Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sunday, October 11, 2009
L’Allarme Aviria in a nutshell.
Rome, Italy - The Alarm of the Virus in Europe is that the H5N1 strain that can be transmitted from birds to human from feces droppings into the sand then transferring into the air. This is how the avian virus can spread from animal to human, and then from human to human. My attempt to see what is happening and the risk for Italy is quite difficult because Italian is not my forte of languages. When I attempted to search on the internet about the virus and Italy, I find only the accounts for the UK, Scotland and Ireland, which are the European English speaking countries.
Concern about the spread is evident in Italy because the newspapers are flooded with maps of the bird migration routes and the bird virus explanations and antiviral possibilities. This concern may be due to the fact that in Italy during 1999- 2001 the H7N1 virus mutated within 9 months to a highly pathogenic form and more than 13 million birds died or were destroyed.
The viral spread occurs when the combination of the normal flu and the avian virus exists at the same time.[1] It is not known for sure if the virus is transmitted from migratory wild birds. Scientists believe that on species of bird may contain the virus and has a natural immunity to it then when they come into contact with other birds, the virus is transmitted to them. Many birds have been found dead not because they are the transmitters but because they lack the immunity to the virus.
A dead bird cannot fly; a sick bird cannot fly 200 kilometers then die. The problem lies in how do they find the carrier? What birds are infected? First, they need to find the carrier in order to know how to stop or restrain the virus from spreading. In the meantime, there are cross border controls not allowing any live produce into Germany from Romania where a strain of the virus was found.
FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) states that the virus spread from Siberia and may carry the virus to the Caspian and Black Sea. The regions are the Balkans and could be a gateway to central Europe. The migration also runs across Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine and some Mediterranean countries. FAO also is concerned that India and Bangladesh seems to be uninfected, but may be at risk because India harbors a large number of domestic ducks and are along one of the major migratory routes.
FAO also states that “the bird flu has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and more than 140 million birds have died or been slaughtered.” Between April and June 2005, more than 6,000 migratory birds died due to the H5N1 at the Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve in Qinghai Province, China.
There are estimates that up to 50 million people can be killed from the virus with 50,000 in Ireland and the UK alone.[3] WHO spokesman on influenza, Dick Thompson, told a news conference in Geneva that the WHO's official estimate of the number of people who could die was between two million and 7.4 million[4] in a BBC article titled, “Bird Flu could kill up to 150 million people.” There is a bit of confusion here over the estimates in numbers of possible deaths. Either the news agencies do not want a widespread panic, or the pandemic researchers do not really know what they are up against.
If we really do not know what we are up against, then how to we attempt to restrain the spread of the virus? Scotland’s attempt to stifle the spread is by developing an emergency plan for health and security. They have decided that the health boards will have the power to request a medical examination and could force detention in a hospital for quarantine. The authorities could forbid individuals from going to and from work or the children from attending school if they have been exposed to the virus.
The Netherlands are established a month long quarantine on domestic bird to go outside, the chickens and the ducks had to be released into fenced areas with roofs to protect the birds. France is planning to have 14 million doses of antiflu drugs available by 2006 and is stockpiling 200 million protective face masks; 50 million masks have already been delivered to the French hospitals.
On Monday the virus reached Greece and they are banning exports of live poultry, meat and other poultry products. Croatia, Macedonia and Bulgaria are testing possible virus cases. The virus was located in Turkey where 50 turkeys fell sick and died on Money, and another 100 died the next day. So far, 5,000 turkeys have been killed in Turkey.
To calm the situation and the concern for the spread of global panic, Jack Straw chaired an emergency meeting of the EU in Luxembourg reminding everyone that “to date there is no evidence of any transfer of the virus to human beings.”[5]
[1] “The disease could jump species if a person became infected with avian and normal flu at the same time.” http://www.rednova.com/news/health/272539/h5n1_its_here
__killer_strain_of_bird_flu_virus/index.html?source=r_health
[2] “Wild birds expected to spread bird flu virus further” http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/107405/
[3] see link for note one
[4] BBC article: “Bird Flu could kill up to 150 million People” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4292426.stm
[5] Spiegel Online: “Europe Struggles to Combat H5N1” http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,380362,00.html
Concern about the spread is evident in Italy because the newspapers are flooded with maps of the bird migration routes and the bird virus explanations and antiviral possibilities. This concern may be due to the fact that in Italy during 1999- 2001 the H7N1 virus mutated within 9 months to a highly pathogenic form and more than 13 million birds died or were destroyed.
The viral spread occurs when the combination of the normal flu and the avian virus exists at the same time.[1] It is not known for sure if the virus is transmitted from migratory wild birds. Scientists believe that on species of bird may contain the virus and has a natural immunity to it then when they come into contact with other birds, the virus is transmitted to them. Many birds have been found dead not because they are the transmitters but because they lack the immunity to the virus.
A dead bird cannot fly; a sick bird cannot fly 200 kilometers then die. The problem lies in how do they find the carrier? What birds are infected? First, they need to find the carrier in order to know how to stop or restrain the virus from spreading. In the meantime, there are cross border controls not allowing any live produce into Germany from Romania where a strain of the virus was found.
FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) states that the virus spread from Siberia and may carry the virus to the Caspian and Black Sea. The regions are the Balkans and could be a gateway to central Europe. The migration also runs across Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine and some Mediterranean countries. FAO also is concerned that India and Bangladesh seems to be uninfected, but may be at risk because India harbors a large number of domestic ducks and are along one of the major migratory routes.
FAO also states that “the bird flu has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and more than 140 million birds have died or been slaughtered.” Between April and June 2005, more than 6,000 migratory birds died due to the H5N1 at the Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve in Qinghai Province, China.
