OUTBREAK Alert: Flesh-Eating Bacterial Infection Spreads RAPIDLY In Australia

An infectious flesh-eating ulcer caused by a bacteria is spreading so quickly through Australia that scientists in the state of Victoria are declaring this outbreak an epidemic.  Normally abundant in West and central Africa and, the buruli ulcer is now taking hold in the “land down under.”

In a study published Monday in the Medical Journal of Australia, the authors caution that the outbreak of the ulcers, described as an “epidemic” in the study, requires an “urgent scientific response.” They report that Victoria is facing a worsening epidemic “defined by cases rapidly increasing in number, becoming more severe in nature, and occurring in new geographic areas.”

Buruli ulcer is caused by infection with the organism Mycobacterium ulcerans. It often affects the skin by deteriorating the tissue, but can go so deep it affects the bone structure. The organism belongs to the family of bacteria that causes tuberculosis and leprosy. However, M. ulcerans is an environmental bacterium and the mode of transmission to humans remains unknown. The organism produces a unique toxin – mycolactone – which causes tissue damage and inhibits the immune response.

According to numbers reported by CNN, in 2016, there were 182 new cases reported, a spike of 72%. But even this number was dwarfed by a further increase of 51% from November 2016 to the same month a year later. In November 2016, there were 156, which rose to 236 cases.

“In Australia, it seems more to be a terrestrial transmission whereas in Africa, for example, the strain is very different and is mostly transmitted through aquatic ecosystems,” said Andres Garchitorena, a researcher at the Institute of Research and Development in France and an expert on Buruli ulcers, who was not involved in the most recent report.

But the cases in Australia are becoming more severe and doctors also do not know the reason.  “One possibility is maybe there’s some resistance to the antibiotics that they are using,” Garchitorena said. “It is difficult to prevent a disease when it is not known how infection is acquired,” wrote the lead author and associate professor Daniel O’Brien, an infectious diseases consultant.

Although some deaths from the infection have been reported, most cases are not life-threatening, according to Garchitorena. “There are cases where people have died, but the most common outcome when it’s not treated is a handicap: People may need an amputation or surgery with functional limitations for life,” he said. WHO also reports management of the buruli ulcer becomes more difficult when the patient is dealing with a coinfection of HIV, perhaps lending to the increased severity of the infections in Africa, although that’s largely speculation as still more in-depth studies of this disease are warranted.

The majority of cases are still being reported in West and Central Africa, including Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ghana. There are no predictable trends in the number of cases reported yearly either.

San Diego: Flu Season Still Going Strong, Hepatitis A Outbreak NOT CONTAINED

It’s shaping up to be a rough year for those living in San Diego.  With the flu season still going strong in the area, their Hepatitis A outbreak is also not yet contained.

This flu season was especially hard on the city of San Diego. The city boasted a record 20,131 influenza cases and 326 deaths all confirmed by San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency.  “No one knows really why this season is so much more severe than other seasons,” said Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, deputy public health officer for the County of San Diego.

Thihalolipavan said flu season in San Diego typically ends by March. Now in April, the county’s latest report shows 247 new flu cases and seven more deaths. “Especially earlier on the predominant strain of flu was one that is more [sic] deadlier,” Thihalolipavan said. “And that was the H3N2 strain. Now currently we’re glad the predominant strain is the influenza type B or B strain, which is less likely to result in hospitalizations or deaths.”

Meanwhile, the county board of supervisors declared an end to the hepatitis A health emergency in January, but the outbreak is still not over. “We’ve seen about 9 cases this year so far I believe,” Thihalolipavan said. “Unfortunately, mostly centralized in the North County area.” During the peak of the outbreak, San Diego was averaging around 80 hepatitis A cases a month. Since the outbreak started in November 2016, 20 people have died and 587 cases have been confirmed.

