Have you wondered where the water goes after you flush the toilet, wash clothes, or use kitchen and bathroom sinks?

Each year, Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) treats and cleans more than seven billion gallons of wastewater from homes and businesses in northern Clackamas County and returns it to our rivers. That’s almost enough for a gallon of water for every person on the planet.

While serving the wastewater treatment needs of nearly 200,000 customers, WES protects public health by preventing the spread of potentially deadly diseases that can come from dirty water, as well as protecting our shared environment.

WES’ largest two treatment facilities are the Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility, which cleans a daily average of 10 million gallons, and the Kellogg Creek facility, which cleans nearly seven million gallons a day.

How does WES do this? It’s a combination of gravity, chemistry, and much more.

As it leaves your house, wastewater travels in a pipe called a service connection, and then into a main sanitary sewer line beneath the street. That’s when gravity kicks in, helping deliver the fl ow to one of WES’ fi ve treatment facilities. WES owns and maintains more than 360 miles of pipes to carry the water.

Pumping stations lift the wastewater over hills where needed.

Where it all happens

Once untreated wastewater arrives at a WES treatment facility, the first stop is bar screens, which remove the biggest solid objects like plastic, paper products, and rags.

Next in the grit chamber, the flow slows down to allow objects like rocks, sand, coffee grounds, and food waste particles to settle to the bottom.

After grit removal, the water goes to primary sedimentation basins, where remaining solid objects sink to the bottom as sludge, or rise to the surface as scum.

The scum and sludge are removed and sent to the digesters (large tanks), where they are treated with anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobic means that no oxygen is involved. The digesters convert sludge to biosolids that are used as soil conditioner and methane, which is converted to electricity used to provide power for the Tri-City facility. 

Biological treatment 101

The Tri-City facility uses two biological treatments: a conventional activated sludge process and a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) process. 

Conventionally treated water is sent to aeration basin tanks where pumped-in air promotes the growth of bacteria. Oxygen-loving microbes break down organic waste into carbon dioxide and water. The water is then disinfected with bleach.

Water treated in the MBR flows through hollow-fiber membranes to remove contaminants, and then to the ultraviolet disinfection building, where it is disinfected by powerful UV lights.

Natural air freshener

There are mechanisms for minimizing unpleasant odors. Air from some processes is sent either to a carbon tower or through a biological odor control tower, where microbes neutralize odor-causing gasses, providing a natural alternative to chemicals.

Final leg of the journey

After being biologically treated and disinfected, conventionally treated water goes to secondary clarifiers, which are big tanks that capture and recycle most microbes to the aeration basin. Excess microbes are sent to the digesters.

Treated water from both the MBR and conventional processes is sent downstream of the UV building, where the water is analyzed for compliance with state and federal safety guidelines.

Finally, the cleaned water, called “effluent,” is then returned to the Willamette River, completing the journey from your home to the river.

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Originally Appeared Here

After someone complained that his wildlife sanctuary smells of animals, a wildlife advocate was threatened with a fine equal to more than $24,000.

Geoff Grewcock, 72, and his daughter Emma Hudson, 39, have rescued thousands of birds and other animals for the past 21 years in England’s West Midlands region.

The pair have helped saved around 100,000 animals which they nurse back to health at their Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary.

Geoff Grewcock and his daughter Emma Hudson have rescued thousands of birds and other animals for the past 21 years in England’s West Midlands region.
Emma Trimble/Zenger

The sanctuary itself is located behind Grewcock’s bungalow, where he often lets rescued animals get cozy with him in his home.

But the future of the sanctuary is now at risk after Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council slapped him and Hudson with an abatement order following one complaint.

In a letter sent to them on May 19, the council said: “Evidence gathered demonstrated that the animal odor is causing a nuisance to people in the area.

“Animal odors from the sanctuary was witnessed on two separate occasions.

“On both occasions the officer was of the opinion that the odor was unpleasant and was present for a prolonged period which would prevent the complainant from enjoying the use of their property.”

Grewcock and Hudson have been warned that if their sanctuary continues to smell, they face a fine of 20,000 British pounds ($24,349) or even criminal prosecution.

The father-daughter pair now fear the only way to comply with the order is to close and put down the 35 animals currently at the sanctuary.

Geoff Grewcock and his daughter Emma Hudson have helped saved around 100,000 animals at the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary.
Emma Trimble/Zenger

“We have been running an animal sanctuary here for 21 years without a problem,” Hudson said.

“The council told us they received one complaint from somebody, so had to investigate.

“Everyone who lives near here knows what we do and is very supportive. We don’t cause any problems, but we do care for animals.

“It just seems like they have a vendetta against us and will simply complain about anything just to see us out of the area.

“We are an animal sanctuary, so of course there is going to some sort of animal smell and it has never been a problem to anybody for the past 21 years.

“One guy came out from the council on five occasions and stood for 20 minutes in the garden. On just two of those occasions, he reported a smell.”

Hudson said the hefty fine, if it comes to that, may force them to close.

“I simply don’t know what more we can do,” she said.

“We clean and disinfect every night, the issue is not of hygiene – animals will smell of animals, no matter what.

“The cheeky part is that they want to charge us 61 pounds ($74) just to appeal it. We are just a small charity and every penny counts towards ensuring the welfare of these animals.”

Hudson admits the fate of the animals currently being cared for at the center is uncertain.

She added: “Some of these animals will be euthanized if we are forced to shut down if we can’t find other places for them, which is unlikely and we’re one of the only services of its kind in the area.

“We rescue and rehabilitate animals from all over the county and beyond and it would be a shame to lose all that because just one person has complained.

“It has been an ongoing nightmare and my dad’s health has suffered as a result.

