(Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:44:00 +0000)
# 5453
The strongest aftershock in several days struck off the east coast of Miyagi Prefecture at 7:27 JST, on Monday Morning (1827hrs EST Sunday).
While far less powerful than the earthquake of March 11th, a local Tsunami advisory has been issued by Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
They anticipate the quake might have generated of a series of waves less than 1 meter in height.
A destructive tsunami is not expected.
Via El Heraldo de Chihuahua: Detectan influenza a diputada Liz Aguilera. [Flu detected in state deputy Liz Aguilera] Excerpt, with my translation:
La diputada Liz Aguilera García presenta síntomas del virus de influenza AH1N1 por lo cual permanece bajo observación médica y en aislamiento en su casa.
Deputy Liz Aguilera García has symptoms of H1N1 influenza, and remains under medical observation and isolated in her home.
De acuerdo con la información proporcionada por Gonzalo Aguilera Gutiérrez, padre de la legisladora, ésta fue atendida en el Hospital CIMA por el neumólogo Raúl Hernández Saldaña, quien ya inició con la toma de muestras y exámenes necesarios que se prolongarán por espacio de tres días a fin de confirmar que se trata del virus AH1N1.
According to information from Gonzalo Aguilera Gutiérrez, father of the legislator, she was attended in CIMA Hospital by the pneumologist Raúl Hernández Saldaña, who began taking samples and tests; they will take three days to confirm if she has H1N1.
La legisladora comenzó con un dolor de cabeza, el cual en el transcurso del día se fue agudizando, así mismo fiebre y otros síntomas de resfrío por lo cual acudió con el médico.
The legislator began to suffer a headache that in the course of a day became worse, along with fever and other symptoms of a cold that required medical attention.
The story goes on to say that the Chihuahua state legislature has been disinfected with Clorox.
(Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:29:00 +0000)
UPDATED: 0850 Hrs EDT 03/27/11
AP is now reporting that TEPCO officials are claiming the radiation readings reported earlier were `a mistake’ and `not credible’. New measurements will be taken, according to this AP report:
Japan: Huge radiation spike at nuke was a mistake
By YURI KAGEYAMA and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press
When new, revised radiation readings will be made available wasn’t stated.
Stay tuned . . .
# 5452
This morning it is being widely reported that the latest readings from inside the reactor buildings, and the land and sea surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant, continue to show rising levels of radiation.
In one place in particular – in the basement of the turbine building connected to reactor #2, the levels are being characterized as `extreme’; 10-million-times greater than normal.
TEPCO officials, however, appear to be disputing some of these readings.
Details are scant, but at least one Japanese news source (hat tip Tokyoreporter on Twitter) is carrying a denial of the extreme radiation levels by a TEPCO Vice President .
This report from the Voice of America (VOA).
Radioactivity Soars at Japan Nuclear Plant
Martyn Williams | Tokyo March 27, 2011
Japan says levels of radiation contamination in water inside part of the Fukushima nuclear power plant have increased sharply. Workers at the plant spent the day Sunday on improvements to the water pumping system that is keeping the reactors cool.
The level of radioactive Iodine-134 in water in the basement of a turbine building adjoining the plant’s Number-2 reactor spiked to more than 10 million times that of normal conditions.
At that level it is a thousands times more radioactive than water found in the neighboring Number-1 and -3 reactor buildings. It was in the Number-3 building on Thursday that two workers sustained heavy radiation contamination after standing in water without wearing boots.
Government officials and plant operators say they are not sure where the radioactive contamination is coming from. But there is a possibility it is coming from the reactor core.
A second report from NHK World News provides a few more details:
Extreme radiation detected at No.2 reactor
Sunday, March 27, 2011 13:44 +0900 (JST)
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has detected radioactive materials 10-million-times normal levels in water at the No.2 reactor complex of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
<SNIP>
TEPCO says the radioactive materials include 2.9-billion becquerels of iodine-134, 13-million becquerels of iodine-131, and 2.3-million becquerels each for cesium 134 and 137.
These isotopes vary greatly in their persistence in the environment, with radioactive iodine 134 having a half-life of just 53 minutes, iodine 131 with a half-life of 8 days, and cesium 137 with a half-life of 30 years.
