TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND COMMUTING ROUTES.

Getting to work early in the morning can be an herculean task for many people who have to commute for 3-4 hours before they get to work because of congestion issues,fuel crisis and basically because most people face a particular direction everyday,thus choking the routes because everybody wants to beat traffic. The funny aspect is everybody is moving about the same time and singing the same song" i want to beat traffic" guess what?? we all are the traffic,and the earlier we all change routes/schedules or motoring style we are all going to do this for a long time. A recent study tagged Understanding congested travel in urban areas, by Serdar Çolak, Antonio Lima and Marta C. González examined the way drivers travel between points in Boston and San Francisco Bay Area in the United States, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. This paper was recently published and mind boggling;they used road map data provided by local authorities and OpenStreetMap to analyse the journeys of millions of road users based on huge mobile phone data sets known as CDRs. Individuals can be identified from CDR data by a hashed user identification string, and their regular movements and timestamps can be used to identify the start and end points of regular journeys. The team used this information to model the way drivers select routes in large cities. They found that drivers were increasingly using real-time data from GPS devices to move faster. But as access to real-time traffic information is not coordinated between different services and users, this result in a "suboptimal system", the researchers explained. "Smartphone apps could offer points and vouchers to drivers who are willing to take longer routes that avoid congested areas"Antonio Lima and Marta C. González states their study indicates "that on average 15–30 percent of total minutes lost in congestion is caused solely by selfish routing." When they modelled how traffic would flow if city residents used socially-aware routing to reduce average travel times for everyone. Individual drivers would only see marginal time improvements of between one and three minutes on most short urban journeys, but the researchers found that 30 percent less time would be lost to congestion across an entire city. Urban congestion often involves a staggering number of factors, particularly where multi-mode journeys, such as those going from car, to train, to foot, intersect, as illustrated by a recent study suggesting that slowing down London's tube network could improve journey times across the city due to bottlenecks resulting from the tube being faster than road traffic. It's also not clear how much of a difference improving private vehicle congestion by encouraging optimal routing would make when compared to improving public transport, cycling and pedestrian facilities. However, the rise of autonomous vehicles could mean that one day, our cars will work out their own preferred routes for the good of the transport system, and leave us to think about other things entirely. read more at Wired.co.uk. Monday morning traffic # traffic congestion # chocked drive routes # phone apps # technology # self-driving cars.

Tuberculosis in man.

Cattle infected with bovine tuberculosis are spreading infections to humans by the following routes ;eating unpasteurized milk products form infected herds is a prime source of infection and Living and working in close proximity to infected animals also puts humans at risk. In 2014, an estimated 9.6 million people were infected by tuberculosis, according to the World Health Organization. Potentially fatal -- 1.5 million died from it the same year -- it is a disease known to be spread from human to human. But a subset of those contracting the disease today are getting it from infected animals. Tuberculosis can spread through your food, as well as the air, via infected animals.The most common culprits are infected cattle and the most common source are their infected food products, such as milk and cheese. Cows and many other animals can harbor bovine tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis -- a close relative of the bacteria that cause human tuberculosis. Risk of human disease rises when animal infections aren't controlled. The existence of Bovine TB among animals and humans is not unique to the Americas. The disease is found globally, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia, and in a 2012 study by the International Livestock Research Institute, more than 7% of livestock screened globally tested positive for the disease. "[In India] people are very intimately associated with their cows ... we look after the cattle, men sleep in the area where cattle are tethered ... the proximity is very close," says Krishna Prasad Hanumanthappa from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Hanumanthappa has seen the presence of both regular and bovine TB cow milk in India. Here, however, he says ingestion is not the main concern."The practice of boiling milk has been one of the greatest safeguards we've had on transmission," says Hanumanthappa. He instead worries about the disease spreading through other means. Bacteria can be excreted through fecal matter, urine, coughs, and sneezes," he explains. In most countries in Africa, bovine TB is endemic, but experts say regular milk pasteurization and slaughterhouse meat inspections are rare. "We used to see a lot of cattle slaughtered with TB lesions in the lungs of the animals ... and locals eat these products," says Simeon Cadmus, from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His recent study of a sample of livestock workers in Nigeria found 6-7% of traders and butchers to be infected with TB of some kind. Cadmeus also worries about people rearing cattle who live closely with their cows. "They eat, drink and stay all their lives with their cattle," says Cadmeus who adds that further studies of his among herds have found 40-60% of cattle infected. "Because of poor animal health issues ... the pastoralists also get infected," he says. Read more here; http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/23/health/tuberculosis-from-animals/index.html