“But we have done absolutely nothing wrong and just seem to be victims of a hate campaign which could now see us finally close our doors.”

This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.

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Originally Appeared Here

A wildlife campaigner who has saved thousands of animals has been threatened with a £20,000 fine after one person complained about his sanctuary smelling – of animals. Geoff Grewcock, 72, and his daughter Emma Hudson, 39, have been rescuing and rehabilitating birds and animals for the past 21 years.

The pair have helped saved around 100,000 animals, which they nurse back to health at their Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary itself is located behind Geoff’s bungalow, where he often lets rescued animals cosy down with him in his home.

But the future of the sanctuary is now at risk after Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council slapped him and Emma with an abatement order following one complaint. In a letter sent to them on May 19, the council said: “Evidence gathered demonstrated that the animal odour is causing a nuisance to people in the area.

“Animal odours from the sanctuary was witnessed on two separate occasions. On both occasions the officer was of the opinion that the odour was unpleasant and was present for a prolonged period, which would prevent the complainant from enjoying the use of their property.”

Geoff and Emma have now been warned that if their sanctuary continues to smell, they face a £20,000 fine or even criminal prosecution. The pair now fear the only way to comply with the order is to close and put down the 35 animals currently at the sanctuary.

Emma, who has a 12-year-old daughter, said: “We have been running an animal sanctuary here for 21 years without a problem. The council told us they received one complaint from somebody so had to investigate.

“Everyone who lives near here knows what we do and is very supportive. We don’t cause any problems but we do care for animals.

“It just seems like they have a vendetta against us and will simply complain about anything just to see us out of the area. We are an animal sanctuary, so of course there is going to some sort of animal smell and it has never been a problem to anybody for the past 21 years.

“One guy came out from the council on five occasions and stood for 20 minutes in the garden. On just two of those occasions, he reported a smell.

“But this order is indefinite, meaning if we don’t stop the smell then we could face a £20,000 which will simply close us down. But I simply don’t know what more we can do to.

“We clean and disinfect every night, the issue is not of hygiene – animals will smell of animals, no matter what. The cheeky part is that they want to charge us £61 just to appeal it. We are just a small charity and every penny counts towards ensuring the welfare of these animals.”

© SWNS
Geoff Grewcock and his daughter Emma Hudson have been rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife for the past 21 years at Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary

Emma admits the fate of the animals currently being cared for at the centre is uncertain.

She added: “Some of these animals will be euthanised if we are forced to shut down if we can’t find other places for them, which is unlikely and we’re one of the only services of its kind in the area. We rescue and rehabilitate animals from all over the county and beyond and it would be a shame to lose all that because just one person has complained.

“It has been an ongoing nightmare and my dad’s health has suffered as a result. But we have done absolutely nothing wrong and just seem to be victims of a hate campaign which could now see us finally close our doors.”

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Originally Appeared Here

Sixty cases of norovirus and gastrointestinal illness have been reported in four Canadian provinces as of June 10. Spot prawns have been identified as the source, according to a public health notice.

The investigation into the outbreak is ongoing, and more information is needed to determine how the spot prawns became contaminated with norovirus. The public health notice will be updated as the investigation continues.

“Spot prawns contaminated with noroviruses may look, smell, and taste normal,” a spokesperson for Health Canada told Medscape Medical News.

“Noroviruses can be transmitted by ill individuals,” the spokesperson said. “Cleaning and disinfecting practices are the key to preventing further illnesses.”

The public health notice was published by the Public Health Agency of Canada on June 1.

Food Recall

All of the people who became ill with norovirus and gastrointestinal illness reported having eaten spot prawns before they became sick, according to the public health notice.

On May 31 and June 2, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued food recall warnings for several lot codes of spot prawns that were associated with the illnesses in the investigation.

Certain Tri-Star Seafood Supply brand live spot prawns were recalled, including variable sizes under the lot codes AJ200-021, CA001-1532, CA001-1540, and CA001-1542.

The recalled products were sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba. They may have been distributed in other provinces and territories as well.

Among the cases identified so far, 19 were in Manitoba, 12 were in Alberta, 18 were in British Columbia, and 11 were in Ontario. People became sick between mid-May and late May, and no deaths have been reported.

Although not all cases have been tested, laboratory testing confirmed the presence of a norovirus infection in some cases, according to the public health notice.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is continuing its investigation, which may result in additional recalls. If other products require another recall, the agency will issue additional warnings.

“Do not eat, use, sell, or serve the recalled spot prawns,” the public health notice said. “Check to see if you have the recalled spot prawns at home. If you do, throw them out and wash your hands.”

Norovirus Illness

Acute gastrointestinal illnesses, including those caused by noroviruses, are common in North America and are highly contagious, according to the public health notice.

The illness can affect all age groups. However, young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems face the highest risks of developing more serious complications.

People who contract norovirus illnesses usually develop symptoms of gastroenteritis within 24-48 hours, though symptoms can start as soon as 12 hours after exposure. The illness often begins suddenly, according to the public health notice.

The main symptoms of norovirus illness are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps. Children typically have more vomiting than adults. Other symptoms may include low-grade fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue.

Most people recover within 1 or 2 days, as symptoms resolve on their own, and don’t experience long-term health effects, according to the public health notice. Patients should drink plenty of liquids to replace body fluids that were lost owing to diarrhea and vomiting.

Those who develop more serious complications may become dehydrated, and in severe cases, patients may need to be hospitalized to receive fluids intravenously. Healthcare providers should be aware of outbreaks and treat patients who appear to have severe symptoms of norovirus illness.

