Cloudy tomorrow!

With a high of 54F and a low of 41F.
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SpaceX Demo-1: 'Go' for Launch

Two days remain until the planned liftoff of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket—the first launch of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft and space system designed for humans. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Ud9okS

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak is continuing with moderate intensity. Katwa and Butembo remain the major health zones of concern, while simultaneously, small clusters continue to occur in various geographically dispersed locations. During the last 21 days (6 – 26 February 2019), 77 new cases have been reported from 33 health areas within nine health zones (Figure 1), including: Katwa (45), Butembo (19), Vuhovi (4), Kyondo (3), Kalunguta (2), Oicha (1), Beni (1), Mandima (1), and Rwampara (1).

Although there are decreasing trends in case incidence (Figure 2), the high proportion of community deaths reported among confirmed cases and relatively low number of new cases who were known contacts under surveillance could increase the risk of further chains of transmission in affected communities. Response teams must maintain a high degree of vigilance across all areas with declining case incidence and contact tracing activity, as well as in areas with active cases, to rapidly detect new cases and prevent onward transmission. Following attacks this week on the treatment centres in Katwa and Butembo, WHO is working with partners to ensure the safety of the patients and staff. These incidents are disruptive to the response on many levels and can also hamper surveillance activities in the field.

Published on February 28, 2019 at 01:00AM
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Light Rain tomorrow!

With a high of 54F and a low of 40F.
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Curiosity Drives Over a New Kind of Terrain

The Curiosity Mars Rover took this image with its Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Feb. 10, 2019 (Sol 2316). via NASA https://ift.tt/2UbtUCc

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 – Indonesia

On 12 February, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) has been confirmed in Papua province, Indonesia. Two genetically-linked VDPV1 viruses were isolated from a child with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) with onset of paralysis on 27 November 2018 and in a healthy community contact, a child whose stool sample was collected on 24 January 2019. The location of this healthy child, with the VDPV isolation, is in a remote village, approximately 3–4 km away from the AFP case with onset of paralysis on 27 November 2018. Even though this province shares a border with Papua New Guinea, this outbreak is not linked to the cVDPV1 outbreak currently affecting its neighbouring country.

WHO and partners are supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) and local public health authorities in conducting a field investigation, a thorough risk assessment and planning an outbreak response. The exact extent and timing of the outbreak response is being finalized. Initial outbreak response immunization (ORI) has been conducted in Yahukimo district and 5718 children under 15 years of age have been immunized with bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). Disease surveillance, including conducting retrospective and active searches for additional acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases, has been further strengthened in community health centres, hospitals and other health facilities including all districts and cities in Papua province. Surveillance has also been strengthened at entry and exit ports and monitoring notification and reporting through the Early Warning, Alert, and Response System (EWARS) has been reinforced. Other provinces have been alerted to improve immunization and AFP surveillance.

Published on February 27, 2019
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Partly Cloudy tomorrow!

With a high of 63F and a low of 37F.
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