The radioactive Iodines will decay relatively quickly, and should pose only a short-term threat (once the release ends), but isotopes such as cesium 137 decay far more slowly, and can persists for hundreds of years.
The measurement of becquerels is a reading of total radioactivity, but doesn’t convert easily to the dose of radiation (sievert) that one would receive if exposed.
Since the `safe’ level of radioactivity in tap water in Japan is set at 300 becquerels per liter, and the water here is being measured in the billions of becquerels per milliliter . . . suffice to say – if accurate - this is an extremely high level of radiation.
Meanwhile, NHK World News is reporting that radiation levels roughly 30 km from the stricken plant (outside of the evacuation radius) are rising as well. These readings, you will notice, were taken last Wednesday.
(NHK News Video Capture)
High radiation detected 30 km from Fukushima plant
Sunday, March 27, 2011 08:53 +0900 (JST)
Radiation levels 40 percent higher than the yearly limit for the general public has been detected just over 30 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
The Science Ministry says a reading of 1.4 millisieverts was taken on Wednesday morning in Namie Town northwest of the plant.
The government has not told residents outside the 30-kilometer radius of the plant to evacuate, or even to stay indoors.
Someone staying outdoors for 24-hours at that location would exceed the annual limit of one millisievert. The limit is based on a recommendation by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.
And lastly, we have this IAEA update indicating that attempts to remove water from the damaged reactor buildings are either underway, or planned.
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Update (27 March, 9:00 UTC)
by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 4:51am
According to the Japanese Prime Minister’s office, TEPCO has begun work to remove water that has accumulated in the turbine buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Workers have started to remove water from the Unit 1 turbine building to its main condenser and are making preparations to do the same at Unit 2. (A main condenser’s function in a nuclear power plant is to condense and recover steam that passes through the turbine.) Work to remove water from the turbine buildings in Units 3 and 4 is currently under consideration.
Removal of water from the turbine buildings is an important step to continue power restoration to the plant.
The IAEA is seeking further updates from Japanese authorities on the progress of this process and will update as information becomes available.
Via Milenio.com: Suman cuatro decesos en Chihuahua por influenza A H1N1. [Four deaths in Chihuahua from H1N1 flu] Excerpt, with my translation:
La Secretaría de Salud estatal reportó que suman cuatro los fallecimientos por el rebrote del virus A(H1N1) en la entidad, además de cinco casos positivos detectados durante los últimos cuatro días, motivo por el cual pidió a la ciudadanía tomar las precauciones necesarias.
The state Secretariat of Health reports that four persons have now died in the resurgence of H1N1 in the state, as well as five positive cases detected in the last four days, reason to ask the public to take necessary precautions.
El titular de la dependencia, Sergio Piña Marshall, explicó que esta madrugada murió un agente de la Dirección de Vialidad de Ciudad Juárez, a consecuencia de esta enfermedad.
The head of the Secretariat, Sergio Piña Marshall, said that this morning an agent of the Ciudad Juárez Transit Department died of this ailment.
Precisó que hasta el momento se tiene el registro de cinco casos positivos de influenza A(H1N1), 11 negativos, cinco pendientes de resultado, seis sospechosos sin muestra, cuatro defunciones, 11 hospitalizados y 13 no hospitalizados.
He also said that up to the moment 5 positive influenza cases have been recorded, with 11 testing negative, 5 awaiting test results, 6 suspected without testing, 4 deaths, 11 hospitalized, and 13 not hospitalized.
Machine translated
Number of confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in Venezuela had reached 202. This was reported on Friday (Snip) There are more than 900 H1N1 suspects in the South American country. The current outbreak of severe flu has already killed at least two Venezuelans.
“As of Thursday evening, we had more than 900 patients with suspected influenza group A throughout the national territory. One of the biggest hotbeds of the disease is in the state of Merida” It is in this western region were reported two deaths.
