Vatican investigates 2 cases of child porn possession

Saturday, January 31, 2015 | 4:54 PM    

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican investigated two cases of child pornography possession in the past year, officials said Saturday.

The chief prosecutor of the Vatican city state’s criminal tribunal, Gian Piero Milano, cited the two cases in a speech summarising the tribunal’s work in 2014.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said one of the cases concerned the Vatican’s former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski.

The Polish-born Wesolowski was recalled from his post in 2013 following accusations that he had sexually abused young boys. Wesolowski has been defrocked and placed under modified house arrest inside Vatican City pending a decision by the Vatican court on whether to indict him.

Neither Lombardi nor Milano identified the second child pornography possession suspect.

In his speech, Milano referred to a separate case involving another Polish prelate who was convicted by the Vatican tribunal of fraud. Lombardi confirmed that the prelate was Monsignor Bronislaw Morawiec, an administrator at St Mary Major Basilica, a Rome church where Pope Francis sometimes prays.

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Vatican investigates 2 cases of child porn possession

Health minister says Chik-V cases will spike

Sunday, September 28, 2014 | 7:01 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – It will get worse.

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has said in a national address tonight that Chikungunya cases are expected to spike before the spread of the virus eventually peters out.

“It is important to note that the expectation is for Chikungunya cases to spike and then trend down as persons begin to build immunity to this new disease,” Ferguson said.

He said the spread of the virus was expected and that it was “normal” for new diseases.

This is Ferguson’s first address to the nation since the virus hit Jamaican shores earlier this year. The address comes amid criticism of the Government’s handling of the outbreak.

Chik-V was first reported in the Caribbean last year December.

Last week, Dr Kevin Harvey, the acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, told OBSERVER ONLINE that between 38 per cent and 68 per cent of the population will be infected with the virus.

In his address, Ferguson called on employers to be “compassionate” toward affected employees.

“We are aware of the impact this is having on productivity and attendance at school and work and ask employers to be compassionate and assist their staff through this difficult period,” said the minister, who noted that Jamaica had been preparing for the introduction of Chik-V for “over two years”.

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Health minister says Chik-V cases will spike

Enterovirus 68 probed in paralysis cases of 9 kids

NEW YORK –  Health officials are investigating nine cases of muscle weakness or paralysis in Colorado children and whether the culprit might be a virus causing severe respiratory illness across the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday sent doctors an alert about the polio-like cases and said the germ — enterovirus 68 — was detected in four out of eight of the sick children who had a certain medical test. The status of the ninth case is unclear.

The virus can cause paralysis but other germs can, too. Health officials don’t know whether the virus caused any of the children’s arm and leg weaknesses or whether it’s just a germ they coincidentally picked up.

“That’s why we want more information,” and for doctors to report similar cases, said the CDC’s Dr. Jane Seward.

The cases occurred within the last two months. All nine children are being treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, and most are from the Denver area. A hospital spokeswoman said the patients’ families didn’t want to talk to the media.

The nine children had fever and respiratory illness about two weeks before developing varying degrees of limb weakness. None seems to have a weak immune system or other conditions that might predispose them to severe illness, but the cases are still being investigated, Seward said. Investigators don’t think it’s polio — eight of the nine children are up to date on polio vaccinations. It’s not known whether the limb weakness or paralysis is temporary or will be long-lasting.

The cases come amid an unusual wave of severe respiratory illness from enterovirus 68. The germ is not new — it was first identified in 1962 and has caused clusters of illness before, including in Georgia and Pennsylvania in 2009 and Arizona in 2010. Because it’s not routinely tested for, it’s possible the bug spread in previous years but was never distinguished from colds caused by other germs.

This year, the virus has gotten more attention because it has been linked to hundreds of severe illnesses. Beginning last month, a flood of sick children began to hit hospitals in Kansas City, Missouri, and Chicago — kids with trouble breathing, some needing oxygen or more extreme care such as a breathing machine. Many — but not all — had asthma before the infection.

The CDC has been testing a limited number of specimens from very sick children around the country, and as of Thursday reported 277 people in 40 states and the District of Columbia with enterovirus 68. So far no deaths have been attributed to the virus, but Seward said 15 still are being investigated.