Consumers should follow safe food-handling practices, such as avoiding the consumption of raw or undercooked spot prawns, eating spot prawns soon after cooking, and refrigerating leftovers. People should also separate raw and cooked spot prawns to avoid cross-contamination and avoid using the same plates or utensils for raw and cooked items.

Food handlers and consumers should wash their hands thoroughly before and after handling any food and sanitize cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils after preparing raw foods.

In addition, consumers and healthcare providers should clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces after a norovirus illness. After vomiting or diarrhea, clothing and linens should be removed immediately and washed with soap and hot water. Those who have been diagnosed with norovirus illness or other gastrointestinal illnesses should not prepare food or pour drinks for other people while an infection is active, while symptoms are present, or during the first 48 hours after recovery.

“Safe food-handling practices will reduce your risk of getting sick,” according to the public health notice. “Even after having a norovirus illness, patients can still become reinfected by norovirus.”

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Originally Appeared Here

OPENING the door to my Tinder date Sami’s home in August 2020, and catching a whiff of what lay ahead, I knew he was about to be disappointed.

When I glimpsed his greasy oven fan and dirty cupboard tops, I had one thing on my mind: cleaning.

4

Auri Kananen is a cleaner who lives in Tampere, Finland

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She has more than 10million followers online

He was stunned as I whipped Marigolds out of my bag and began scrubbing his house clean.

Sami proposed in January 2022 and we’re getting married next year, so my obsession with being a ‘super cleaner’ – who loves tackling the stench of rotting food and the sight of squirming maggots – didn’t put him off!

It’s also made me the world’s most famous cleaning influencer, with 10 million followers.

I started cleaning professionally when I was 16 and still at school, helping my mum Sanna, 52, who ran a cleaning company.

Our home in Tampere, which we shared with my dad and brother, was always immaculate.

She taught me how to clean, including hacks like using a squeegee on floors, not just windows.

Aged 20, I went to Tampere University to study applied sciences, which included learning about specialised cleaning and hospitality management.

Afterwards, I got a job as a manager in a large commercial cleaning company partly owned by Mum.

I started working full-time with her in 2012 and realised the jobs I got greatest satisfaction from were the ones other cleaners refused.

The most extreme was a bathroom that hadn’t been cleaned for six years.

It was black with mould, the floor strewn with waste and bottles of urine and poo – I called it my ‘dirtylicious challenge.’

I first got the idea to share my work on social media during the pandemic in June 2020 – I knew people were stuck at home and I wanted to show them how easy cleaning could be.

So I set up accounts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook and started sharing before and after videos.

They went viral, getting 1.9 million views, then double that and treble. By December, I had 3million followers, and I now have more than 10 million across my channels.

The following June, I become self-employed, thanks to my social media success.

My friends and family are proud of me, and while cleaning is how I earn a living, I also do some for free, helping people with illnesses.

I receive so many heartbreaking messages and photos of filthy homes.

Recently, I had a message from a woman who was concerned about her 86-year-old friend with Alzheimer’s who was squirrelling away rotting food in drawers and behind sofas.

I started working full-time with her in 2012 and realised the jobs I got greatest satisfaction from were the ones other cleaners refused. The most extreme was a bathroom that hadn’t been cleaned for six years.

Her bathroom was filled with mould and unwashed clothes.

I was determined to create a nice environment for her, so I spent two days wiping away inches of rotted food and maggots. The stink was overwhelming.

When I’d finished, she offered to pay me, but seeing her happiness was enough. I also talked to relatives and support groups to ensure they could keep her house clean.

For other vulnerable people, I leave them a kit and a list of when to clean and how.

One man contacted me because he was depressed and his bedsit had fallen into squalor.

I used a scraper to get rid of a year’s worth of cigarette butts and ash from the floor, and removed a mountain of rubbish and rotting food from the kitchen.

People think I use high-tech equipment, but I don’t. I use a broom to get rid of dirt and hair, then a dustpan and brush, followed by soap and water or carpet cleaner.

My top products are degreaser, scrapers, dishwasher soap and water, power paste, toilet cleaner and Scrub Daddy scrubbers.

After each job, I shower and change, before disinfecting my tools and washing my clothes on a hot cycle.

I don’t employ anyone, but I hope to set up a network of cleaners around the world to help those in need.

People might find my job disgusting, but I’m never happier than when I’m knee-deep in mould and grime.

BTW

Two hours of cleaning burns around 400 calories

An office phone can contain 25,000 germs per square inch*.

Leave antibac on surfaces for 1-2 minutes before wiping or it won’t be effective.

Source: *Cleaning Services Group

4

Auri is the world’s most famous cleaning influencer

4

She is getting married to electrical company CEO Sami next year

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Originally Appeared Here

A few weeks ago, my wife and I flew from Los Angeles to Wyoming to see old friends. It was the first time I had set foot in a commercial airliner since the pandemic began. We had made reservations a month before, during a period when cases had been low in most parts of the country, but by the time we were scheduled to fly, a new omicron subvariant BA. 2.12.1 (which looks like an IOS software update) appeared and cases were beginning to surge even in places with high vaccination numbers.

Although my wife has normal immunity, lacks any comorbidities and had her booster, I do have immunity issues due to a medical condition I’ve had for 20 years. As a result, I’ve been taking daily doses of strong immune suppressant meds to stay alive. That, and my age, make me a prime candidate for contracting, as my kids call it, “The Vid.”

Due to my immunity issues, I have had four full shots of Moderna (I should be the poster boy for vaccination safety) which decreased my trepidation about flying but I also knew that most breakthrough cases involved the immunosuppressed. I had also read that this new mutation was more transmissible than its predecessors, albeit milder but that’s a crapshoot among those with immunity issues. Normal people generally don’t get as sick as we do.  