The majority of those sickened by this viral infection outbreak have been homeless people. A letter from San Diego County health officials stated that hepatitis A is being spread through contact with a “fecally contaminated environment” as well as person-to-person transmission. A big part of the problem is an apparent lack of public restrooms in areas where the homeless population congregates.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection, which can prove fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the virus attacks the liver. Adequate personal hygiene and sanitation can help prevent the spread of the virus. -SHTFPlan

The city and health officials continue to have limited or no success at stopping these infectious diseases. Their one suggestion: get the flu shot and get vaccinated for hepatitis A.

Health Officials Warn: 40,000 Could Die As Britain Hit With 3 Week Long Arctic Cold

Britain is facing a three-week long arctic chill that will see temperatures plummet and significant snowfall, according to health officials, who are warning that residents should be prepared for the imminent threat to human health. 40,000 could die from the cold.

Temperatures in Britain are expected to go as low degrees Celcius or 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next three weeks and extremely heavy snowfall is expected in Essex and London. Health chiefs have now issued a warning ahead of the prolonged cold spell, calling on the public to check on those who may be at risk.

Britain risks a re-run of some of December’s 2010’s mayhem. This cold spell also forecasts snow and ice, meaning some roads will be impassable, trains will be halted, planes will be risking cancellations, and football matches could be called off because of frozen fields. December shivers nudging -12 Celsius (even in the South) were forecast by The Weather Company and The Weather Outlook.

Dr. Thomas Waite, of Public Health England’s Extreme Events team, said: “As the weather is going to get colder everywhere in the coming days, this is a really good time to check on those who may be at-risk. People with diseases such as heart and lung conditions, older people and young children can feel the ill-effects of cold weather more than the rest of us.”

“To stay well this winter we all need to play a part. Is there someone you know who could be at risk when the weather gets cold? Could you help them out by fetching shopping or prescriptions? When the colder weather arrives there are several things we can do to keep well, wear several thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones, keep parts of the home you’re using heated to at least 18C and keep a careful eye on the weather forecasts,” said Waite.

It is feared colder-than-usual weather will kill close to 40,000 Brits this winter after 34,000 excess winter deaths were recorded in the mild winter a year ago. Winter’s average cold weather death toll is 25,000. The Met Office said Arctic air means Britain’s -7 C coldest nights of winter are possible on Wednesday and Thursday in both the South and North, beating the -6.3 C on Saturday morning at Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.

Many who die in cold weather are elderly but these victims would not die anyway in coming months, the Department of Health emphasized. Twenty percent of winter deaths are of people under the age of 75, with 11 percent under 65, Office for National Statistics figures show.

Black Death: ‘It’s 100 % Likely’ It Spreads To The UK And A ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ Ready To Decimate The World

The death toll in Madagascar due to the plague has jumped for the first time since health officials claimed the infection was in the beginning stages of control.  With the new uptick in those who died, the fear that the disease will spread to the United Kingdom has been confirmed as “100 percent likely.”

The plague death toll has now shown signs that it’s picking up speed again.  Official figures reveal 165 people have now lost their lives in Madagascar’s “worst outbreak in 50 years.” Recent data shows a 15 percent jump in fatalities over just three days, coupled with scientists concerned that the black death has reached a “crisis” point. Ten other African countries have also been placed on high alert, warning that an outbreak could occur at any time.

At least 2,034 people have been infected down by a more lethal form of the black death so far in the country, which lies off the coast of Africa, according to WHO statistics. Some experts fear the disease (which is so deadly because it is airborne) could mutate and become untreatable during this year’s outbreak – which is expected to blight Madagascar until April. Others worry the plague will go beyond mainland Africa and eventually reach the US, Europe, and Britain.  The plague spreads easily and can kill within 48 hours.  That would leave millions more vulnerable to the outbreak, and create a short supply of life-saving antibiotics.