Health officials know enterovirus can cause paralysis. Published reports count at least two people in the U.S. who were paralyzed and were found to have the virus in their spinal fluid. One was a New Hampshire 5-year-old in 2008; details are scant on the second case, a young adult, which happened many years earlier.

Earlier this year, Stanford University researchers said they had identified polio-like illnesses in about 20 California children over about 18 months. Two tested positive for enterovirus 68. CDC officials say it’s still not clear if the virus was a factor in those cases.

Paralysis is a rare complication of enterovirus 68 infection, but with so many more cases of enterovirus being reported this year, it may not be surprising to see that problem, said Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The CDC is asking doctors to report patients 21 or younger who developed limb weakness since August 1 and who have had an MRI exam that showed abnormalities in the nerve tissue in the spinal cord.

Seward said a test that showed the germ in a patient’s spinal fluid would be good evidence that the virus was causing paralysis. Unfortunately, lab tests of spinal fluid often fail to identify bugs like enterovirus 68, even if they’re present, she added.

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Enterovirus 68 probed in paralysis cases of 9 kids

Virus probed in paralysis cases of 9 Colorado kids

NEW YORK –  Health officials are investigating nine cases of muscle weakness or paralysis in Colorado children and whether the culprit might be a virus causing severe respiratory illness across the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday sent doctors an alert about the polio-like cases and said the germ — enterovirus 68 — was detected in four out of eight of the sick children who had a certain medical test. The status of the ninth case is unclear.

The virus can cause paralysis but other germs can, too. Health officials don’t know whether the virus caused any of the children’s arm and leg weaknesses or whether it’s just a germ they coincidentally picked up.

“That’s why we want more information,” and for doctors to report similar cases, said the CDC’s Dr. Jane Seward.

The cases occurred within the last two months. All nine children are being treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, and most are from the Denver area. A hospital spokeswoman said the patients’ families didn’t want to talk to the media.

The nine children had fever and respiratory illness about two weeks before developing varying degrees of limb weakness. None seems to have a weak immune system or other conditions that might predispose them to severe illness, but the cases are still being investigated, Seward said. Investigators don’t think it’s polio — eight of the nine children are up to date on polio vaccinations. It’s not known whether the limb weakness or paralysis is temporary or will be long-lasting.

The cases come amid an unusual wave of severe respiratory illness from enterovirus 68. The germ is not new — it was first identified in 1962 and has caused clusters of illness before, including in Georgia and Pennsylvania in 2009 and Arizona in 2010. Because it’s not routinely tested for, it’s possible the bug spread in previous years but was never distinguished from colds caused by other germs.

This year, the virus has gotten more attention because it has been linked to hundreds of severe illnesses. Beginning last month, a flood of sick children began to hit hospitals in Kansas City, Missouri, and Chicago — kids with trouble breathing, some needing oxygen or more extreme care such as a breathing machine. Many — but not all — had asthma before the infection.

The CDC has been testing a limited number of specimens from very sick children around the country, and as of Thursday reported 277 people in 40 states and the District of Columbia with enterovirus 68. So far no deaths have been attributed to the virus, but Seward said 15 still are being investigated.

Health officials know enterovirus can cause paralysis. Published reports count at least two people in the U.S. who were paralyzed and were found to have the virus in their spinal fluid. One was a New Hampshire 5-year-old in 2008; details are scant on the second case, a young adult, which happened many years earlier.

Earlier this year, Stanford University researchers said they had identified polio-like illnesses in about 20 California children over about 18 months. Two tested positive for enterovirus 68. CDC officials say it’s still not clear if the virus was a factor in those cases.

Paralysis is a rare complication of enterovirus 68 infection, but with so many more cases of enterovirus being reported this year, it may not be surprising to see that problem, said Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The CDC is asking doctors to report patients 21 or younger who developed limb weakness since August 1 and who have had an MRI exam that showed abnormalities in the nerve tissue in the spinal cord.

Seward said a test that showed the germ in a patient’s spinal fluid would be good evidence that the virus was causing paralysis. Unfortunately, lab tests of spinal fluid often fail to identify bugs like enterovirus 68, even if they’re present, she added.

