t has been quite a week for geopolitics: first the BRICs openly defied the legacy developed world system with the formation of a BRIC bank and the creation of a $100 billion currency reserve, promptly followed by the latest and most severe round of US sanctions against Russia, followed even more promptly by the tragic disaster of flight MH 17 which sadly will turn out to be nothing but yet another provocative attempt to unleash war and change the Russia-European energy balance of power, masked by public fury at the death of several hundred innocent bystanders. And speaking of innocent bystander deaths, nothing tops Israels decision to roll out the tanks into Gaza just hours following the Ukraine tragedy, and sending the death count on the Gaza side soaring and well into the 300s. All in all - a very disturbing week, which however nobody who was looking at the S&P 500 would realize. It has also been a very busy week for viral epidemiologists, who have been following the ongoing Ebola epidemic in West Afrca, which has claimed over 600 lives by now and has become the worst Ebola breakout in history, with anxiety and dread. But what may soon be even bigger news is what we reported a week ago, namely that a Colorado man is infected with the rarest and most fatal form of the pneumonic plague, an airborne version that can be spread through coughing and sneezing. Shocked by this development, the state was working to investigate the source of exposure and to identify those who may have been exposed through close contact with the individual, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in its statement. “Any individuals exposed will be recommended for antibiotic treatment. Alas, that may be futile, because while untreated plague is fatal, antibiotics have to be given within 24 hours of the first symptoms to reduce the chance of death. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache and chest pain, along with a pneumonia that develops rapidly causing shortness of breath, chest pain and bloody mucus, according to the CDC. Since there is no vaccine available for plague in the US, one can understand why the authorities are doing their best to prevent a panic: Colorado officials recommended that residents keep pets away from wildlife, especially dead rodents. The plague can spread from animals after a large die-off of prairie dogs, when fleas with the bacteria seek new hosts, according to the state. The message we’re trying to get out is that the plague bacteria is present here in Colorado, and to take necessary precautions to avoid getting infected. Alas, the message appears to not have gotten out in time. According to Bloomberg, things in Colorado are about to get worse as three more plague cases have been found in Colorado, a week after the first infection of the deadliest form of the disease was reported in the state in a decade. zerohedge/news/2014-07-19/three-more-cases-most-deadly-form-plague-found-colorado
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 13:13:19 +0000
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