Those of my friends who had flown numerous times assured me that it was safe, that the planes were outfitted with more effective ventilation which would suck viral droplets up though filters, that the planes were thoroughly scrubbed down with disinfectant between flights and that passengers and flight attendants all wore masks and airports were not crowded.

Even though the mask mandates had been lifted the day before the flight, I assumed that most people would be smart enough to continue wearing them during the flights. 

Nope. LAX was mobbed and at least 75% of the people were maskless. (I wore an N95 over a blue surgical mask.) At security, the lines were long and the 6-foot distance that the airport recommended was mostly ignored. Among those who wore masks, more than a few sported them under their noses. The metal detector flashed red after I went through it so I was patted down. Now I was 3 inches from a TSA agent. 

Once we were inside the plane, I realized that I had made a — pardon my choice of words — grave error. None of the flight attendants wore masks. I felt no air circulation that seemed different from ordinary aircraft ventilation and I noticed that just about every passenger boarding the plane touched the seats. So much for the disinfectant. Entering one of the lavatories would be more sickening than it had been before the pandemic. 

Why hadn’t I thought of any of this before, particularly because I’d been so neurotically careful for the previous two years. 

Noticing my distress, my wife reminded me that I was wearing two masks which was somewhat reassuring until I realized I would have to take them off to eat or drink. 

During the flight, my wife was so gripped by the book she was reading on her Kindle that she did not seem to notice what was going on around her. I sat rigid in my seat and was aware of everything happening around me. Simply put, I call it the C & S flight — Coughing and Sneezing. Everywhere. Every 4.3 minutes. Yes, I timed it.

The three home tests I took after arriving in Wyoming and again when I got home were negative but I don’t think I’ll be boarding a plane again anytime soon.

John Blumenthal
is a former magazine editor whose work has appeared in a number of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Sun-Times, Playboy, Salon and Huffington Post.

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Originally Appeared Here

Professor David E. Thompson traveled to Hungary and Austria last month with his cohort Ilona Petrikovics from the Sam Houston State Department of Chemistry. The purpose of their journey was to create a study abroad program that will enrich courses for students at SHSU.

“This will give our students the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone, and explore both the roots of chemistry and what is being done that is groundbreaking,” said Thompson. The course will initially serve ten to twenty students, with a goal of thirty students once the program is well established.

Hungary and Austria have both been greatly impacted by the empires that have controlled them over centuries of conflict. Their landscapes and industries have been influenced by ancient methods and modern technology while maintaining their own unique cultures. Both are home to historically renowned doctors and scientists, as well as those who are shaping science and medicine today.

 Professor Petrikovics is a native of Hungary. She and Thompson were hosted by professors and students at The University of Pecs and The University of Szeget. They also met with post-doctoral students in those regions who have completed research projects at SHSU.

 They first visited the Zsolnay Museum and Ceramics factory in Pecs, where pottery and ceramic tiles have been made since the 1700’s. At the University of Pecs, they toured the botanical garden and chemistry department. This area of Hungary is supported by industries directly related to chemistry; uranium mines, breweries, leather working establishments and ancient vineyards rely heavily on chemists and scientific principles to produce products and improve production practices. 

Thompson and Petrikovics then traveled by train to Budapest to visit a museum dedicated to Ignaz Semmelweis, a renowned Hungarian physician who discovered the connection between infant mortality rates and proper handwashing in the 1800’s. His work was pivotal in the creation of antiseptics and the methods for disinfecting delivery rooms in obstetrical clinics. Although he was able to lower the death rates of mothers and newborns in his own hospital, the rest of Europe took years to adopt his methods.

“This helps students understand how ideas change in the scientific community, and to reflect on how difficult it is for established ideas to be changed,” said Thompson.

 At the University of Budapest, they met with professors of chemistry and pharmacy, and were able to tour their labs. One of their local tour guides, Kristof Kovacs, is now an executive for a pharmaceutical company in Hungary. Kovacs was one of five post-doctoral students that led research projects at SHSU in the past.

At another university they visited in Eger, a large part of their scientific study is the chemistry of wine and the analysis of grapes, and how those relate to fungus and bacteria. The university produces wine as a research project to understand and improve the science of growing grapes and producing wine.

“The mission of the university is to help local farmers through active research,” said Thompson. The chemistry of of fighting fungus in grapes provides an understanding that can be directly related to emerging diseases in humans. This science helps develop cures,” said Thompson.

The University of Szeged was another important part of the tour. Maria Deli, program cohort and biophysics professor in the pharmacy department, is conducting experiments on how drugs move across the blood-brain barrier. Their team is creating new medicines in nanoparticle form. Providing faster pain relief is just one example of this groundbreaking science.

The Szeged Biological Research Center is where Kati Kariko worked as a post -doctoral fellow after earning her Ph.D. at the university. Kariko and her work in the field of mRNA helped formulate the foundations for both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The next part of the tour was to Austria to visit the University of Vienna and Hallstatt. Their driver and guide was Lerond Kiss. Kiss was a post-doctoral researcher at SHSU for two years.

This portion of their trip focused on the science of preservation. For the study abroad program, students visiting this area would also gain an understanding of geochemistry. The salt mine in Halstatt was once a deposit deep under the ocean that was pushed above ground by the movement of tectonic plates. The resulting mine has had a profound impact on the health and the wealth of the region for 7000 years.

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Originally Appeared Here

By Julie Geiser, Outdoor Columnist

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will be hosting a community fishing event from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Birdwood Lake Wildlife Management Area.

Community fishing nights are a Nebraska Game and Parks program designed to help make fishing adventures possible and rewarding. The events are free with loaner fishing equipment and bait available.

