Atlantic Harbor Seal. Courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife.
National 09/05/14 breitbart.com: by William Bigelow – The scientific journal Nature Communications has published the results of a study conducted by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that focused on an avian influenza virus that left harbor seals dead along the New England coast, and their findings indicate that the virus poses a threat to humans. The H3N8 virus that killed the seals was found spreading through ferrets in separate cages by respiratory transmission, which 
is not the usual case with avian flu viruses, so scientists are worried that it could be transmitted through humans in an airborne manner. . . . Avian H3N8 was responsible for a human flu pandemic in the 1880s. There has been no evidence that the 2011 version that killed the seals resulted in human illness, but there is another virus that was transmitted from seals to humans who were in close contact with them. The study’s first author, Erik Karlsson, Ph.D., warned that surveillance of flu viruses in wild and domestic animals needs to be prioritized. . . . In the St. Jude study, two of the three animals that were exposed to H3N8 from respiratory transmission became infected with minimum symptoms. Researchers also wanted to see if humans vaccinated against seasonal flu strains were immune to the H3N8 virus; they were not. The researchers asserted, “The transmissibility of the seal H3N8 virus coupled with the apparent lack of immunity makes this strain a concern.” – For complete article see http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/09/04/Seal-Virus-Threat-to-Humans
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:
Pennsylvania 09/05/14 Dauphin County: Officials have confirmed that a child from the Harrisburg area who recently died contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which is carried by dog ticks. The disease can be severe but is rarely fatal if treatment with antibiotics begins within a few days after symptoms first appear. – For complete article see http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/09/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever_m.html
Bear Attacks:
Washington 09/05/14 columbian.com: by Shari Phiel – When Longview resident Jerry Hause headed out for Monday’s bow hunting opener, he never imagined he would end up in a fight for his life with a black bear. Hause and his son Jeffrey, 26, drove into a remote, wooded area in the upper Abernathy Creek area about eight miles west of Longview in hopes of bagging deer. Hause, 60, has been hunting for decades, but he’s been a bow-hunter for only four. Hause was about to start driving game toward his son, who was waiting in a tree, when the unexpected happened. “I’d already hiked about three miles so I sat down to take a break before I tried to push some (game) back to him. I took my backpack off and sat my bow down and as I was sitting there I started looking around and … I saw a black head which I thought was a bear,” Hause said from his home Thursday. “I’ve hunted this area for 30-plus years and I’ve never seen a bear up there.” Hause said the bear appeared to be a cub and was 80 to 100 yards away. Knowing knew it’s unwise to come between a cub and its mother, he looked for a way to leave the area. “I stood up and in one motion that bear jumped out of the creek it was in and was on level ground with me. And as soon as it was on level ground it was on a dead run after me,” he said. He doesn’t know if the bear was the mother or the same bear he’d thought was a cub. Hause said he knew he wouldn’t be able to pick and aim his bow, and he wasn’t confident he could drop the 250- to 300-pound animal. His only choice, he said, was to climb the tree he had been resting against. “I knew the tree was right there, so I headed up that to get far enough up the tree that the bear couldn’t get me,” Hause said. Hause climbed several feet up into the tree. The bear followed, but Hause said he thought he was out of the bear’s reach until he looked down just as the bear bit into his left leg. “It totally amazes me how fast that bear got on me. In three seconds it was on me,” he said. Hause said the bear also tried to grab him with one of its paws and left claw marks on his leg. He said he realized he couldn’t climb any higher, so he grabbed a branch above him and held on. “I was thinking, ‘If it gets me out of this tree I’m a dead man.’ It was mad, it was growling. It was serious about what it was going to do,” Hause said. Hause pulled himself and kicked out at the bear with his other foot. Having heard on wildlife shows that sharks will sometimes stop an attack after being hit in the nose, Hause aimed for the bear’s nose. The maneuver seemed to work. The bear let go and dropped to the ground and then moved off. After waiting 10 minutes, Hause said he got out of the tree and began hiking back to his truck. Once he got to an area where he could make a call on his cell phone, he alerted his son and called his wife, who came and took him to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center. He was treated and released and is expected to make a full recovery from his puncture and scratch wounds.
