The USA Disaster Situation Report
The Daily USA Disaster Situation Report
For November 30, 2000
Christopher Effgen, Editor, host{at}disastercenter.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
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=> USA Daily Temperature Extremes
=> Special Notes
=> Current Tropical Weather Outlook
=> Current Active National Weather Service Warnings:
=> Severe Weather Probability Forecast
=> Precipitation Forecast, Excessive Rainfall, Heavy Snow And/Or Significant
Icing Forecast
=> USA Flood Report
=> USA Fire Report and Forecast
=> USA Earthquake Report
=> Yesterday's USA Severe Weather Reports
=> Guest Column-
=> Sponsored by the SandbaggerTM
**** ARTICLES ****
=> Article National Drought Summary -- November 28, 2000
=> Article WWII Marine Raiders Identified, Returning Home
=> Article Live Recombinant Vaccine Protects Against Fungal Disease
=> Article Novel Vaccine Protects Monkeys From Ebola Infection
=> Article Agencies announce release of Missouri River Biological Opinion
=> Classified Ads
=> Links Area
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
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The Daily USA Disaster Situation Report
For November 30, 2000
Christopher Effgen, Editor, host{at}disastercenter.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> USA Daily Temperature Extremes
=> Special Notes
=> Current Tropical Weather Outlook For The North Atlantic Caribbean Sea
And
The Gulf Of Mexico
Today marks the end of the official hurricane season for the year
2000. The last tropical weather outlook will be issued at 1030 PM
tonight and outlooks will resume on 1 June 2001.
The area of cloudiness and thunderstorms with locally gusty winds
that crossed the Lesser Antilles yesterday is now approaching the
central Caribbean Sea. This activity is forecast to continue west
or west-northwestward and further development is not anticipated.
=> Current Active National Weather Service Warnings:
Active Warnings:
Updated Thu Nov 30 11:08:35 2000
Non Precipitation
Kansas
VERY WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TRI STATE
REGION TODAY
Nebraska
VERY WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TRI STATE
REGION TODAY
Wyoming
HIGH WIND WARNING FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING TODAY...
...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING FOR THIS MORNING...
...WIND ADVISORY FOR THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE FOR TODAY...
Winter Storm
Colorado
...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH NOON TODAY
FOR THE FLATTOPS...ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST
COLORADO... SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE NORTH
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO THROUGH NOON TODAY
Iowa
.A COMPACT AND VIGOROUS DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OUT OF THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS MORNING...AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS
TONIGHT.
Maryland
GARRETT MD-...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 700 PM EST THURSDAY...
Minnesota
.A COMPACT AND VIGOROUS DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OUT OF THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS MORNING...AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS
TONIGHT.
Montana
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN MONTANA WILL
CONTINUE TO SPREAD LIGHT SNOW AND STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE REGION
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
North Dakota
A SNOW ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA TODAY
AND THIS EVENING...
Pennsylvania
FAYETTE PA-WESTMORELAND PA- WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 700 PM
EST THURSDAY...
South Dakota
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE FROM
CENTRAL WYOMING TO NORTHERN NEBRASKA. MOISTURE WRAPPING INTO
THE SYSTEM WILL CAUSE MODERATE SNOW TO FALL ACROSS PARTS OF THE
BLACK HILLS AND NORTHWEST SOUTH DAKOTA THROUGH THIS EVENING.
Washington
Oregon
SNOW ADVISORY ENDED FOR THE SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES AND THE
NORTH OREGON CASCADES NORTH OF MOUNT JEFFERSON
West Virginia
PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-..WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 700 PM EST
THURSDAY
Wyoming
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE FROM
CENTRAL WYOMING TO NORTHERN NEBRASKA. MOISTURE WRAPPING INTO
THE SYSTEM WILL CAUSE MODERATE SNOW TO FALL ACROSS PARTS OF THE
BLACK HILLS AND NORTHWEST SOUTH DAKOTA THROUGH THIS EVENING.
=> Severe Weather Probability Forecast
The forecast probability of an event is by the stated percentage or greater
for the event, within 25 miles of any point for the area described.