Game and Parks staff and local volunteers will be on hand to assist those of all ages learn the basics of this fun and relaxing activity. Everyone is invited regardless of age or skill.

Get your family and friends outside and enjoy an evening of fishing. Those 16 years and older wanting to fish will need a valid fishing license.

Look for the colorful fishing trailer at the lake. Birdwood is referred to as Fire Lake by some and is the first Interstate 80 Lake west of North Platte. To get to the lake, take Walker Road west then north on Homestead Road.

Fishing is vital to the conservation of Nebraska’s natural resources, as money generated through the sale of fishing permits and aquatic habitat stamps is used to maintain healthy fisheries, improve water quality and to enhance access for anglers.

People are also reading…

Fishing also improves mental health, brings families and friends closer together and creates more inspired workers. Economically, fishing also provides a huge boost, contributing millions of dollars to the state’s economy annually and creating millions in retail sales.

Fishing can provide many memories for friends and families and keep the long-held tradition of outdoor enjoyment alive for many. Get outside this month and enjoy all the benefits the outdoors has to offer. We are so fortunate to have such a state that is rich in outdoor activities, places to go and people to enjoy it with.

Big game draw application period

The application period for general elk, antelope and deer draw units begins Monday and ends June 24. Applicants may apply for one elk, deer and antelope permit or one preference point.

The application period begins at 1 p.m. CT Monday. One application is allowed per person per species.

Applications be found at outdoornebraska.org, by using the paper application form in the “2022 Big Game Guide,” which is available at any Game and Parks office.

Results from the draw will be available July 1. Applicants not providing valid email addresses when applying will be responsible for monitoring their status online at outdoornebraska.org. Those submitting a valid email address will be notified via email if they were successful or not in the draw. Successful applicants will have until July 15 to complete the purchase of their awarded permits. Awarded but unpaid permits will result in applicants losing preference points and forfeiting the permit. Any forfeited draw permits will be available during these appropriate buy periods:

» July 11: Residents, nonresidents and eligible landowners may buy any unlimited quota deer and antelope permits.

» July 12: Residents may buy any limited deer permits.

» July 13: Residents may buy any limited antelope permits.

» July 25: Nonresidents may buy any limited deer permits.

» July 26: Nonresidents may buy any limited antelope permits

» Aug. 1: Residents and nonresidents may buy any remaining limited deer permits

» Aug. 2: Residents, nonresidents and eligible landowners may buy any remaining limited antelope permits.

Tick removal

People that venture outside need to be aware of ticks and do a full-body examination when you return to your tent, cabin or home. If a tick is not found and removed before it attaches to the skin, a tick will pierce its host’s skin to start drawing blood.

To remove, use fine point tweezers or a tick removal tool to grasp the tick by the head or mouth, which will be located next to the skin, then gently pull the tick straight out. Do not grab the tick by the body, burn it or use alcohol, nail polish or other items to try to get the tick off; doing this will cause the tick to secrete fluids into its host, increasing the chance of spreading a tick-born disease.

Remove ticks as soon as possible — ticks removed in 24 hours or less reduces the chance of getting Lyme disease, the most common disease spread by ticks.

Once the tick is removed wash your hands, disinfect the tweezers and bite site. It is a good idea to make your own tick removal kit including fine point tweezers, and antiseptic.

While disease is rare, any illness usually starts with a rash 3 to 30 days after the bite. The rash appears as a solid red expanding rash or blotch or a central spot surrounded by clear skin that is ringed by a red rash that looks like a bull’s-eye followed by fatigue, achiness and headaches.

Use a tick repellent that contains 20% DEET. Children should have an adult apply any repellent to keep it out of tender eyes, mouths and off hands. Repellents can help protect you from ticks and they work well; wash off the repellents when you return inside for the day.

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Originally Appeared Here

Electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles isolated in 2003 in the United States from human samples (left, mature, oval viruses; right, immature, round viruses). Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner / CDC / AP

Camille Besombes, Institut Pasteur and Arnaud Fontanet, Conservatoire national des arts et metiers (CNAM)

One thousand confirmed cases of monkeypox, a disease originating in Africa, have been recorded since early May across at least 30 non-endemic countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, France, the United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates and Israel. But what is this virus? Who is affected? And should we be worried about the recent surge in cases? In a bid to answer such questions, we caught up with Camille Besombes, a medical doctor specialist in infectious diseases, who has been involved for the past three years in Afripox, a project that aims to gain a better understanding of the virus in its endemic region. She is currently conducting PhD research within the unit headed by the project’s coordinator, Arnaud Fontanet, a leading medical epidemiologist and emerging infectious disease specialist at the Pasteur Institute.

The Conversation: What exactly is the monkeypox virus?

Camille Besombes: Monkeypox is a virus belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus, a family that also includes smallpox. Like smallpox, it is a large DNA virus with a particular appetite for skin tissue. However, smallpox only affected humans, which meant that we were able to eradicate it through worldwide mass vaccination, whereas monkeypox is carried by an animal viral reservoir. And despite its name, the natural reservoir is not actually monkeys.

The term “monkeypox” was coined when the virus was first identified in captive primates (in Denmark back in 1958), but in nature, the virus is most often found in squirrels and other rodents. In 1970, the first human case of monkeypox was documented in a nine-month-old child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid increasing efforts in the campaign to eradicate smallpox.

There are two strains of monkeypox that we know of. The type that affects Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire is the so-called West African strain, with a case-fatality rate between 1 to 3%. This is the one that was detected in the recent cases in Europe. The second is the “Congo Basin” strain, which circulates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Gabon. Both strains are now circulating in Cameroon: recently, cases of infections implying the West African strain – imported from Nigeria – have been reported. Associated with more severe clinical forms, the Congo Basin strain has a case-fatality rate of around 10%.