The snails spreading fever across Africa.

Freshwater snails are spreading chronic disease across sub-Saharan Africa,the snails harbor parasitic schistomosoma worms that burrow into human skin.All it takes is a snail, a worm and some freshwater to become infected. Once you are, the disease could persist for decades -- and prove fatal. The culprits come as a pair: freshwater snails harboring parasitic worms. Once released from the snails, the worms can burrow into the skin and deep inside the body of any human daring to enter its waters The infection at hand is schistosomiasis -- also known as bilharzia -- a chronic infection caused by parasitic Schistomosa worms that can live inside blood vessels for years on end causing fever, chills and inflammation . "Any freshwater which has these snails in them could be the cause of infection," says Alan Fenwick, Professor of Tropical Parasitology at Imperial College London. The majority of infected waters are found in Africa, particularly the continent's largest lake -- Lake Victoria -- where risk of infection is high. The challenge in controlling the disease is that people often don't develop symptoms for years, but can continue to transmit the infection. Inside the human body, female worms grow into adults and lay eggs that migrate through the body for release in faeces. If released into freshwater -- through defecation in the water -- they hatch and become ready to infect any freshwater snails in their path. Once inside the snails, the young worms transform into versions of themselves now capable of burrowing back into human skin. On release back into the water they swim ready to, again, infect humans in their vicinity. It's a perpetual cycle in which the parasites use both snails and humans to their advantage, manipulating both, to ensure the survival of their species. The eggs of the parasites travel primarily to the intestine when inside humans, for release, but along this journey can become trapped in organs and intestinal lining to cause inflammation. The characteristic symptom of the disease is a swollen abdomen. More than 61 million people were treated for schistosomiasis in 2014, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and more than 258 million required preventative treatment . The majority of cases are in Africa and outweigh numbers affected by other diseases in the region. The problem that sub Saharan Africa has is a lack of fresh water, safe water, and adequate sanitation .People who need to urinate and defecate tend to do so on the open ground, and their excreta can be washed into water where the eggs will then infect snails. According to WHO, 90% of those requiring treatment for schistosomiasis live in Africa, but most of them live around lake and river regions. The factor helping the disease persist, is poor sanitation. Infections primarily affect young children, but symptoms can take years to appear, making finding and treating those infected a challenge. The team has to proactively go out and find children who are infected and treat them so that we protect them from an early grave. The main control strategy to date has been mass treatment using the drug praziquantil. read more at http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/09/health/snails-spread-schistosomiasis-in-africa/index.html

Lassa fever death rates in Nigeria .