Tornado Risk - Slight
There is less than a 2% probability of a tornado.
Hail Risk - Slight
There is less than a 5% probability of hail 3/4 inch or larger.
Wind Risk - Slight
There is less than a 5% probability of winds in excess of 50 knots.
Tomorrow's Risk -
There is less than a 5% probability of any severe weather tomorrow.
=> Precipitation Forecast, Excessive Rainfall, Heavy Snow And/Or
Significant
Icing Forecast
Precipitation Forecast
The 24 hour precipitation forecast is calling for over 1 inch of rainfall
over northwest Washington.
The 24 - 48 hour precipitation forecast is calling for over 1 inch of
rainfall over portions of western
Washington and northwest Oregon.
Excessive Rainfall Forecast
Rainfall is not expected to exceed flash flood values.
USA heavy snow and/or significant icing
The probability of heavy snow is low over central to south southeast North
Dakota, the northeast
1/3 of South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, north northwest Iowa, and the
central north portion of
Michigan's northern peninsula.
The probability of significant icing is less than 20 percent.
Tomorrow the probability of heavy snow is low over Iowa except the far
northwest and far
southwestern areas, the north northwestern 1/3 of Illinois, far south
southwestern Wisconsin, and far
east central Michigan.
The probability of significant icing is less than 20 percent.
=> USA Flood Report
NATIONAL HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
08:00 AM EST THUR NOV 30 2000
FLOOD SUMMARY
SOME SOUTHERN FLOODING
MOSTLY MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING ON A FEW RIVERS IN TEXAS,
ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA
FLASH FLOODING:
THERE WAS NO FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD AND/OR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
FLOOD ADVISORIES ISSUED DURING THE PAST DAY.
RIVER FLOODING:
RIVERS AND STREAMS WITH LOCATIONS EITHER ABOVE FLOOD STAGE OR
EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE INCLUDE (IN ALPHABETICAL
ORDER, BY STATE):
ARKANSAS: THE CACHE AND OUACHITA RIVERS
ILLINOIS: THE LITTLE WABASH RIVER
LOUISIANA: THE CALCASIEU RIVER, BAYOU DORCHEAT
MISSISSIPPI: THE UPPER BIG BLACK AND BIG SUNFLOWER RIVERS
TEXAS: THE GUADALUPE AND SULPHUR RIVERS, ATTOYAC AND BLACK
CYPRESS BAYOUS, WHITE OAK CREEK
=> USA Fire Report and Forecast
The USA Fire Report and Forecast is not current.
=> USA Earthquake Report
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION CENTER
GOLDEN, COLORADO
LISTS OF U.S. EARTHQUAKES IN THE LAST 30 HOURS
Prepared by USGS/NEIC 2000 NOV 30 at 00:15 UTC
EARTHQUAKES IN SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
(29.0 TO 35.8 N, 102.0 TO 125.0 W)
Date Time (UTC) Lat Long Depth Magnitude
2000 NOV 29 15:38:27.00 34.7 N 117.2 W 7 km 2.8
10 miles NNE of Victorville, California
EARTHQUAKES IN NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
(40.3 TO 50.0 N, 102.0 TO 125.0 W)
Date Time (UTC) Lat Long Depth Magnitude
2000 NOV 29 08:49:42.00 40.5 N 119.5 W 6 km 3.1
15 miles SW of Gerlach, Nevada
EARTHQUAKES IN STATE OF ALASKA
Date Time (UTC) Lat Long Depth Magnitude
2000 NOV 29 10:35:46.00 63.9 N 150.3 W 10 km 5.7
55 miles NW of Cantwell, Alaska
Magnitude 3.5 -- 26 mi. SSE of Calexico, CA
=> Yesterday's USA Severe Weather Reports
Note: All data is considered preliminary
Tornado Reports
No reports received
Hail Reports
No reports received
Wind Reports
No reports received
Fields marked UNK are unknown
All Times UTC
Wind Gusts in MPH
Hail Sizes in 1/100 of an Inch (75 = 0.75")
=> Guest Column
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**** ARTICLES ****
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=> National Drought Summary -- November 28, 2000
The South: Heavy rain further eased long-term drought across the South. More
than 2 inches of rain
soaked areas from southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas to western
Alabama, while at least 4
inches fell from northeastern Texas to northwestern Mississippi. The rain
eliminated an area of
extreme drought (D3) from southeastern Mississippi to west-central Georgia,
leaving the region with
severe drought (D2). A pocket of extreme drought (D3) persisted, however, in
the southern
Appalachians. Significant rainfall also returned to the southern Atlantic
region, although much of
Florida's peninsula remained very dry, with a large area of extreme drought
(D3) continuing across
central areas. November 1-28 rainfall in southern Florida was as low as a
trace in Ft. Myers and
0.64 inch in Ft. Lauderdale. In contrast, month-to-date rainfall reached
14.24 inches in Galveston,
Texas, and 11.16 inches in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Louisiana, New Orleans'
total of 11.72 inches
represented its fifth-highest November total and wettest November since
15.27 inches fell in 1992.
The Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic Region: Despite recent rainfall,
agricultural effects of dryness (D0)
were still being felt as far north as the Mid-Atlantic region, where
Virginia's topsoil moisture
remained 38 percent very short to short as of November 26 and producers were
concerned that
late-emerging winter wheat could be damaged by cold weather, according to
USDA's National
Agricultural Statistics Service. An area of abnormal dryness (D0) was also
expanded northward to
encompass portions of the middle Ohio Valley and the central Appalachians,
where significant rain
last fell in late September or early October. Streamflows are beginning to
reflect the dryness in West
Virginia, eastern Ohio, and southwestern Pennsylvania, areas that in some
cases never completely
recovered from moisture deficits that developed during the region's major
drought of 1998-99.
The Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes Region: Another cool, mostly dry week
brought little change
to the overall drought picture. The exception to the dry pattern was near
the Great Lakes, where the
lake-effect snow machine generated widespread squalls in abnormally dry and
first-stage drought
(D0 and D1) areas across northern Michigan. The Plains/Midwestern situation
remained most
serious in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northeastern Kansas, where
first-stage to severe
drought (D1 to D2) continued, and in the middle one-third of Montana, where
severe to extreme
drought (D2 to D3) persisted. Due to a variety of indicators, including low
streamflows, sub-soil
moisture and surface water shortages, and long-term precipitation deficits
dating back as much as 15
months, abnormally dry (D0) conditions were expanded eastward across
southern Iowa and
increased slightly in eastern Kansas.
The West: After a slow start to the wet season along and near the Pacific
Coast, including the
Cascades and Sierra Nevada, precipitation began to increase in late
November. Even though
October-November precipitation averaged only approximately one-half of
normal in the Cascades
and Sierra Nevada, impacts remained insignificant at this early stage in the
season. In the northern
Rockies, however, where season-to-date precipitation totals have been
similarly low, dryness (D0)
was a concern due to lingering longer-term moisture deficits. According to
USDA's Natural
Resources Conservation Service, October 1 - November 28 precipitation totals
were as low as
one-third of normal in some northwestern Montana river basins, and ranged
from 50 to 80 percent
of normal in most of Wyoming.
Hawaii: Locally heavy rainfall abated in windward locations, while mostly
dry weather prevailed in
leeward areas. Abnormally dry (D0) and first-stage drought (D1) conditions
remained intact from
Molokai, Lanai, and western Maui to western portions of the Big Island.
Prognosis: Weather features during the next 10 days that may affect some of
the nation's dry or
drought areas include: 1) During the remainder of the week, orographically
heavy precipitation will
ease early-season precipitation and snowfall deficits in the Pacific
Northwest and northern Rockies.
Precipitation is forecast to spread as far south as the southern Cascades
and Sierra Nevada. 2) At
midweek and again at week's end, generally light precipitation (rain and
snow) is expected from the
Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic region. 3) Rainfall is possible during the next
few days along the
western Gulf Coast and across extreme southern Florida. 4) The NWS 6-10 day
outlook for
December 4-8 calls for a possible return of significant rainfall to the
South, including lingering drought
areas in the southern Rockies and southern Plains. Widespread rain may reach
areas as far east as
the southern Appalachians, but below-normal amounts are forecast across
Peninsular Florida.
