypti across Fresno, Tulare, San Bernadino and Stanislaus Counties in California and in Monroe County in Florida.

This will be the biggest release of GE insects in the world.

EPA’s approval came despite growing concerns raised by scientists, public health experts and environmental groups about potential impacts of the experimental releases on public health, the environment and endangered species.

No publicly available data supports Oxitec’s claims that GE mosquitoes will reduce incidence of mosquito-borne diseases.

An independent peer-reviewed study from Yale University scientists revealed that over two years of continual releases of the GE mosquitoes at a test site in Brazil failed to reduce populations of Aedes aegypti.

The Yale study also found that the GE mosquitoes bred with local Aedes aegypti, resulting in hybrid mosquitoes in the wild that may be more aggressive, more difficult to eradicate and may increase the spread of mosquito-borne disease.

“Scientists have found genetic material from GE mosquitoes in wild populations at significant levels, which means GE mosquitoes are not sterile. GE mosquitoes could result in far more health and environmental problems than they would solve,” said Dana Perls, food and technology program manager at Friends of the Earth, and a California resident.

https://childrenshealthdefense.org