We must also keep in mind that these figures are taken from countries where medical care is somewhat lacking, particularly in more remote regions. As for Europe, several patients are currently in hospital with the disease, but no death and no severe form of it have been detected on the continent.

TC: What are the symptoms of this disease?

CB: Following a relatively long incubation (usually lasting around 6 to 13 days, and up to 21 days), it presents its first onset symptoms during a two-day period known as the “prodromal” phase. These symptoms may include high fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes (which are a sign that distinguishes it from smallpox), muscle pain, and fatigue. It is at this stage that patients are considered to be contagious.

Monkeypox causes lesions that gradually spread over the infected person’s body. Jean-Marc Zokoe, Fourni par l’auteur

Next, the patient develops a rash, usually starting on the face and gradually spreading over the rest of the body. This rash causes pain and intense itching due to the inflammation that occurs around the skin lesions. In the West African strain, these lesions can be initially rather infrequent and discreet, and may therefore go unnoticed. The disease typically lasts two to four weeks and tends to go away spontaneously in the majority of cases.

The main complications of monkeypox include dehydration due to water loss from numerous and more widespread lesions, secondary bacterial infection of the lesions, sepsis, and corneal or other ocular lesions that may lead to vision loss. On top of these, cases of encephalitis (ed. note: “inflammation of the brain”) have also been documented, most notably in a child during the 2003 US outbreak.

Children are more at risk of developing more severe forms of the disease. Jean-Marc Zokoe, Fourni par l’auteur

Children who have been infected with monkeypox are more likely to experience complications and therefore have a higher fatality rate than adults. It is also assumed that immunocompromised individuals (particularly those who are HIV-positive) have a higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease, but there is not enough data yet to know this for certain. During the 2017-18 Nigerian outbreak, four out of seven people who died from the disease were HIV-positive. Pregnant women could also be affected by less moderate forms and we noted instances of mother-to-child transmission.

Treatment of the disease is largely symptom-based and involves methods like disinfecting the lesions, administering antibiotics in cases of secondary infection, and rehydration. Research is currently being conducted into whether certain antiviral molecules (such as tecovirimat could be effective against monkeypox, but the results are not yet conclusive.

TC: Is this the first time that the virus has spread outside of the African continent? How many cases have been recorded so far, and where?

CB: No, it isn’t the first time. Although the Congo Basin strain has never travelled beyond Africa, the West African strain managed to reach the United States in 2003 by way of imported animals that had been infected. More recently, however, a number of countries have reported several cases brought in by humans.

Back in 2003, number of individuals in the United States caught the virus from infected prairie dogs purchased from pet shops where the animals had been in contact with monkeypox-carrying Gambian pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) imported from Ghana. A total of 47 suspected cases of human infection were recorded, all the result of zoonotic (i.e., animal-to-human) transmission. There were no instances of interhuman transmission. At the time, the US authorities were concerned that the virus might take over a reservoir of local species, but this did not happen.

Then, in September 2017, a more severe outbreak occurred in Nigeria, which had not experienced any monkeypox epidemic in the preceding 39 years. This particular epidemic is still ongoing, sustained by sporadic, regular transmissions that are both zoonotic and interhuman. To date, at least 500 suspected cases have been declared (215 of which have been confirmed). Reassuringly, albeit regrettably, only 8 deaths have been documented in the past 5 years.

However, the Nigerian epidemic had marked a major change in monkeypox epidemiology and should have acted as a warning to us. Whereas the virus had tended to thrive in forest regions with little connection, in 2017, it hit the country’s more urban areas and at a larger scale. This is how it managed to spread more easily beyond the continent, with cases popping up in 2018 in Singapore, Israel, and England, brought back by travellers returning from Nigeria.

In the case of England, a local human-to-human transmission occurred when a British healthcare worker became infected while cleaning a patient’s bed. There was no endemic viral circulation at the time, but more infections emerged in 2021, again linked to travellers coming back from Nigeria and occurring both in the UK and in the United States (where two cases were recorded).

In the UK in 2018, scientists also studied the risk of emergence of an endemic animal reservoir. Species such as the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and domestic mouse (Mus musculus) were thought to be particularly prone to the virus, while other rodents (voles, dormice, other mice) or still hedgehogs were also considered as potential reservoirs.

TC: What is different about the current context?

CB: The situation is very different this time around. We know that the first case of the current epidemic, recorded on 7 May in the UK, was that of an individual travelling back from Nigeria. However, several other UK cases have since been confirmed that are apparently unrelated to one another or to this 7th May case. No instance of foreign travel (to African countries) associated with the infections has yet been proven and the direct chains of transmission have not been identified, suggesting the existence of several chains of transmission and a local circulation of the virus.

As of 6th June, 1,000 cases had been detected in at least 30 different countries, worldwide, with the largest number of cases located in the United Kingdom (287 confirmed), Spain (189 confirmed), Portugal (143 confirmed). French authorities have reported 51 confirmed cases. For now, all of the recorded infections outside of Africa have been mild. Only a few patients have been hospitalised and no death or vital threat has been reported. A non-negligible proportion of cases were reported among HIV+ patients.

That said, these local circulations of the disease are unprecedented. Another new aspect is that the cases have almost exclusively been reported among young males, primarily among homosexual men (in the UK, the authorities emphasised that “currently most cases have been in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men”). Only six suspected and confirmed women were declared in Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, the United States and United Arab Emirates. These last two women were not linked to the European cluster following mass gathering events, but returned from Western Africa, suggesting something is up with the Nigerian epidemic that is exporting the virus.