=> Wwii Marine Raiders Identified, Returning Home
The remains of 19 World War II Marine Raiders killed in action on Butaritari
Island (Makin Atoll)
and listed as missing in action since August 1942 were recently identified,
and will be returned to
their families for burial.
The remains are those of:
Capt. Gerald P. Holtom, Palo Alto, Calif.
Sgt. Clyde Thomason, Atlanta, Ga.
FM1C. Vernon L. Castle, Stillwater, Okla.
Cpl. I.B. Earles, Tulare, Calif.
Cpl. Daniel A. Gaston, Galveston, Tex.
Cpl. Harris J. Johnson, Little Rock, Iowa
Cpl. Kenneth K. Kunkle, Mountain Home, Ark.
Cpl. Edward Maciejewski, Chicago, Ill.
Cpl. Robert B. Pearson, Lafayette, Calif.
Cpl. Mason O. Yarbrough, Sikeston, Mo.
Pfc. William A. Gallagher, Wyandotte, Mich.
Pfc. Ashley W. Hicks, Waterford, Calif.
Pfc. Kenneth M. Montgomery, Eden, Wis.
Pfc. Norman W. Mortensen, Camp Douglas, Wis.
Pfc. John E. Vandenberg, Kenosha, Wis.
Pvt. Carlyle O. Larson, Glenwood, Minn.
Pvt. Robert B. Maulding, Vista, Calif.
Pvt. Franklin M. Nodland, Marshalltown, Iowa
Pvt. Charles A. Selby, Ontonagon, Mich.
The Marines were members of the Marine Corps' 2nd Raider Battalion, killed
during the August
17-18, 1942, raid on Japanese-held Butaritari Island, during which an
estimated 83 Japanese
soldiers were killed.
Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson commanded the Raiders during the operation, and
President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's son, Capt. James Roosevelt, was the operation's
second-in-command. Ferried to the
island by submarine and landing on and departing Butaritari by rubber boats,
the Marines were
unable to evacuate the bodies of their fallen comrades.
With the assistance of island inhabitants, including a man who assisted in
the burial of the Marines in
1942, a recovery team from the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory,
Hawaii (CILHI)
uncovered a mass grave and excavated the remains in November and December
1999. That
operation was preceded by an initial investigation in August 1998 and an
unsuccessful recovery
effort in May 1999. The U.S. Marine Raider Association provided invaluable
assistance with
firsthand information and documentation about their combat on Butaritari.
In late 1999, the CILHI began an exhaustive forensic identification process,
including the use of
mitochondrial DNA, to confirm the identities of the Marines. Marine Corps
officials, using historical
military records and more modern search techniques, located the next of kin
of each of the Marines.
Arrangements for the transportation and burial of the Marines are underway,
in consultation with the
families. The first burial is expected to be that of Cpl. Yarbrough in
Sikeston, Mo. in December.
Among the remains recovered are those of Sgt. Clyde Thomason, the first
enlisted Marine awarded
the Medal of Honor during World War II.
The identification of these Marines contributes to the ongoing effort by the
Department of Defense to
locate and identify more than 88,000 American service members who remain
missing in action from
World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
=> Live Recombinant Vaccine Protects Against Fungal Disease
For the first time, scientists have used recombinant DNA
technology to create a live vaccine that protects against a
fungal infection in mice. This new vaccine is safer than
live vaccines made without recombinant technology and more
effective than "killed" vaccines. Many fungal diseases are
on the rise in the United States, and this recombinant live
vaccine approach could be used to protect against them.
Mycologist Bruce Klein, M.D., and colleagues at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison report their results in the
December 1 issue of the "Journal of Clinical
Investigation". The effort was supported by a grant from
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID).
"This work achieves what many would have thought highly
unlikely, if not impossible," comments Dennis M. Dixon,
Ph.D., chief of the bacteriology and mycology branch at
NIAID. "It validates the concept of a vaccine approach for
disease-causing fungi." Developing an anti-fungal vaccine
is extremely difficult because fungi are complex organisms
with large numbers of genes. The immune system must
respond to a fungal infection with an equally complex set
of defenses.