Washington Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Bob Weaver said the chances of encountering a bear in the woods, let alone being attacked by one, are very slim. “This is are very rare incident. It’s happened before, but it’s a very rare thing to happen,” Weaver said. Statewide, there are an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 black bears. Weaver didn’t know how many bears there are in the Cowlitz County area. – For complete article see http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/sep/05/bear-attacks-bites-bow-hunter-near-longview/
Follow-Up Report:
(See: MAN and DOG attacked by BLACK BEAR sow in WEST VIRGINIA posted August 29, 2014)
West Virginia 09/04/14 newsplex.com: by James Gilbert – Just a few weeks ago a Staunton man had an encounter with a bear that sent him to the hospital. When we look back at bear attacks, they seem to be more like bear defense. “These are most often not bear attacks at all. In every single one of the cases in which we are aware, there’s been a human with a dog off the leash on public land,” comments Ed Clark, Wildlife center of Virginia president. In this case of a Virginia man being attacked, his dog was off the leash and ran towards some cubs. The owner’s reaction was to ‘rescue’ his dog, and momma bear took a man running at her cubs as a threat. “The dog was described as some kind of hero, well perhaps he did in fact save the owner from more severe injuries, but it was the dog who precipitated the attack in the first place, or more technically it was the human who failed to comply with the law about keeping the dog on a leash,” states Clark, who knows how smart and mostly non-violent black bears are. Dogs must be on a leash at all times on any public land unless otherwise noted. Many dog owners know this. – For complete article and video see http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Bear-Attack-Might-be-More-Than-it-Seems-274024081.html
Tularemia:
Colorado 09/03/14 Boulder County: A child in Longmont and two rodents in Boulder have tested positive for tularemia. – See http://www.timescall.com/longmont-local-news/ci_26464004/boulder-county-sees-first-human-case-rabbit-fever
Colorado 09/05/14 Larimer County: A county resident has been stricken with the third human case of tularemia in the state this year. The victim is thought to have been infected by inhaling the bacteria while mowing tall grass in an area where infected rabbits were previously present. – See http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/2014/09/05/second-human-case-tularemia-confirmed-larimer/15135067/
Colorado 09/06/14 Larimer County: A second resident of the county has been confirmed to have tularemia, a bacteria also known as rabbit fever. Both adults who were treated for tularemia in Larimer County are believed to have been infected while mowing tall grasses in an area frequented by rabbits. – See http://www.reporterherald.com/lifestyles/health/ci_26479036/second-human-tularemia-case-reported-locally
West Nile Virus (WNV):
Florida 09/05/14 FL Dept of Health/Volusia County: Media Release – A suspect human case of WNV illness is under investigation awaiting state lab confirmation. The case involves a 34 year old female. WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent WNV infection. – See http://www.floridahealth.gov/chd/volusia/NewsReleases/2014-wnv-extended.pdf
Mississippi 09/08/14 MS State Dept of Health: Media Release – Officials have confirmed five new human cases of WNV, bringing the state total to 24 cases so far in 2014. The new cases were reported in Forrest (2), Harrison (1), and Hinds (2) counties. So far this year, human WNV cases have been reported in the following counties: Adams (2), Bolivar (1), Covington (1), Forrest (4), Harrison (1), Hinds (6), Lauderdale (1), Madison (1), Newton (1), Rankin (4), Yazoo (1), and Wilkinson (1). Three WNV deaths have occurred, in Forrest, Madison, and Yazoo counties. – See http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/23,15578,341.html
Nebraska 09/03/14 Two Rivers Public Health Dept: Media Release – Three cases of the more severe form of WNV have been confirmed within the department’s jurisdiction during the last two weeks. All of the victims have been hospitalized. – See http://www.trphd.org/Resources/PressReleases/ArticleDisplay/tabid/68/ArticleId/404/Protect-Yourself-from-West-Nile-Virus-during-Fall-Activities.aspx
Rabies:
New Jersey 09/08/14 Middlesex County: A groundhog that appeared to be sick was found Sept. 4th in a vacant field in the vicinity of Cortland Street and Hall Avenue in Perth Amboy. Officials confirmed today that the animal tested positive for rabies. One person was potentially exposed to the virus. – See http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/09/rabid_groundhog_found_in_perth_amboy.html
North Dakota 09/05/14 Ward County: A kitten that was part of a litter of six sold at Amy’s Pet Parade in Minot has tested positive for rabies. The litter was anonymously dropped off at the pet shop and the last kitten was sold this week. Officials are urging anyone exposed to the kittens since August 22nd should seek immediate medical advice. – See http://www.kentucky.com/2014/09/05/3414061_kitten-purchased-in-nd-tests-positive.html?rh=1