TC: Why is this new? What are the usual channels of infection?

CB: Monkeypox epidemics most often arise from animal-to-human transmission, although the exact details of how they occur are unclear and it has not yet been possible to isolate the same viral strain in animals and in humans. It may come from direct contact with a living animal when hunting or eating bush meat.

One thing we have noticed from our research in the CAR is that the outbreaks tend to be seasonal. This would suggest a link with certain seasonal activities like the harvesting of edible caterpillars, which involves individuals entering the forest, where they would be more exposed to local wildlife.

Even though scientists have been tracking the viral reservoir since the 1970s, it has, as of yet, only rarely been isolated in wild animals. The first instance was in 1985 in the DRC and involved a species known as a Thomas’s rope squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus), thought to be the reservoir of the virus. The next was that of a sooty mangabey monkey in 1992 (Cercocebus atys) in Cote d’Ivoire. Then, two decades later, the virus was isolated in a Gambian pouched rat and another rodent species (Stochomys longicaudatus), as well as in another rope squirrel (Funisciurus _bayonii) and a shrew (Corcidura litoralis). As things stand, the prime suspects for the viral reservoir are rodents, including squirrels.

The Funisciurus anerythrus squirrel is the suspected reservoir of the monkeypox virus. cherifikoukomon, CC BY-NC

Interestingly, monkeypox was also found in chimpanzee feces in Tai National Park, Cote d’Ivoire, during an outbreak among primates, which implies the possibility of environmental contamination.

Aside from zoonotic transmission, there’s also human-to-human transmission, which occurs as a result of direct and prolonged contact with infected individuals through exposure to bodily fluids or contaminated materials (e.g. clothing, bedding, or surfaces). Such infections most often take place within the home.

Transmission through inhalation of respiratory droplets has also been considered, but this point is difficult to ascertain. Generally speaking, infections take place within the family home, where there is closer human proximity and modes of contact are numerous and diverse. Africa has also seen some cases of hospital-acquired infection.

In a detailed case description of the 2017 Nigerian outbreak, a large proportion of individuals suffered genital infections (68%), suggesting for the first time that the virus could be transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact during sex. Our data also shows that the rate of such infections is very high among cases recorded in the CAR.

Close, intimate contact during intercourse may be behind the new increased frequency in interhuman transmission of monkeypox, a virus that is usually thought to present low transmissibility. This theory is supported by the fact that – at the time of writing – the “non-African” cases of recent weeks have mainly affected young men who have sex with men or who identify as homosexual. It should be noted, though, that such transmissions could also occur during heterosexual intercourse.

Italian researchers have recently detected significant amount of monkeypox virus in the semen of 3 patients. However, the authors stressed that these findings “cannot be considered definitive evidence of infectivity”. The implications for transmission are not clear either.

TC: Should we be worried about this disease becoming widespread? What can we do to prevent this?

CB: For now, we can’t say for certain what will happen. The problem is that the chain of transmission of these new cases has yet to be identified. As indicated by the daily evolution of the virus, and due to its relatively long incubation period, there is a real risk that new infections could emerge within the coming days and weeks, whether in countries that are already affected or elsewhere.

Numerous cases in Spain and Europa appear to be linked to two festivals, one in Belgium between 4 and 9 May and one that took place in the Canary Islands between 5 and 15 May. The latter was attended by 80,000 people, potentially making it a “super-spreading” event.

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, we need to raise awareness among the communities and individuals concerned, and among doctors, so that we can quickly identify each case and trace their contacts. One difficulty facing doctors is that monkeypox lesions resemble those caused by chickenpox and, when they occur on the genitals, they can be mistaken for symptoms of some STIs (like syphilis and herpes). A monkeypox diagnosis can be confirmed by a PCR test and isolation of the virus, but only a few specialist laboratories are equipped for these types of analysis.

Nevertheless, we can find some reassurance in the fact that monkeypox outbreaks resolve spontaneously and relatively quickly. The longest chain of transmission ever identified was carried over seven generations, meaning that seven humans passed on the disease consecutively before transmission ceased.

It is unclear why spreads simply stop like this. One hypothesis is that, until recently, these outbreaks would occur in small villages within restricted communities where some individuals might have already been immune, so the virus would contaminate only those who had never been in contact with it. But the 2003 epidemic in the United States also ended quickly and without any secondary human-to-human infection.

It remains to be seen where this new outbreak will take us.

TC: Could the smallpox vaccine protect against this virus?

CB: We know that a natural infection of smallpox offers cross-protection against monkeypox. In the 1980s, it was shown that the smallpox vaccine could also provide cross-protection at a rate of around 85%. However, these estimates were made just a few years after the mass-vaccination campaign to eradicate smallpox. It is now believed that its efficacy is closer to around 63% against severe disease.

Moreover, smallpox vaccination was suspended in the 1980s once the disease was wiped out. Today, only a handful of healthcare professionals are vaccinated (in case of bioterrorist threats, while the virus is stored under high surveillance at a number of laboratories) and the first generation of the vaccine is no longer used, due to significant side effects.

At present, if ever necessary, the most suitable vaccine for a roll-out would be the “third-generation” version known as Imvamune (or Imvanex or Jynneos). This is an attenuated vaccine that can be administered to immunocompromised people, unlike older vaccines. It has already been given to healthcare professionals and contact cases in Israel, Singapore, and the UK, and its effectiveness is currently being assessed among healthcare professionals in the DRC.

There are also a number of fourth-generation “subunit” vaccines in development. These do not contain the attenuated virus and instead have only fragments of it. They are also being assessed for their effectiveness.