A live vaccine is the best way to achieve this response for
blastomycosis thus far, experts say, but rendering a
pathogenic fungus harmless so that it can be used as a live
vaccine is no easy task. To do so, scientists must find
and inactivate a "virulence" gene -- one that allows an
organism to cause disease. To give an idea of the relative
difficulty of this search, the fungus used in this study
has a genome of 25 million base pairs of DNA; a bacterium
such as "Escherichia coli" has only 4.6 million base pairs,
and HIV has under 10,000.
Klein and his team worked with a fungus called "Blastomyces
dermatiditis", which causes a sometimes fatal lung
infection, blastomycosis, even in people with healthy
immune systems. The researchers identified a particular
virulence gene, WI-1. When they knocked out the WI-1 gene
with recombinant DNA technology, they found that the
altered "B. dermatiditis" strain could no longer cause
disease in laboratory mice. Furthermore, they discovered
that exposure to the harmless engineered strain induced a
T-cell response that fully immunized the mice against all
strains tested of the lethal, naturally occurring fungus.
"The WI-1 gene codes for a surface protein molecule that
allows the fungus to stick and stay in the lung," explains
Dr. Klein. In addition, the WI-1 protein actively
interferes with the immune response by disrupting the
balance of defensive molecules called cytokines produced by
the immune system. The WI-1 protein is probably the major
reason "B. dermatiditis" is so potent -- a mere 10 to 100
cells of the organism are enough to cause fatal infection
in healthy mice.
A previous live vaccine, for the fungus "Coccidioides
immitis", used a variant form of the organism that did not
cause disease. However, there is always a chance that such
variants will spontaneously revert to the disease-causing
form, Dr. Klein explains, a risk that is eliminated by
using recombinant DNA technology to irreversibly knock out
a virulence gene.
Blastomycosis is not common in humans. Various studies
report anywhere from one to 40 cases per 100,000 people in
areas where "B. dermatiditis" commonly lives: the South
Eastern, South Central and upper Midwestern United Sates.
Like many fungi, this one lives in the soil, especially
around waterways, and can cause pneumonia when people
inhale its spores into their lungs. Current treatments
with anti-fungal drugs usually take six months to be
effective.
However, other diseases-causing fungi similar to "B.
dermatiditis" are much more common, and Dr. Dixon hopes the
new recombinant live vaccine might encourage researchers to
develop vaccines against other fungi. For example,
"Coccidioides immitis" caused an epidemic of San Joaquin
Valley Fever in the California area in 1992. And
"Histoplasma capsulatum", which can cause the lung
infection histoplasmosis, is endemic to the Ohio and
Mississippi River Valley, where it infects most of the
population by age 20. The majority of these infections are
benign, but in about 10 percent of individuals the
infection can produce life-threatening symptoms such as
inflammation of the membranes around the heart.
Researchers are working to develop vaccines against these
organisms as well.
In addition, so-called "opportunistic" fungal infections,
caused by organisms such as "Aspergillus" and "Candida",
are on the rise. This increase is caused in part by the
growing number of people with impaired immune systems due
to AIDS, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants or surgical
procedures.
The "B. dermatiditis" vaccine may have a more immediate use
as a veterinary vaccine, because blastomycosis affects a
large number of dogs. Dr. Klein is studying how the
vaccine works in dogs, and this work should help him
further refine his vaccine method.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). NIAID supports basic and applied research to
prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious and immune-mediated
illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually
transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, autoimmune
disorders, asthma and allergies.
=> Novel Vaccine Protects Monkeys From Ebola Infection
Few viruses are more feared than Ebola virus, the deadly microbe that
periodically attacks African villages and kills up to 90 percent of those it
infects. Although other viral diseases claim more lives each year, the
ruthless efficiency and nightmarish symptoms of Ebola virus make a vaccine
against this killer an important goal of scientists. Now, as described in
the November 30 issue of Nature, a team of researchers led by scientists
from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a novel vaccine
that prevents Ebola virus infection in monkeys. All four vaccinated monkeys
were completely protected from a lethal dose of the virus. This study
describes the first primate model of immune protection against Ebola virus,
a model that may allow scientists to rationally design a vaccine that
prevents this dreaded disease in humans.