More than 130 people are suspected to have died from a Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, according to statistics from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The disease can cause fever and haemorrhaging of various parts of the body -- including the eyes and nose -- and can be spread through contact with an infected rat. Person to person transmission is also possible, albeit less common. For people witnessing the symptoms, alarm bells may ring and raise fears of Ebola -- but this is not Ebola. West Africa as a region is seeing a flare-up of the disease, but Nigeria -- where Lassa fever was first discovered in 1969 -- is experiencing much higher mortality rates than usual. On average, Lassa fever is deadly in 1% of all individuals infected, with higher rates of 15% morbidity among people hospitalized for the illness, but the current outbreak in Nigeria has seen more than 50% of those affected dying from their infection. According to NCDC's latest report, dated 14 March 2016, the total number of reported cases is 254 (129 of which confirmed by lab tests) and the total number of deaths (suspected, probable and confirmed) is 137, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 53.9%. Increased mortality and spread. A 2012 outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria caused more than 1,700 people to become infected, but 112 deaths, according to the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC). Despite lower case numbers, the death toll in the current outbreak are already higher. "The deaths among cases are higher than normal, and we are currently establishing the reason for this," says Abdulsalami Nasidi, Director of the NCDC. A further concern is the geographic spread of the outbreak: "More states are affected (than usual), and we're evaluating possible reasons," says Nasidi. Beyond what's usual Lassa fever outbreaks occur most years in West Africa, as the disease is endemic to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Each year, the virus infects an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 and is responsible for 5,000 deaths in the region as a whole. Ebola Fast Facts; Lassa virus is in the same family of viruses as Ebola and Marburg virus, which also cause fever and sometimes haemorrhage. The virus is named after the Nigerian town of Lassa where it was first discovered. Outbreaks generally occur during the region's dry season -- typically between November to February -- but this time it's persisting. Officials are speculating reasons for the increased mortality and spread, but the truth remains unknown. "Viruses change over time," says Nasidi. One theory officials are suggesting for the spread of the virus into new states, is that there may be better awareness of symptoms after the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has infected more than 28,000 people . Previously, infections often went unreported as the disease mainly affects rural areas where populations can be highly infected, but don't notify the authorities. How does Lassa fever spread? The main culprit behind the transmission of Lassa fever is the "multimammate rat" -- a reservoir for the virus with the ability to spread it to humans. Touching, consuming, or inhaling, the urine or feces of a rat carrying the virus is the prime route of infection in humans. This generally happens through contaminated food and surfaces within people's homes -- particularly during the dry season. When the rains are over, the rats then come closer to humans to steal grains," says David Heymann, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In rural areas, communities often store grains in their homes after the harvest to get them through the dry season. "They urinate and defecate on the rice, which makes the uncooked rice a source of human infection," says Heymann. The meat of rodents is often eaten in the region, further increasing the likelihood of transmission. Contact with the bodily fluids, or tissues, of another human carrying the virus is also a mode of transmission, but more rare. symptoms and diagnosis The symptoms of the disease are wide-ranging and vary from mild to severe in different cases, making diagnosis a challenge. One in five of those infected will experience symptoms including haemorrhage, respiratory problems and facial swelling, especially if diagnosed late with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The remaining 80% experience much milder symptoms such as fever and weakness, which can often go undiagnosed. Up to one third of people infected also risk losing their hearing. Treatment is available with the antiviral drug Ribavirin, but this has its greatest effect if used early. Taking control, through prevention; The NCDC and Ministry of Health have increased resources to handle the outbreak, such as mapping those at most risk, improving access to diagnostics and engaging with communities to recognize the signs and symptoms. "Every life counts and every case must be investigated," says Nasidi. Given the increased mortality, the priority is prevention. This includes reducing the chances of contact between humans and rat colonies. Sales of rat poison in Nigeria have boomed since the outbreak was announced, according to reports by the news service AFP. As with Ebola, awareness and increased use of personal protective equipment when handling patients is also crucial to prevent human to human transmission, particularly in health clinics. "The government has made the right recommendations about infection control in health facilities...the virus is passed from person to person by poor infection control," says Heymann. As outbreaks are somewhat regular, health officials are still hopeful the current spike in infections will come to a natural end. "From past experiences we expect numbers to start decreasing in March/April," says Nasidi. culled from :http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/17/health/lassa-fever-outbreak-nigeria/index.html

WILDLIFE MISHAP: STRAY LION INJURIES MAN.