Vaccines can be administered as either a pre-exposure (i.e., before contact with the virus) or a post-exposure treatment. With regards to the latter, US guidelines recommend that it be given preferably within 4 days and up to 14 days after exposure. On 27 May two French individuals received post-exposure vaccination for the first time after a high-risk contact with confirmed cases.

TC: Could we see other variants of monkeypox emerging? Is the genome of the virus currently circulating in Europe identical to the West African strain?

CB: Monkeypox is a DNA virus, which means that it is less likely to mutate than an RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2.

It is actually quite simple to determine whether we are dealing with a West African or Congo Basin strain. We just need to sequence out short sections of its DNA. But given the large size of the viral genome, it takes time and effort to obtain a complete sequence. We need this complete sequence in order to detect differences in sequences more precisely, which would allow us to identify chains of transmission and find out how cases are linked. However, if our experience with SARS-CoV-2 has taught us anything, it’s that a large-scale global effort can be of great help in moving things along.

Phylogenetic tree depicting the ‘family’ relationships between the different strains of monkeypox virus responsible for outbreaks. Nextrain.org

Initial sequencing carried out on samples from a Portuguese and a Belgian patient have shown the genetic proximity of the virus to strains isolated in Nigeria and during the previous out-of-African spread of the virus in 2018, with genomes of the ongoing outbreak being highly similar. This is in favour of a single introduction followed by community spread in Western countries after superspreading events.

More detailed genomic analyses comparing 2022 strains to those of 2018 identified around 40 mutations (fivefold the expected rate of mutations) with a pattern specific of the action of an antiviral enzyme called APOBEC which may reveal the sustained circulation of the virus in a new animal intermediate host, or in humans. This observation, possibly indicating a recent increase in viral circulation in Nigeria, matches the documentation of cases in peri-urban areas of Nigeria like Abuja, together with increased frequencies of overseas exportation of cases.

A recent article hypothesises that Nigerian synanthropic rodent populations (i.e., undomesticated rodents that live in close association with people and benefits from their surroundings) have increased in recent years as a result of land conversion and high urbanisation leading to increased human-rodent contact.

Further sequencing is required to address remaining questions, like genome adaptation toward increased viral transmissibility. But, for the time being, there has been no evidence to suggest this.

In a more exceptional way, what looks like a relapse of the monkeypox disease was reported among one of the 2018 UK patients, with an increased lymphadenopathy, a recurrence of rash and a transient shedding of monkeypox viral DNA following initial complete recovery. This hypothesis requires further study to be exploited.

TC: In 2019, the Institut Pasteur came together with partners in France and the CAR to launch the Afripox project, driven by a goal to increase understanding of the monkeypox virus and its spread. What exactly does the project involve?

CB: Afripox is a cross-disciplinary project that was set up in light of an increasing number of monkeypox outbreaks in the CAR, as reported by Emmanuel Yandoko Nakoune, Director of the Laboratory for Arboviruses, Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Emerging Viruses, and Zoonoses at the Institut Pasteur in Bangui, the country’s capital.

In the past few decades, monkeypox outbreaks have been more numerous and frequent in Africa overall, with the disease also expanding into areas where it was not endemic before. Improved medical monitoring and reduced immunity (following the end of smallpox vaccinations in 1980) are likely to have contributed to this figure, but the phenomenon may also reflect a growing viral circulation in a region of the world currently experiencing major ecological disturbances.

Faced with the many uncertainties surrounding the epidemiology of monkeypox, the idea for this project was to rely on the CAR’s existing national medical monitoring system to develop a One Health approach toward the monkeypox virus, encompassing all its aspects in epidemiology, ecology, zoology, anthropology, and virology.

For instance, through our partnership with researchers from the French National Museum of Natural History, we are attempting to identify its animal reservoir. Meanwhile, along with the SESSTIM team in Marseille, we are exploring the disease’s ecology in order to better understand why it spreads more in forest areas, pinpoint how deforestation affects outbreaks, determine whether or not there is a seasonal aspect, and so on.

Emmanuel Nakoune and Camille Besombes investigating an outbreak of monkeypox in Zomea, Lobaye, CAR. Jean Marc Zokoe, Author provided

In the near future, the Afripox project also hopes to use on-the-ground PCR diagnostic tests that are currently being developed by the Emergency Biological Response Unit (“Cibu”) team at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. For now, suspected case samples are analysed in Bangui, but these tests would allow for reduced diagnosis time and quicker implementation of the appropriate measures.

Lastly, the epidemiological and anthropological aspects of the virus are being explored by the teams at the Institut Pasteur Paris (namely, the Emerging Diseases Epidemiology Unit and the Emerging Diseases Anthropology and Ecology Unit), in collaboration with local researchers. Their goal is to precisely determine the risk factors of zoonotic or interhuman transmission and ascertain why monkeypox has been on the rise since the 1980s.

While it is essential to identify the mechanics of this latest human-to-human epidemic of a relatively new format, it is also vital to understand how monkeypox emerges and circulates in its continent of origin.

When Afripox was launched three years ago, few could have imagined that this disease would one day spread beyond the African continent and across the planet. The current epidemic has highlighted once more the importance of investing in scientific research over the long term, so that we can be better prepared for any and all eventualities.

Translated from the French by Enda Boorman for Fast ForWord.

Camille Besombes, Medecin infectiologue – Epidemiologie – Unite d’epidemiologie des maladies emergentes, Institut Pasteur and Arnaud Fontanet, Medecin, directeur de l’Unite d’epidemiologie des maladies emergentes a l’Institut Pasteur de Paris, professeur de sante publique, Conservatoire national des arts et metiers (CNAM)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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