According to the Daily Mail, experts warn the outbreak of plague in Madagascar this year is being fueled by a strain more lethal than the one which usually strikes the country.  This form of the pneumonic plague is airborne, easily spread by a cough or a sneeze, and has been responsible for two-thirds of all infections this year. The bubonic form of the plague, responsible for the “Black Death” in the 14th century strikes the country each year and infects around 600 people. But with over 2000 alread infected by pneumonic plague (and counting) health officials aren’t willing to quit sounding alarms just yet.

Paul Hunter, a professor of health protection at the world-renowned University of East Anglia, was the first expert to predict the plague could travel across the sea. He previously said: “The big anxiety is it could spread to mainland Africa, it’s not probable, but certainly possible, that might then be difficult to control. If we don’t carry on doing stuff here, at one point something will happen and it will get out of our control and cause huge devastation all around the world.” There is always a risk with travel that the disease will spread globally, Hunter added.

“We don’t want a situation where the disease spreads so fast it gets out of control. We are talking about it spreading in days rather than weeks.”  But Hunter is adamant that a well-developed country could manage the plague should a global outbreak occur. Hopefully, most will never have to find out how well another country can manage this infection.

A few health experts have warned that there is no threat to the UK, however, some have warned the plague outbreak will certainly spread to the region. Richard Conroy, the founder of Sick Holiday, has sent a chilling warning to UK authorities. Conway is saying it’s “only a matter of time” before the disease arrives on British soil. Conroy warned it is inevitable that the plague will spread due to the vast movement of people across the globe. “I believe that it’s 100 percent likely that plague will arrive in the UK once more – it’s just a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that this is a real threat – a ticking time bomb that’s waiting to decimate the world,” Conroy continued. “With the current outbreak still remaining treatable with antibiotics, however, the current risk is low.”

New Virus With NO CURE Spreading: This Is WORSE Than The ‘Black Death’

A new virus for which medical officials have no remedy is spreading. The infectious disease also has a fatality rate of almost 90% making it much more deadly than the black death plaguing Madagascar.

A deadly outbreak of a rare and highly fatal virus has broken out in eastern Uganda and five cases have already been identified, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed. The disease is known as the Marburg virus. It is similar to the Ebola virus and can be fatal in up to 88% of cases.

The outbreak of the contagious and deadly Marburg virus disease in the Kween district of eastern Uganda was declared by the nation’s Ministry of Health back on October 19. Since then, five cases have been identified as international aid agencies, stretched thin by Madagascar’s black death outbreak, have rushed to deploy teams on the ground to control the recent outbreak. This news comes amid a surge in cases of plague in Madagascar, which is considered to be the “worst outbreak in 50 years” and now at “crisis” point.

Marburg virus disease (MVD), which causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever, ranks among the most virulent pathogens known to infect humans, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO website reads: “Marburg virus disease is a rare disease with a high mortality rate for which there is no specific treatment. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids, and tissues of infected persons or wild animals (e.g. monkeys and fruit bats).” MVD also falls within the same family as the Ebola virus – the hemorrhagic fever that decimated West Africa and killed around 11,000 in 2014 and 2015.

The outbreak is thought to have begun in September when a man in his 30s, who worked as a game hunter and lived near a cave with a heavy presence of bats, was admitted to a local health center with a high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. The man’s condition deteriorated quickly and he failed to respond to antimalarial treatments. He died after being taken to another hospital, and a short time later, his sister in her 50’s also died of the same ailment.

Emergency screening has begun at the Kenya-Uganda border in Turkana after all three members of the same family died of the disease in Uganda. Health workers have been asked to work with communities to stop the deadly Marburg outbreak from devastating communities in the rural region.

Dr. Zabulon Yoti, a Technical Coordinator for Emergencies at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, said: “Community engagement is the cornerstone of emergency response.” He urged health officials to “work with the communities to build their capacity for success and sustainability” and develop a better understanding of the local customs and traditions.

Early symptoms include fever, chills, headache, and myalgia (muscle pain). Several hundred people have been exposed to the virus as officials worry this outbreak could spread rapidly into regions already devastated by the ongoing black death outbreak.