Recombinomics Commentary 03:05July 28, 2008
"China reported that approximately 20 days ago, a man suddenly died from an unidentified disease in Wanjiakou Village, Xiaoguan Town, Wendeng City, Shandong
Province. His entire body turned dark purple, and he bled from his mouth, nostrils, ears, and eyes just as he died. Shortly after the man died, 2 other men who been in contact with him, died showing the same symptoms. Villagers who had left the village to work said "3 people died 10 days ago. 6 or 7 more are being treated in the Wendeng Central Hospital. People have been to the area to investigate, but they are unable to classify the disease."
CDC: More Americans HIV-positive than previously believed
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- There are more new cases of Americans infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, than previously believed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.
About 56,000 people became infected with HIV in the past year, which translates to about 40 percent more cases than officials had estimated, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.
Previous CDC estimates suggested about 40,000 new people were infected each year. But those estimates used "limited data and less precise methods," said the center, which is now using technology capable of determining when someone was infected.
The new method can indicate whether someone has been infected with HIV during the previous five months, rather than relying on statistical models. Diagnosis of HIV can occur years after infection, he said.
"The fact that 56,000 Americans each year are contracting HIV for the first time is a wake-up call for all of us in the U.S.," Fenton said.
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Storm downs trees, shatters windows
A series of storms packing 75 mph winds and tennis-ball -sized hail shattered windows, damaged houses and snapped trees like toothpicks across North Dakota Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning.
A cold front moving east across the western part of the state collided with a warm front moving north from South Dakota, and the collision spawned the series of storms that battered the state, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Abeling.
Chaos: Storm wreaks havoc on East Texas
A storm that rolled through East Texas Sunday afternoon brought along chaos in addition to heavy rain, thunder and lightning, sending area police and fire departments scrambling to provide assistance.
Firefighters from several local departments responded Sunday afternoon to a report of an oil well explosion in the Moffett community. A Hazmat team had also been dispatched to the scene.
Firefighters battle an oil well explosion in Moffett on Sunday afternoon. Several area fire departments responded to the fire that was sparked by lightning from Sunday?s
thunderstorm. Firefighters said they think the fire started when lightning struck the wells, sparking what Steve Lumbley, Moffett fire chief, called a "very dangerous situation."
The two roughly 5,000-gallon tanks boasted towering flames that sent a dark smoke cloud drifting high over the area.
"If one of these wells splits a seam, we'll have burning oil cover the area like a volcano," Lumbley said.
Ill wind: Freak tornado kills three in French town
The bodies of a man and a woman were pulled from the wreckage of their home yesterday, after a tornado tore through northern France, ripping off roofs, overturning cars and destroying dozens of houses.
The couple were believed to be the deputy mayor of Hautmont, which was at the epicentre of the tornado near the Belgian border, and his wife.
Earlier the body of an elderly woman was also discovered. She was thought to have died when her home collapsed on top of her. Thirteen other people were injured.
Violent storms spawn tornadoes in Chicago area
CHICAGO (AP) — Crews began cleaning up downed trees and restoring power across northern Illinois on Tuesday after a line of powerful storms ripped through the area, spawning at least two tornadoes.
The National Weather Service confirmed that tornadoes touched down in the Chicago suburbs of Bloomingdale and Bolingbrook late Monday. A third tornado touched down in Griffith, Ind.
A tornado and other high winds damaged 25 homes, including two left uninhabitable when winds ripped off parts of roofs, said Bolingbrook Assistant Fire Chief Robert Mierop. No one was injured.
Strong winds also damaged buildings and flooded streets across the northern part of the state late Monday, and lightning is being blamed for several fires.
Another line of thunderstorms left tens of thousands without power early Tuesday in north-central Illinois.
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Southern California Hot Spot Hits 812 Degrees, Baffles Experts
Scientists puzzle over source of county hot spots
Ventura County hot spot puzzles experts
A patch of land in Ventura County's section of Los Padres National Forest where the ground recently heated up to 812 degrees continues to puzzle firefighters and geologists after weeks of monitoring."It's a thermal anomaly," said Ron Oatman, spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Firefighters responded to reports of a blaze there a month and a half ago, when observers noticed smoke rising from the parched scrub. But when they arrived, they found no flames.
Firefighters and geologists who have surveyed the area in the Sespe Oil Field are uncertain what's causing the heat, but they do have a theory.
Allen King, a retired geologist with the U.S. Forest Service who went to the site Friday, said the smoking ground is "a normal occurrence" that does not appear to be the result of human activity.
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