Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Angola - Flash floods in the Tchioco neighbourhood, in Lubango, southern Huila province in Angola have claimed the lives of at least 24 people when the Capitão river bridge collapsed as a result of the rains. More than 30 people are believed to be still missing.

DR Congo - More than 550,000 people have been affected by floods since October last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday. The revelations were made during the UN’s weekly press conference in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa. OCHA said at least eleven of the country’s 26 provinces were affected, and Tshopo province was the most affected with close to 400,000 people displaced. “Last weekend in Tanganyika province, torrential rains caused landslides which destroyed roads. Humanitarian activities were suspended, yet over 64,000 people are in need of humanitarian needs,” OCHA Spokesman in DR Congo Sylvestre Mudingayi said. According to OCHA, the floods have equally destroyed close to 65,000 houses and some 5,000 hectares of farm-land. “The Congolese authorities, with support from the humanitarian community, have already responded to some needs, especially by providing financial assistance and medical as well as food aid,” Sylvestre said. The spokesman said many of the humanitarian needs for the victims such as foodstuff, household items, blankets and water have not been satisfactorily addressed.

Philippines - Continuous heavy rains have caused severe flooding in some parts of Camarines Norte province, leaving some motorists stranded and some classes suspended. In Daet town, floodwaters have already reached some residential areas and caused the stranding motorists on flooded roads.

UAE - Flash floods following good rains in the United Arab Emirates have raged through Fujairah forcing police to evacuate residents from waterlogged homes in the Eastern Region of the country.

Disease

Monkeypox Outbreak in DR Congo

At least 20 suspected monkeypox cases have been reported since the beginning of the week in Tshuapa district, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Sources say that 18 of the suspect cases are hospitalized at a hospital in the town of Ikela. Despite not being laboratory confirmed, the Chief Health officer in the Mbamba health area, Dr Jean-Pierre Inonga said they are calling the cases monkeypox based of several telltale symptoms presented – fever, scabs and generalized skin rash .

The resurgence of the viral disease is believed to be due to consumption of game animals found dead in the forest by the public.

Monkeypox is a relatively rare disease caused by the virus with the same name, which is found primarily in central and western Africa. It is closely related to the smallpox virus (variola), the virus used in the smallpox vaccine (vaccinia), and the cowpox virus. Infection with monkeypox is not as serious as its cousin, smallpox; however, human deaths have been attributed to monkeypox.

Disease

Yellow fever outbreak in the Ewo District in Cuvette-Ouest region, Democratic Repuclib of the Congo. Authorities have undertaken a mass vaccination programme.

Storms and Floods

Flooding in Perth, Australia

-Heavy storm caused flooding in Mandurah and Rockingham area.

-More bad weather is predicted across South West WA, including Perth. -Homes have lost power in Mandurah.

Flooding in Jupiter, Florida, USA

-Strong storm hit Palm Beach County and also caused flooding in Jupiter.

-The main roadways in Jupiter were unsafe to travel due to flood water.

Flooding in Democratic Republic of the Congo

-Thirteen killed in DR Congo floods. Floods destroyed several houses in southern Brazzaville.

Landslide in Sukabumi, Indonesia

-One killed in landslide in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Twentyone others are reported to be missing.

-Torrential rain triggered a landslide at the mountainous site in Sukabumi.

-They were collecting trace amounts of gold at the illegal mine in Sukabumi.

Tornadoes in Louisiana, Florida and Alabama, USA

-EF1 tornado touched down in Baker. Tornado destroyed several buildings in Ascension Parish.

-A tornado with maximum winds estimated at 90 mph hit Birmingham, Alabama.

-Strong wind damaged 40 houses near Edgewater, Volusia County (Florida) between Edgewater and Oak Hill.

-Tornado damages 40 homes in southeast Volusia, Florida.

Snow emergency has been declared in Ashland, Washburn area of Wisconsin, USA.

Cold wave in Olintepeque, Guatemala

-Two killed due to cold wave in Olintepeque city of Guatemala.