There are estimates that up to 50 million people can be killed from the virus with 50,000 in Ireland and the UK alone.[3] WHO spokesman on influenza, Dick Thompson, told a news conference in Geneva that the WHO's official estimate of the number of people who could die was between two million and 7.4 million[4] in a BBC article titled, “Bird Flu could kill up to 150 million people.” There is a bit of confusion here over the estimates in numbers of possible deaths. Either the news agencies do not want a widespread panic, or the pandemic researchers do not really know what they are up against.
If we really do not know what we are up against, then how to we attempt to restrain the spread of the virus? Scotland’s attempt to stifle the spread is by developing an emergency plan for health and security. They have decided that the health boards will have the power to request a medical examination and could force detention in a hospital for quarantine. The authorities could forbid individuals from going to and from work or the children from attending school if they have been exposed to the virus.
The Netherlands are established a month long quarantine on domestic bird to go outside, the chickens and the ducks had to be released into fenced areas with roofs to protect the birds. France is planning to have 14 million doses of antiflu drugs available by 2006 and is stockpiling 200 million protective face masks; 50 million masks have already been delivered to the French hospitals.
On Monday the virus reached Greece and they are banning exports of live poultry, meat and other poultry products. Croatia, Macedonia and Bulgaria are testing possible virus cases. The virus was located in Turkey where 50 turkeys fell sick and died on Money, and another 100 died the next day. So far, 5,000 turkeys have been killed in Turkey.
To calm the situation and the concern for the spread of global panic, Jack Straw chaired an emergency meeting of the EU in Luxembourg reminding everyone that “to date there is no evidence of any transfer of the virus to human beings.”[5]
[1] “The disease could jump species if a person became infected with avian and normal flu at the same time.” http://www.rednova.com/news/health/272539/h5n1_its_here
__killer_strain_of_bird_flu_virus/index.html?source=r_health
[2] “Wild birds expected to spread bird flu virus further” http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/107405/
[3] see link for note one
[4] BBC article: “Bird Flu could kill up to 150 million People” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4292426.stm
[5] Spiegel Online: “Europe Struggles to Combat H5N1” http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,380362,00.html
Friday, September 17, 2004
Journalists - Collegues Held hostages
| Journalistic Collegues Held hostages in Iraq | |
| Rome - Yesterday I turned on the television and attempted to watch the news in Italian. The dreaded photo for journalists appears on the TV screen. You know the one where some guy is standing on the right side of the screen looking into the camera and saying something that we cannot hear because the news agencies mute it and talk over what my colleagues are saying. It's the scene with the black backdrop behind them with red Arabic words that say, something. I am not sure what it says but I suppose it says the “Islamic Army in Iraq ”. | |
| Their symbol is that of a white shape with a gun in the center, the AK47 type of gun the guns that are meant for killing. This time, I see another familiar face. Someone, I would run into in the field out there in war land. This face is in another land, the land of Iraq . He was missing for a few days before they videotaped him, to show everyone that he is still alive. | |
| It creates mixed feelings for my mind. On the one hand, it is Great he is still alive! But on the other, his fate hangs in thin air. His life is in the hands of others, a country and the Islamic Army in Iraq people. Okay, so we all look into his eyes, what is he thinking? He looks healthy. Our journalist emotions go wild, we get angry, we get frustrated at the new wave of political strategies. Most of the journalist I know that are or have been in Iraq , are there reporting the reality of the situation, for the underdogs. The hearts want to get the truth out to the world, and they go using their own money in hopes that they can sell their articles or photos to help pay for the reportage. This time, the demands are different. The Islamic Army is stretching the borders concerning their justification for kidnapping and killing others. They are expanding into other countries policies in attempt to dictate what laws others should have on their own soil. I can understand when someone walks onto your own soil and tries to take over your government, make new laws and kills your families. But to gather innocent people to use them as a political playing card is hypocritical and lower in morals than those who invaded a country. The journalist who are reporting for the downtrodden, reporting the realities of their lives to the world are not safe anymore, yet the Islamic Army of Iraq is using the same journalistic media that the kidnapped and murdered journalist use as their tool in attempt to make demands from other countries. It is the only way that they can be heard? What would happen if the media, refused to report these messages? It is a catch 22, if we the media participate, then we may be adding fuel to the fire. If we do not participate, then we are not telling the story. And of course, the stories must be told. Who is the Islamic Army in Iraq anyway? I can't seem to find a website of theirs, unless its blocked. I did a bit of research and I found an article by Pamela Constable with the Washington Post (July 19, 2003) saying, “A leading Shiite Muslim cleric issued a sharp challenge Friday to American authority and the U.S.-backed Iraqi leadership, announcing plans to form an independent "Islamic army" and denouncing the Iraqi Governing Council as an "illegitimate" body of American "lackeys." These quotes are from Moqtada Sadr, 30, an activist who heads one of Iraq 's major Shitite movements. It was then he requested for thousands of followers to unify their ranks and form a separate council to represent “justice.” The followers then chanted, “No to America , no to the Devil.” He then vowed to “build an Islamic army, obedient to Hawza authority…The door will be open for you to register in the great army.” It is this army who killed the Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni ( Aug. 27,2004 ) and Two Pakistani workers ( July 28, 2004 ), killed 4 American contractors in a shootout ( March 31, 2004 ). Another report from Reuters ( July 9 th , 2004 ) says it has over 5,000 fighters with dozens of regional cells lead by tribal sheiks and inspired by Sunni Muslim imams. Part time fighters may be as high as 20,000. The article states that a cell in Baghdad has two leaders, one assassin and two groups of bomb-makers. At this time, the Islamic Army in Iraq has extended the deadline another 24 hours while many of the Islamist organizations denounce the action of kidnapping and killing journalist. | |
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