Day: September 20, 2020

General News

Crimes of humanity

In the photo, you can see Patrick from Virunga National Park.
Until his murder, he was one of the rangers looking after the mountain gorillas.

Next to him sits a gorilla who lost his mother to hunters.

Due to the constant threat from armed groups, the Virunga National Park Rangers even have to complete military-like training.
But there is another danger, oil.

The gorillas sit on oil and the French oil giant TOTAL is producing shit-oil in their area.

There is a lot of oil at stake, namely deals worth billions of dollars and the gorillas in the middle, because Virunga is not spared either. Uganda has given the oil companies in Virunga the green light.

The first oil exploration licenses have been signed by European oil companies.

Despite global protests, Uganda signed an agreement with the French oil company Total on the 1,443-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in September 2020.

Three journalists and six environmental activists were arrested for criticizing the project.

Oil giant TOTAL is planning the world’s largest heated oil pipeline through Uganda and Tanzania and will destroy some of the world’s most important reserves that protect countless elephants, lions, and chimpanzees and displace tens of thousands of families.

Another environmental crime.
Caused by highly criminal elites.

But governments and the media keep us busy with the horror corona statistics so that the process of making stupid can be accelerated, and we get afraid of losing a life that will soon be impossible to living.

Regards and a good night from Venus

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

FAO/OIE/WHO Tripartite statement on the pandemic risk of swine influenza.

😊

FAO/OIE/WHO Tripartite statement on the pandemic risk of swine influenza

15 September 2020

A recent report on the circulation of A(H1N1) subtype influenza viruses in the swine population in China with evidence of zoonotic potential has alerted the world to the pandemic risk associated with swine influenza viruses.

“Although there is limited data assessing human infections and circulation of these viruses in pigs, awareness and vigilance is strongly advised for a number of reasons” says Keith Sumption, Chief Veterinary Officer of the FAO. “The viruses analysed in the recent report from China show characteristics associated with increased ability for zoonotic transmission – the potential ability to infect humans. The viruses have some genetic markers to suggest human infection is possible; they can replicate in human airway cells, and viruses can be spread via respiratory droplets passed between ferrets.”

It is important that new and updated swine influenza surveillance data collected by countries are rapidly analysed and risk-assessed on a global scale to enable tracking how endemic and novel viruses are spreading. With the aim to facilitate and support this, OFFLU (OIE-FAO Network of Expertise on Animal Influenza) advocates timely sharing of swine surveillance data from all regions to ensure that a One Health approach is applied to emerging influenza A viruses and that diagnostic tools are regularly updated to detect a wide range of influenza viruses, including emergent strains.

It is recommended that laboratories continue to conduct tests for swine influenza according to OIE International Standards. Further testing information, protocols, and guidance for surveillance in animals and in humans are given on the OIE, FAO and WHO websites.

A number of countries have reported sporadic human infections with novel influenza viruses including strains of swine-origin, under the WHO International Health Regulations in the past decades. Cases of human infections with swine influenza A viruses from the 1C genetic clade have been reported from Eurasia in recent years.

The viruses analysed in the recent report from China show characteristics associated with increased ability for zoonotic transmission – the potential ability to infect humans. The viruses have some genetic markers to suggest human infection is possible; they can replicate in human airway cells, and viruses can be spread via respiratory droplets passed between ferrets.

Keith Sumption, Chief Veterinary Officer of the FAO

“The timely release of genetic sequence data and sharing of virus isolates of emerging influenza viruses with GISRS (Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System has allowed both public and animal health specialists to rapidly assess associated risks” informs Ann Moen, Chief Influenza Preparedness and Response Unit, WHO. “Such timely action is critical to inform effective mitigation measures and prepare for a potential pandemic.”

Over the past four decades instances of sporadic transmission of influenza viruses between animals and humans have occurred. These sporadic zoonotic infections remind us that the threat of an influenza pandemic is persistent. While avian influenza has been the focus of surveillance and pandemic preparedness, swine influenza should not be neglected. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic was caused by a strain of swine influenza A virus which was introduced into humans and spread worldwide. Since then humans have re-introduced these viruses back into pigs, where they continue to evolve. It is important to identify emerging influenza viruses in swine populations and investigate their potential to infect humans.

The Tripartite contributes to this through supporting the understanding of the complexity and diversity of human-animal interfaces in different regions and significant differences in capacities of animal and human health national surveillance between countries and across geographic regions.

“Influenza in swine is not an OIE listed disease and thus does not require reporting to the OIE by the veterinary authorities. However, due to the pandemic risk associated with animal influenza viruses, there is a need for continued surveillance and risk assessment of emerging strains in swine populations” says Dr Matthew Stone, Deputy Director General (International Standards and Science), OIE.

“Through the international partnership between OIE, FAO, WHO and contributing laboratories, emerging influenza variants, that may be of public or animal health concern, can be identified and flagged for further attention. We continuously monitor changes in circulating influenza virus strains in animal populations worldwide.”