(Snip) the growing number of cases in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, where they were already confirmed, at least 49 cases of influenza A/H1N1. Under the scrutiny of epidemiologists is also the northern state of Miranda. In this region, swine flu has infected 39 people. (Snip)
http://latindex.ru/content/news/9264/
Indonesia
• CIDRAP: H5N1 Killed Mother of Bird Flu Patient (Link)
• 2-Year-Old Confirmed H5N1 Case (Link)
• 33 Districts Infected, 1 Baby Suspect [Payakumbuh City, West Sumatra] (Link)
Mexico
• 2nd Victim Dies of H1N1 in Outbreak (translated) (Link)
• 3rd Victim Dies of H1N1 in Outbreak (Link)
• 4th Victim Dies of H1N1 in Outbreak (Link)
Venezuela
• Swine flu cases rise to more than 200 in Venezuela (Link)
• In Merida, there are 357 suspected cases with the H1N1 virus (translated) (Link)
(Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:19:14 GMT)
Reminder: Please do not post whole articles, just snippets and links, and do not post articles from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Thanks!
Mexico
? Reported fourth death from H1N1 influenza A Chihuahua (Link)
? A new outbreak of H1N1 in Chihuahua, there are four dead (Link)
? Requested in Federal District alert following outbreak of influenza in Chihuahua (translated) (Link)
? 7 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) in Chihuahua (translated) (Link)
South Korea
? S. Korea moves to contain bird flu as FMD comes under control (Link)
United Kingdom
? First Swine Flu Death In Gibraltar (Link)
Venezuela
? In a statement the University of Los Andes class suspended at the outbreak of H1N1 (translated) (Link)
? 900 people could be infected with H1N1 virus (Link)
? Deputy Minister of Public Health Network, Miriam Morales confirms two cases of H1N1 flu in Zulia (translated) (Link)
Research
? Wild Birds May Play a Role in the Spread of Bird Flu, New Research Suggests (Link)
Commentary
? Recombinomics: H1N1 Death Cluster In Juarez Mexico Traffic Department (Link)
? H (Link)
News for March 26, 2011 is here.
Thanks to all of the newshounds! Special thanks to the newshound volunteers who translate international stories - thanks for keeping us all informed!
Other useful links:
WHO A(H1N1) Site
WHO H5N1 human case totals, last updated March 25, 2011
Charts and Graphs on H5N1 from WHO
Google Flu Trends (U.S.)
CDC Weekly Influenza Summary
Map of seasonal influenza in the U.S.
CIDPC (Canada) Weekly FluWatch
UK RCGP Weekly Data on Communicable and Respiratory Diseases
Flu Wiki Main Page
Via El Universal.mx: Enciende alerta incremento de casos de influenza. [Increase in influenza cases triggers alert] Excerpt, with my translation:
En cuatro semanas los casos de influenza A H1N1 en el país se duplicaron.
In four weeks, the cases of H1N1 in the country have doubled.
Mientras hace cuatro semanas los datos epidemiológicos reportaron 99 casos, para la semana que comprende del 14 al 18 de marzo elevaron la cifra a 240 casos a nivel nacional, según la Secretaría de Salud (Ssa).
Four weeks ago, epidemiological data reported 99 cases; in the week including March 14-18, the tally rose to 240 cases at the national level, according to the Secretariat of Health.
En tanto, el Consejo Consultivo de Salud de Chihuahua reportó que dos personas fallecieron y 25 más fueron diagnosticadas con el virus A H1N1 en la entidad.
Meanwhile the Consultive Health Council of Chihuahua reported two persons dead from H1N1 and 25 more diagnosed with the illness in the state.
El secretario estatal de Salud, Sergio Piña Marshall, aseguró que se cuenta con las vacunas suficientes para atender la demanda, en caso de que el virus se propague y contagie a otras personas.
State health secretary Sergio Piña Marshall said enough vaccine is available to meet the demand if the virus should propagate and infect more persons.
Indicó que ya se han realizado estudios a las 25 personas y se confirmó que presentan el virus A H1N1; deque de los casos, añadió, 13 se registraron en Juárez, nueve en Chihuahua, uno en Delicias, otro en Meoqui y uno más en Cuauhtémoc.
He said tests have confirmed H1N1 in 25 persons: 13 in Juárez, 9 in Chihuahua city, one in Delicias, another in Meoqui and one more in Cuauhtémoc.