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Virus probed in paralysis cases of 9 Colorado kids

No cases of Ebola in the Caribbean according to CARPHA

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Thursday September 11, 2014, CMC – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) while there has not been any case of the deadly Ebola visa in the Caribbean, the region should not rest on its laurels.

“The overall risk assessment remains low risk for the Caribbean region. Be that as it may this is not a time for complacency because of the consequence of an imported case…will be serious for the health of our residents and for the tourism industry in the Caribbean,” said CARPHA executive director Dr. James Hospedales.

Dr. Hospedales told a regional news conference that while the virus for which there is no vaccine is confined mainly to Central and South Africa, his organisation is continuing to monitor the situation and advising member states “to continue their efforts to attain a high level of preparedness for a possible, though unlikely introduction of case to a CARPHA member state”.

He said that this low level of risk “may change as the satiations changes and new information becomes available”.

Dr. Hospdales said that while the risk level remains low “it is important that each member state takes the opportunity to ensure that several mechanisms are in place to mitigate the potential impact of its arrival”.

He said these measures are included in the international health regulations (IAHR) that came into force in 2005 and include appropriate communication messages to be disseminated to the general population, to travellers and to health workers ensuring that people know how to reduce their risks.

“This is key, we will have other problems beyond Ebola in the future, achieving compliance with the international health regulations is the way to be able to be prepared,” he said.

Dr. Hospedales said that while the Trinidad-based organisation will not be able to carry out tests to determine whether a person had contracted the deadly virus, international arrangements have been made with the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the Public Health agency in Canada for such testing.

He said CARPHA is also bolstering regional preparedness by establishing an incident management team here “to facilitate coordination of the regional response.

“We have executed several video and teleconferences with chief medical officers, epidemiologists and laboratory directors… providing answers to questions and queries alongside PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) and the US Centre for Disease Control.

“PAHO will maintain the efforts to keep the Caribbean public apprised of the developments in this area as they unfold and will continue our efforts in facilitating the development of our regional preparedness for the threat of the Ebola virus disease,” he said.

Meanwhile, CARPHA’s Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division, Dr Babatunde Olowokure told reporters that while there has also been no report of the West Nile virus in the Caribbean, it is a “potential threat to the region.

“It is another disease which we have to be aware of and which we should be prepared to deal with. It is a mosquito borne disease,” he said.

Dr. Olowokure said CARPHA is in the process of preparing a regional health security plan “and within that we will be encouraging member states with regards to preparedness for what we would term all hazards.

“This would include mosquito borne viruses, dengue and chikungunya have been mentioned here, there are number of others as well and so within that, yes you will include West Nile fever as one of those that CARPHA member states should be prepared to deal with,” he told reporters.

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No cases of Ebola in the Caribbean according to CARPHA

One-third of Alzheimers’ cases preventable, says research

CAMBRIDGE, England, Thursday July 24, 2014 – With cases of Alzheimer’s disease on the rise in the Caribbean and elsewhere, research from Britain’s Cambridge University indicating that one-in-three cases of the illness worldwide is preventable is welcome news.

In a study published in The Lancet Neurology, the Cambridge team analysed population-based data to determine the seven main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and concluded they are: diabetes; mid-life hypertension; mid-life obesity; physical inactivity; depression; smoking, and low educational attainment.

The researchers worked out that one-third of Alzheimer’s cases could be linked to lifestyle practices that could easily be changed, such as lack of exercise and smoking.

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They then looked at how reducing these practices could affect the number of future Alzheimer’s cases.

Their findings showed that by reducing each risk factor by 10 percent, nearly nine million cases of the disease could be prevented by 2050.

Current estimates suggest that more than 106 million people worldwide will be living with Alzheimer’s by 2050, a staggering figure representing more than three times the number affected just four years ago.

According to Professor Carol Brayne, from the Institute of Public Health at Cambridge University: “Although there is no single way to treat dementia, we may be able to take steps to reduce our risk of developing dementia at older ages.

“We know what many of these factors are, and that they are often linked.

“Simply tackling physical inactivity, for example, will reduce levels of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, and prevent some people from developing dementia.

“As well as being healthier in old age in general, it’s a win-win situation,” the professor added.