The development of zoonotic influenza A candidate vaccine viruses, coordinated by WHO, remains an essential component of the global strategy for pandemic preparedness. Such readiness is dependent on continued monitoring through surveillance in animals including swine populations and timely reporting of human infections under International Health Regulations. The WHO Collaborating Center at China CDC has previously reported human infections by other 1C A(H1N1) variant viruses, including two recent viruses with a similar 1C.2.3 genotype. A candidate vaccine virus from a similar 1C.2.3. (Eurasian avianlike) A(H1N1) virus has been developed by the WHO Collaborating Center at China CDC, available for development of human vaccines for pandemic preparedness purposes.

Knowledge gained from international One Health cooperation, highlighted in the Tripartite’s Commitment (2017) and WHO Global Influenza Strategy, allows animal and human health experts to conduct timely risk assessment, update diagnostic tests and diagnostic reagents, anticipate vaccine component requirements, and develop response plans for current or future events.

Read more at source   OIE/FAO/W

Regards Mark

General News, Vivisection

Germany: Pigs mutilate as military training

The following scenario is so cruel that it is probably beyond your imagination: Against your will, you are fixed on an operating table, as if for an operation. But in truth, they have to serve as an exercise object. Surgeons stab them to cause severe, bleeding wounds and poke their stomachs.

Then they kill them. – A horror movie? Unfortunately not.

This unimaginable fate is still a cruel reality for pigs in the german military today.

In so-called live tissue training, also known as trauma training, the german military uses live pigs to replace people with war injuries. Even though there are already animal-free methods such as simulation models that depict human anatomy in a lifelike manner.
Mutilating pigs is of no use.

Each year, the German military mutilates live pigs in gruesome and deadly trauma training exercises for surgeons, even though studies confirm the superiority of human-patient simulators and regulators have blocked attempts by the U.S. Army and contractors to conduct this self-described live tissue training (LTT) in Germany.

During LTT, the German armed forces use pigs as stand-ins for troops wounded in combat, and military medical personnel practice surgeries on the live, bleeding animals. Not only is this inhumane, but these animals also have drastically different anatomy and physiology from that of humans, which makes maiming pigs irrelevant to human battlefield medicine.

Globally, LTT is the exception, not the rule.

In 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard, following a PETA eyewitness investigation and extensive discussions with us, ended what the agency’s leader at the time called “abhorrent” trauma training on animals in favor of advanced human-simulation technology.
A landmark study published by PETA and military medical experts in the journal Military Medicine also found that nearly three-quarters of NATO member states don’t use animals in their military medical pieces of training.

As part of a campaign against the abuse of animals in trauma training courses in NATO countries, PETA USA approached the German Armed Forces in 2010.
At that time, our partner organization was informed that the military worked with modern models, not with animals.
But a 2016 publication showed that animals are still being abused.

In 2020, PETA and our German affiliate fired off a letter to Germany’s defense minister calling for an end to all trauma training drills on animals, citing the widespread availability of anatomically accurate human-patient simulators and other realistic non-animal methods that can mimic severe bleeding, breathing difficulty, responses to medication, and even death in humans.

Things have long been different: after campaigns by PETA and its international partner organizations, the Polish military has already confirmed that it will no longer use animals for trauma training.
Poland has thus joined the almost three-quarters of the NATO countries that do not torture or kill animals in military exercises.
So all these countries see themselves in a position to work with modern simulators instead of suffering animals – then the German army can do that too.

Continue reading “Germany: Pigs mutilate as military training” →

General News, Stray Animals

India: September Rescues From ‘Animal Aid Unlimited’ (AAU).

Dear Mark,

Healing is often quicker at home than in the hospital, even when home is in the street. When animals with minor conditions are treated in their own neighborhoods, they usually feel much more calmthan if they are in a new place with strangers. People witness our Street Treatment team and participatemore in their care, and we avoid exposing animals to viruses. In the video below, we show you one of the 40 cases we treat on the street each day. We’re deeply grateful for your help. We couldn’t do it without you.

Healing little Jeelu’s massive wound.

Jeeluwas hiding as many animals do when they are suffering acute pain. Normally cheerful and always charming, this young teenage puppy must have had her skin snagged by a passing vehicle and the wound was so wide that stitching it closed was not an option. She needed several weeks of daily wound care, antibiotics and painkillers, flushing, re-bandaging and rest in order to stabilize.

The final stage of healing could take place outside the hospital.With a kind and caring family in her home neighborhood, we knew it would be safer to return her where human and animal friends would welcome her, and avert the danger of exposure to the viruses other hospital patients can carry.

Checking up on her every week, we watched Jeelu flourish, and you can too.

For small animals with big wounds: Please donate.

Tender-hearted Samson’s neck was wounded ear-to-ear.

Lacerated and infected with bacteria and maggots, themassive wound encircled this little donkey like a hideous necklace of pain. This injury was caused by the friction of a rope bound far too tight. At first the gentle victim was terrified of being touched, but as days turned to weeks in his beautiful healing process, this sweet little guy gained trust.

We’ve named him Samson, after the famous story of Samson’s great strength to right wrongs. Someday with your help animal cruelty will stop.

For all the meek and mild, let your love give strength. Please donate.

Regards Mark