"Doctors have essentially been helpless against Ebola virus," says Gary
Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research
Center (VRC) at the NIH and a lead author of the study. "We have not known
if immunity to the virus exists or what parts of the immune response are
important. Our studies show that animals can launch an effective immune
response against Ebola virus, and we can use knowledge of this response to
design a vaccine that protects non-human primates from infection. Although
much more work needs to be done, we hope this moves us closer to new
vaccines and treatments for Ebola and other viruses."
Ebola virus kills quickly, giving the body little time to launch an
effective immune response. Infected individuals suffer severe pain, high
fever and extensive internal bleeding. Although the virus periodically
strikes humans, scientists do not know where it resides in nature between
outbreaks.
"Ebola is a difficult virus because currently available antiviral drugs have
no proven effect on it and we do not know its natural reservoir, making
environmental control impossible. A vaccine is therefore the best hope for
protecting humans from infection, and this study makes some key advances
toward realizing that goal," says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which funds
the VRC along with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NIAID, NCI and the
NIH Office of AIDS Research spearhead the Center.
Dr. Nabel and colleagues had previously tested genetic Ebola
vaccines-strands of DNA containing genes that encode Ebola virus
proteins-for their ability to induce immune responses in rodents and to
protect against disease. Unlike traditional vaccines, typically made from
viral proteins, DNA vaccines more closely mimic virus infection because they
enter a cell and use that cell's machinery to manufacture new viral
proteins. Researchers believe this strategy might better trick the immune
system into thinking a real virus infection has occurred.
Previously, Dr. Nabel's laboratory and a second research team independently
showed a DNA vaccine could protect mice and guinea pigs from a specially
adapted Ebola virus strain lethal to rodents. An effective human vaccine,
however, must protect against three known fatal Ebola virus strains- Zaire,
Sudan and Ivory Coast. Ebola Zaire is the form of virus associated with the
most human deaths.
To ensure that a multi-strain vaccine would not weaken the immune response
to the Zaire strain, a team of scientists led by VRC research fellow Nancy
Sullivan, Ph.D., and Dr. Nabel combined genes encoding surface proteins from
the Sudan, Zaire and Ivory Coast Ebola viruses. Working with researchers
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's high-containment or
biosafety level 4 facility, Dr. Nabel's team compared this vaccine to the
one tested previously in rodents. The new vaccine produced an immune
response equally powerful to that of the original vaccine in protecting
guinea pigs from the Zaire strain.
The scientists then turned to boosting the anti-Ebola virus immune response
by using a weakened form of a different virus, adenovirus, to make an Ebola
virus protein from the Zaire strain. Adenoviruses typically cause
respiratory diseases, but the researchers used a modified form that can
enter cells without reproducing or causing disease. Such viruses have been
used in other studies to boost immune responses in mice. Dr. Nabel's team
attached the Ebola Zaire virus surface protein gene to the DNA of the
weakened adenovirus, and tested this new booster vaccine in mice. The
vaccine produced a more vigorous immune response than that observed with the
multi-strain DNA vaccine, and it increased the amount of antibodies and T
cells directed against the Ebola virus protein.
Armed with this promising new vaccine, the researchers tested a novel
prime-boost immunization strategy on eight monkeys. Four monkeys received
the three-strain Ebola virus DNA vaccine and then were injected with the
Ebola-adenovirus booster. The other four monkeys received placebo
immunizations. All four vaccinated monkeys launched strong anti-Ebola
immune responses and survived a subsequent exposure to lethal doses of Ebola
Zaire virus. Three of these monkeys showed no sign of viral infection,
whereas a slight, temporary increase in Ebola virus in the blood of one of
the vaccinated monkeys disappeared after one week. More than six months
after infection, the four monkeys remained symptom-free with no detectable
virus in the blood.