(Sat, 26 Mar 2011 13:33:00 +0000)
# 5451
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has selected Slideshare to host documentation, slide shows, and other presentations on the Japanese nuclear crisis.
You can access (as of this writing) 26 presentations, and 6 documents at the IAEA Presentations Channel.
Some of these are multi-slide presentations while others are informative single page charts and graphics, like the one below:
A resource very much worth checking every day or so.
(Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:55:00 +0000)
# 5450
Some illuminating (and not so illuminating) satellite photos put together by NOAA show us the impact of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami on Japan’s electrical grid.
A side by side comparison of the average nighttime lighting before and after the quake is depicted below:
You’ll find the article, and high-res (1920 x 1080) photos HERE.
Literally millions of people were affected by these power outages, and two weeks after the quake, hundreds of thousands are still without electrical power.
While the disaster in Japan was a `worst-case scenario’, large scale, and prolonged, power outages occur with some frequency around the world – particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Residents in Florida, and along the Gulf and Atlantic coast, are well aware that the power can be out for days – or even weeks – in the wake of a major hurricane.
The power was still out in parts of New Orleans when I arrived there 6 weeks after Katrina to clean out my brother’s apartment, and it took a couple of weeks to restore power to all of Miami after hurricane Wilma.
Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, ice storms, and even solar storms (see Solar Storms, CMEs & FEMA) all have the potential to knock the power out in your community for days or even longer.
Given our reliance on electricity for practically every aspect of modern living, most families are woefully unprepared to deal with a significant interruption in the grid.
Aside from lighting and powering such `necessities’ as the Internet and cable TV, many homes also heat and cook solely with electricity.
And there are some who rely on oxygen concentrators, or other medical equipment who must have continuous electrical power.
Those on wells depend upon electricity to pump water into their homes.
Prolonged outages can even affect a municipality’s ability to deliver water, and carry away sewage from your home or business.
All of which points out the need for individuals and families to consider how they would cope if the power were to go out for days, or even weeks, where they live.
Do you have enough food and water to last at least 72 hours, but preferably 10 to 14 days?
Do you have a source of lighting (other than candles) that will provide sufficient light for a week or longer?
If you live in a frigid climate, can you and your family stay warm without electric power?
If the power goes out, can you flush toilets? If not, have you made provisions for sanitation needs?
Can you charge cell phones, or run emergency radios, for a week or longer?
The solution that many immediately consider is to buy a generator, and while a reasonable solution for some families, many will find it impractical.
Generators must always be run outdoors, well away from enclosed living spaces, and require large amounts of flammable and difficult to store fuel.
They are expensive, noisy, and can attract unwanted attention. And generators require maintenance and occasional repair.
FEMA has some useful safety tips on using a generator, for those still considering their use.
For most people, the better solution is to find workarounds during power outages like LED lighting, chemical toilets, sleeping bags, and camp stoves.
In my essay The Gift Of Preparedness: 2010 I highlight a number of small ticket items that would come in very handy during a prolonged power outage, including:
LED lanterns and flashlights can run up to 10 times longer on a set of batteries than with incandescent bulbs.
I personally have a solar power setup, to provide (very) limited 110 volt power should the need arise. You can read about my system, and how you can make one for yourself at Preparedness: Solar Power On A Budget.
For the price of a solar setup, however, you can buy a lot of alkaline batteries. As with buying a generator, solar isn’t for everybody.
For those living in colder climates, staying warm during a winter power outage may be the biggest challenge.
Those with wood, oil, or LP gas heat have an advantage - although heating a home without electrical blowers can be a bit tricky (and dangerous) - even with these alternative forms of heat.
The time to figure out how to do these things safely is now, before a disaster or crisis arrives.
One way to do that is to hold a power outage drill. Pick a weekend to shut off the main breaker to your home for 24 hours, and live without the luxury of the grid.
In short order you’ll discover what areas of your family’s emergency plan needs work.
While it may sound daunting, I lived successfully `off the grid’ for several years aboard a small sailboat during the 1980s.
It required some adjustments to my lifestyle, but with the proper preparations, it was eminently doable.
(Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:18:00 +0000)
# 5449
PPEs – or personal protective equipment – are items worn by Health Care Workers (HCWs) when examining or caring for potentially contagious patients. They include masks, gloves, and gowns.
During the opening months of the 2009 pandemic, it became obvious that our world faced a shortage of PPEs, and so strategies were adopted to maximize their use.
In some cases nurses were issued only one N95 mask to be used for an entire 8 hour shift, and told to don it only when in direct contact with a potentially infected patient.
This, as you might imagine, raised concerns among HCWs that this strategy of reusing masks could expose them, and their patients, to the virus. That, and the decision to issue surgical masks instead of N95s, sparked protests across the country.
Nurses Protest Lack Of PPE’s
Report: Nurses File Complaint Over Lack Of PPE
California Nurses Association Statement On Lack Of PPE
Unfortunately, there are differing opinions and gaps in our scientific knowledge regarding the relative effectiveness of N95 vs. surgical masks (something I’ve covered often, including here, here, and here) and on how long a virus may remain viable on inanimate objects (like masks & gloves).
Inanimate objects that can transfer infectious agents are called fomites, and the CDC’s (very) short answer on how long viruses can remain viable on these surfaces reads:
How long can human influenza viruses remain viable on inanimate items (such as books and doorknobs)?
Studies have shown that human influenza viruses generally can survive on surfaces for between 2 and 8 hours.
Today we’ve a new study that looks specifically at how long viruses may remain viable on PPEs. It appears in the Japanese journal Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine (Hat tip Tetano on FluTrackers).
Essentially, researchers inoculated various fomites (masks, gloves, gowns, wooden and steel desktops) with laboratory grown H1N1, and then tested the surfaces after 1, 8, and 24 hrs for the presence of the virus (HA titer & 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50)/mL were measured).
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
Volume 15, Number 6, 344-349, DOI: 10.1007/s12199-010-0149-y
Maintenance of influenza virus infectivity on the surfaces of personal protective equipment and clothing used in healthcare settings
Hiroko Sakaguchi, Koji Wada, Jitsuo Kajioka, Mayumi Watanabe, Ryuichi Nakano, Tatsuko Hirose, Hiroshi Ohta and Yoshiharu Aizawa
ABSTRACT (Excerpt)
Results
The HA titer of this influenza A virus did not decrease in any of the materials tested even after 24 h. The infectivity of influenza A virus measured by TCID50 was maintained for 8 h on the surface of all materials, with the exception of the rubber glove for which virus infectivity was maintained for 24 h.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that the replacement/renewal of personal protective equipment and clothing by healthcare professionals in cases of exposure to secretions and droplets containing viruses spread by patients is an appropriate procedure to prevent cross-infection.
TCID50 is the amount of a pathogenic agent (in this case the H1N1 virus) required to infect 50% of cell cultures inoculated.
The results indicate that all surfaces tested harbored viable H1N1 viruses for at least 8 hours, with some surfaces infectious for more than 24 hours.
These test results extend the window of infectivity from fomites considerably beyond what has previously been reported.
The debate over the proper use of PPEs, and just how protective they really are, is a contentious one.
During a highly virulent disease outbreak, getting the science right (and applying it) could save a lot of lives. We were very lucky that the CFR (case fatality ratio) of the 2009 pandemic was as low as it was.
Last January the IOM (Institute of Medicine) released, through the National Academies Press, an extensive, 200+ page update on the use of PPEs (personal protective equipment) for healthcare workers when facing pandemic influenza and other viral respiratory illnesses.
The short version is, we need better science upon which to make decisions regarding the right kind of protection for HCWs.
While the entire 200 page pre-publication pdf can be downloaded for free, you can also view an executive summary and an abbreviated list of recommendations.
While this study from the EHPM won’t close the book on fomite transmission - it does add to our knowledge of the subject – and it shows us just how hearty influenza viruses can be, even outside of a host.
For more on the debate over PPEs you may wish to review:
Why Size Matters
Study: Aerosolized Transmission Of Influenza
NPI’s and Influenza
NEJM Perspective: Respiratory Protection For HCWs
