Tag: Environment

The Lowdown on The 2009 Swine Flu Outbreak

The 2009 outbreak of swine flu or H1N1 virus is recently hugging the limelight due to the potential harm or effects it can have on a patient or on a community. Unfortunately, the source of the virus still cannot be traced.

Before the first case in the United States was discovered, the illness was believed to have started in Mexico which eventually spread to other countries. Recently, the first case of swine flu was reported in
Costa Rica. Alarmed that it could grow into a worldwide flu epidemic, the World Health Organization of the United Nations and the Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) in the United States raised its pandemic alert level to Phase 5, which signifies that a “pandemic is imminent.”
While experts believed that the recent outbreak is not as fatal as previous epidemics, such as the SARS virus, health officials believe that the number of cases could go up as the new flu is expected to make its way throughout the United States.

The new swine influenza strain is apparently a new variant of four strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the strain is endemic in humans and birds and a couple are endemic in pigs.

However, according to scientists the 2009 H1N1 outbreak is of swine origin which is associated with the virus isolated in North America in 1998. To hasten understanding of the current outbreak as well as in coming up with a vaccine, scientists from Canada have completed the full genetic sequencing of the H1N1 virus.

The new strain of H1N1 has become widespread in Mexico and the United States with confirmed cases in 18 countries and suspected cases in 42 others. Travelers have been warned not to travel to affected countries such as Iceland, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, to name a few.

In addition, warnings have also been issued warnings to visitors of countries affected by the outbreak. It is advisable for visitors to see the doctor right away if they experience flu-like symptoms.
In Mexico, schools, universities, and all public events were suspended from April 24 to May 6, 2009. In the United States, over 400 schools were closed as of May 3, 2009, which included schools in Texas and about 250,000 confirmed or probable cases.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, who is the Assistant Director-General for Health Securiy and Environment of the World Health Organization confirmed that efforts to control the outbreak is already too late and should now focus on lessening the effects of the virus. He also clarified that closing borders or limiting travel to infected areas will do little in stopping the spread of the H1N1 virus.

On April 28, 2009, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that as much as possible, people should avoid non-important travel to Mexico.

According to Dr. Ira Longini, who is an expert in the mathematics and statistics of epidemics, staying at home, seeking medical care, closing public venues, and making anti-flu medicines accessible can help reduce the sickness by almost two-thirds.

Finally, according to Dr. Longini, the focus of efforts is to slow transmission until there is a vaccine that can be developed and made available for controlling swine flu outbreaks.

Proven Techniques for Natural Health and Beauty Recipes

The green movement and global warming have people everywhere in search of natural health and beauty recipes. As more and more people discover these all natural recipes, more and more people decide to make them at home instead of spending the money to buy similar products from the various beauty and health stores. Who can blame them? These sorts of products tend to be more expensive than their toxic counterparts. If you make them at home, youll save money and the environment.

Part of the problem is, as most people embark down the path of making natural health and beauty recipes, they have little to no experience in making them. People can then become discouraged and give up trying to make them at home, finding it easier and cheaper to just go back to their old, planet destroying habits. Before you throw in the towel, there are several techniques that can help give a successful result on any of the recipes you try.

Actually the first thing anyone should do when deciding to make any of the natural health and beauty recipes they find is to do some research. The internet is a great resource in learning about the ingredients used in the recipes and where to find them. You can also find tips and tricks from people who have made the recipe before, allowing you to learn from their experience and mistakes before you attempt to make it yourself. Why learn the hard way and make your own mistakes when you can learn from someone elses?

Next, youll want to purchase a good reference book on natural health and beauty recipes. Its not always possible to hop on the internet and look up the information you need when youre right in the middle of creating something. A good reference book is also great for researching any particular ailments that might spring up on you suddenly. Having one on essential oils is a must since essential oils are used quite frequently in these sorts of recipes.

Since quite a few natural health and beauty recipes are cooked much like regular, food recipes, youll want to purchase separate cook wear that will be used when you make your beauty recipes. Some ingredients can do wonders for a complexion but cause serious problems if ingested. It can be hard to get a pot completely clean and free of any essential oil or plant residue once its been used for a beauty recipe. Youll avoid the likelihood of cross-contamination all together if you simply use different cook wear for different things.

When youre ready to make one of the beauty recipes, gather all of your ingredients and the recipe together, much like when you cook normally. Make sure you keep your work area clean and wipe up any spills immediately. Have whatever containers ready that you plan on storing your creation in. Natural health and beauty recipes arent hard to do. They can be a lot of fun!