Out of the seven main risk factors, the largest proportion of cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States, Britain, and the rest of Europe can be attributed to physical inactivity.

About a third of the adult population in these countries is physically inactive, according to the study.

Lack of exercise is also implicated in increased risks of other serious health issues including cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

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One-third of Alzheimers’ cases preventable, says research

Nevis confirms first two cases of Chikungunya disease

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, Monday July 7, 2014 (NIA) – The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) informed the Ministry of Health, Nevis, of two laboratory confirmed cases of Chikungunya fever on the island. These are the first laboratory confirmed cases of Chikungunya fever for the island of Nevis. Both patients have recovered fully.

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease which is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes infected with the virus. Both of these mosquitoes are present in St. Kitts and Nevis and are the same vectors which spread dengue fever from human to human.

Chikungunya fever affects all age groups and both genders. The disease is characterized by the abrupt onset of high fever frequently accompanied by severe joint pains 3 – 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Infected persons may also complain of one or more of the following: back pain, headache, muscle pain, rash, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. These symptoms typically last 3 -10 days. Deaths from Chickungunya fever are rare.

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There is no known cure for the disease and treatment is directed at relieving the symptoms. Paracetamol may be used to relieve fever and Ibuprofen to relieve joint pains. Aspirin should be avoided especially in children. Persons infected are also advised to get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Recovery from an infection will confer lifelong immunity.

Prevention efforts are the same as those for dengue fever. The Ministry of Health strongly urges members of the public to destroy mosquito breeding sites in and around households such as pots, pans, tyres, coconut shells, flower vases, water storage containers that are improperly covered and any other receptacle that can hold standing water for more than several days. We are now in the rainy season which provides excellent conditions for mosquito breeding so enhanced vigilance is necessary.

The Environmental Health Department will continue to carry out mosquito reduction plans. Vector Control and Environmental Health Officers will continue visiting premises to identify and destroy mosquito breeding sites and to educate households. However, the cooperation of residents is absolutely essential for the success of prevention activities.

Aedes mosquitoes live in and around households and bite mainly during the daytime. Persons are encouraged to apply topical mosquito repellent containing DEET, IR3535 or icaridin at all times and also to sleep under mosquito nets during the day and night for additional protection.

Persons who are potentially infected are advised to rest beneath mosquito nets to avoid mosquito bites and spread of the infection to others. For further information on Chikungunya please contact your nearest health centre.

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Nevis confirms first two cases of Chikungunya disease

St. Lucia bracing for more Chikungunya cases

Health officials say they will launch a major new vector eradication campaign, in light of an increase in chikungunya cases on the island

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Merlin Frederick says while there have been five confirmed cases of the virus,health authorities are bracing for an increase in the number of cases.

The campaign will be preceded by a stakeholders meeting on May 13, at which representatives of the Ministry of Heath, the St Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority, the St Lucia Air and Seaports Authority and non-government organizations will fine tune the plan.

Chikungunya first made itself known in the Caribbean last December, when it showed up on St. Martin. More than 4,108 cases have been reported in 14 countries across the Caribbean as of the end of April.

Chikungunya has been confirmed in Anguilla, Aruba, Virgin Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republican, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barthelemy, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in Dutch and French St. Martin.  

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St. Lucia bracing for more Chikungunya cases

Police seek witnesses in court cases

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating five witnesses in cases currently before the courts.

Robert Williams, whose last known address is Walker’s Avenue in Gregory Park, St Catherine is being sought for a matter to be called up in the Home Circuit Court Thursday, July 11.Meanwhile, the Spanish Town Police are seeking Sheena Parker of Point Hill, St Catherine regarding a case to be heard on Thursday, September 19 before the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court.Jacqueline Hinds and Karl Hinds of Orange Street, Brown’s Town in St Ann are sought in a case scheduled for Friday, October 25, also before the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court.And Camille Clarke, of Crofts Hill, St Catherine is being sought by the Linstead police regarding a case to be heard on Monday, July 29 before the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court.Anyone knowing the whereabouts of these people is being asked to contact the Spanish Town Police at 984-2305, the Linstead Police at 985-2285, Police 119 emergency number or the nearest police station.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Police seek witnesses in court cases