Disease

Authorities in the Democratic Republic Congo report that the Ebola outbreak has ended.

Disease

Syphilis outbreak in Houston and Harris County, Texas, USA. From January to August this year, there were 318 cases. Houston's last syphilis outbreak occurred in 2007. Syphilis begins with a raised sore. Three weeks later, that goes away and a rash begins and after that, it can go internal, but still affects the brain, heart and skin. It is easily cured with a single shot of penicillin.

Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues. A total of 79 cases had been recorded, including 19 confirmed positive after laboratory analysis, 32 probable cases and 28 suspected cases, while 33 deaths were registered by September 25. The disease is transmitted by direct contact with blood, faeces and sweat, by sexual contact and by unprotected handling of contaminated corpses. There is no known cure. Currently, 167 people who have been in contact with the 79 reported cases are under surveillance.

Another 400 West Nile cases have been reported in U.S. during the past week according to the CDC.

Disease

Legionnaires outbreak in Carmarthen, Wales. Three confirmed cases have been linked to the area. Legionnaires’ disease is contracted by breathing in droplets from contaminated water sources. Symptoms include breathlessness, chest pain and a dry cough, as well as fever, muscle aches, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. Legionnaires’ disease can lead to pneumonia and can be fatal.

Cholera Outbreak: Six dead in the Volta Region, Ghana.

A cumulative total of 18,508 cases including 271 deaths (with a case fatality ratio of 1.5%) has been reported in the ongoing cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone since the beginning of the year.

46 cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) have now been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Disease

Foot and Mouth disease claim livestock in Tibet. The highly infectious and sometimes fatal disease has been traced to livestock in the Nyingtri region of central Tibet. According to the regional agricultural ministry, a total of 123 live head of cattle and 108 pigs have showed symptoms associated with FMD.

The UN health agency says the Ebola death toll stands at 31 in DR Congo. The outbreak cannot be considered to be under control.

The number of swine-origin H3N2 (variant H3N2, or H3N2v) influenza cases in the United States has climbed by 9 in the past week, to 305.

Disease

16 refugees killed by Hepatitis E in camps in South Sudan.

There have been additional confirmed and probable cases with Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Exact numbers have not been released.

Disease

Three people have died in the first ever outbreak of West Nile virus in Serbia, in which 35 contracted the disease

The Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a second location. 15 people have died and 170 are being monitored by health authorities.

Disease

The ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo claims three more victims, raising the death toll to 14.

Kala azar disease outbreak in the southern Sudan. More than 200 people admitted to hospitals.

Disease

14 people have now been reported to have died in the ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 29 confirmed cases.

In Uganda, a man who sneaked into an Ebola isolation ward to steal a mobile phone from an infected patient has fallen seriously ill from the hemorrhagic fever after making calls on the stolen phone.

In Kolkata, India and outbreak of Dengue fever has flooded government and private hospitals with dengue patients. 2 people have died and the government seems unable to handle the influx of patients.

Disease

The death toll in the ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 10.

A massive cholera epidemic in the coastal slums of West Africa is killing hundreds of people with thousands more infected.

Syphilis outbreak among porn actors in the California porn industry prompts calls for a halt to filming in the multi-billion dollar industry.

Epidemic of PRR [peste des petits ruminants] in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a contagious viral disease that has killed tens of thousands of goats and sheep.

Botulism outbreak on a bird farm in Wyoming, USA. 2 700 pheasants have died in the past week.

 

Disease

9 people have now died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

224 cases of a new strain of swine flu have now been reported across 9 US States.

 

Disease

Ebola outbreak in Isiro, Orientale, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1 person is dead with 3 other infected. This is a different strain of the virus to that found in the Uganda outbreak.

Thousands of people flee Syria to escape a massive diarrhoeal outbreak.

 

Disease

Cholera outbreak in displaced peoples' camps in the Democratic Republic Congo has claimed at least 10 lives and is spreading fast.