A male lion that strayed into rush hour traffic in the Kenyan capital injured one man before being captured and taken back to a reserve that lies on the edge of the city, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said. KWS, which manages the country’s safari reserves including the Nairobi National Park on the outskirts of the capital, said its units had caught the lion after images posted on social media showed it wandering along a main road near the park. A man who was injured by the lion (has been) taken to hospital, KWS said on its Twitter feed. KWS spokesman Paul Udoto told Kenya’s NTV that the elderly man was in a stable condition after the black-maned lion attacked him when it became agitated by the hooting of car horns by passing motorists. The images on social media showed the lion walking along a grassy verge next to the busy road and past some people who looked on from behind a closed iron-bar gate. Inside Nairobi National Park, which lies on the city limits, tourists enjoy views of lions, rhinos, giraffes, zebras and other wildlife against a backdrop of high-rise buildings. Lions are occasionally spotted in the city close to the park after finding a way through fences that protect the built-up areas near the reserve. Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2016/03/stray-lion-injures-man-in-kenyan-capital-wildlife-service/#EOzmIpKULgBiTVBF.99

Fourth person dies of Ebola in latest flare up in Guinea

A fourth person has died of Ebola in Guinea in the latest flare up of an epidemic that has killed more than 11,300 people in that country, Sierra Leone and Liberia since 2013 but now claims few victims. The young girl who was hospitalized at the Ebola treatment center in Nzerekore is dead,” said Fode Tass Sylla, spokesman for the center that coordinates Guinea’s fight against the virus. Three others have died of the virus since Feb. 29. Health workers on Saturday also stepped up efforts to trace anyone who could have come into contact with the family. The world’s worst recorded Ebola epidemic is believed to have started in Guinea and killed about 2,500 people there by December last year, at which point the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) said it was no longer actively transmitted. WHO warned, however, that Ebola could resurface at any time, since it can linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of some survivors. It was not immediately clear how the villagers from Korokpara, around 100 km (60 miles) from Nzerekore, had contracted the disease but the area had previously resisted efforts to fight the illness in the initial epidemic. Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2016/03/fourth-person-dies-of-ebola-in-latest-flare-up-in-guinea/#RrDHZ6sxzoOgsmo4.99

MOTION SENSORS DETECTS LAMENESS IN HORSES.

A research carried out in the university of Missouri-Columbia has come up with a motion sensor called a lameness locator that effectively detects lameness faster than the subjective eye-test. The study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, Keegan and co-author Meghan McCracken, an equine surgery resident at MU, put special adjustable shoes on horses that temporarily induced symptoms of lameness. The horses were then monitored by the Lameness Locator as well as by a number of veterinarians using any lameness testing methods they wished. If no lameness was detected by either the veterinarians or the Lameness Locator, the special shoes were adjusted slightly to increase the symptoms of lameness. This process was repeated until both the Lameness Locator and the participating veterinarians properly identified in which leg of the horse the lameness was occurring. Keegan and McCracken found that the Lameness Locator was able to correctly identify lameness earlier than veterinarians using subjective eye test methods more than 58 percent of the time and more than 67 percent of the time when the lameness occurred in the hind legs of the horse. Keegan attributes this to the sensors' high sensitivity levels. There are two reasons why the Lameness Locator is better than the naked eye, It samples motion at a higher frequency beyond the capability of the human eye and it removes the bias that frequently accompanies human subjective evaluation. The most common ailment to affect a horse is lameness , equine lameness may begin subtly and can range from a simple mild problem affecting a single limb to a more complicated one affecting multiple limbs, veterinarians and horse owners know that early detection is the key to successful outcomes.If veterinarians can detect lameness earlier, before it gets too bad, it makes treatment much easier. Lameness often goes undetected or undiagnosed entirely, which can cause owners to retire horses earlier than needed, simply because they cannot figure out why the horses are unhealthy. The Lameness Locator, which is now in commercial use, places small sensors on the horse's head, right front limb and croup, near the tail. The sensors monitor and record the horse's torso movement while the horse is trotting. The recorded information is then transferred to a computer or mobile device and compared against databases recorded from the movement of healthy horses and other lame horses. The computer is then able to diagnose whether or not the horse is lame. diagnostic kits # sensor # equine health # computer