The researchers are continuing their efforts. "We of course want to test
the multivalent vaccine for effectiveness against all three strains of Ebola
virus," says Dr. Sullivan, "but we also need to look more closely at the
immune response induced by these vaccines so we can nail down what is needed
for protection." By studying the mechanism of protection induced by the
vaccine, they can determine what combination of antibodies, helper T cells
and killer T cells defend the monkeys against infection. They then hope to
use this information to rationally design new vaccines and antiviral
treatments for humans.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAID
supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat
infectious and immune-mediated illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, autoimmune disorders,
asthma and allergies.
=> Agencies announce release of Missouri River Biological Opinion
Two Federal agencies are working together to conserve the Missouri River
endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers have completed an Endangered Species Act consultation
regarding operation of the Missouri River dams and reservoirs, the bank
stabilization and navigation project, and related operations of the Kansas
River tributary reservoirs.
Through the consultation process, actions were developed that the Service
believes will provide protection for the endangered pallid sturgeon and
least tern and the threatened piping plover while allowing continued
operation of projects on the river.
"This is an extremely complex issue and the biological opinion is a result
of intensive discussions between the Service and the Corps," said Ralph
Morgenweck, the Service's Director for the Mountain-Prairie region. "But, I
believe we have developed a plan that will benefit the entire Missouri River
ecosystem."
"There is significant agreement between the Corps and Service on the known
biological attributes necessary to recover the listed species," said Brig.
Gen. Carl Strock, Northwestern Division Engineer. "The Corps is absolutely
committed to its role in recovery of the listed species, but we also have an
obligation to support other project purposes," added General Strock.
"Our initial assessment is that elements of the biological opinion slightly
increase the risk of flooding and have significant impacts on navigation.
As we develop our implementation plan we will evaluate the impact of the
reasonable and prudent alternative on these and other project purposes. The
Corps will consider other alternatives that meet the biological objectives
with reduced impacts in other areas," he said.
"The Missouri River is an incredibly important resource, serving many needs
for many people," said William Hartwig, Regional Director for the Service's
Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. "We must recognize as well the needs of the
natural resources of the river, particularly imperiled species, and do our
best in managing the Missouri to ensure their survival."
The Service prepared a biological opinion concluding that continuation of
current operations on the Missouri River is likely to jeopardize the
continued existence of the listed species.
The necessary conservation actions to avoid jeopardy to the listed species
are contained in the "reasonable and prudent alternative (RPA)" and are
designed to return the Missouri to a more natural river system. It is the
combination of all parts of the alternative, working in concert, that will
eliminate jeopardy to the species. The RPA determined by the Service
includes five parts:
1. Flow Enhancement: Implementation of a spring rise on average every third
year and an annual summer drawdown from Gavins Point Dam is necessary to
restore spawning cues for fish; maintain and develop sandbar habitat and the
associated shallow, slow water habitat needed by birds and fish; and enhance
aquatic habitat through connection of the main channel to backwaters and
side channels. A spring release from Fort Peck Dam will provide spawning
cues and increase the amount of warm water habitat available to pallid
sturgeon and native river fish.
2. Habitat Restoration/Creation/Acquisition: A portion of the historic
habitat will be restored, enhanced, and conserved in riverine sections that
will benefit the listed birds and fish. Habitat restoration goals are 20-30
acres of shallow water (less than 5 feet deep, less than 2.5 ft/sec.
velocity) per mile. Similarly, variable goals by river segments for
emergent interchannel sandbar are also identified.
3. Unbalanced System Regulation: Unbalancing of the upper three reservoirs,
when runoff conditions permit, by holding one reservoir low, one at average
levels, and one rising on a 3-year rotation will increase the availability
of tern and plover habitat in reservoirs in drawdown years; maintain tern
and plover sandbar habitat in riverine segments below Fort Peck or Garrison
Dams in years of higher releases due to reservoir drawdown; and increase
availability of tern and plover sandbar habitat in riverine segments below
Fort Peck and Garrison Dams in years of steady or rising reservoir levels.
4. Adaptive Management/Monitoring: Implementation of an adaptive management
process that allows efficient modification/implementation of management
actions in response to new information and to changing environmental
conditions to benefit the species. The two components of this process will
be the establishment of an interagency coordination team that will
coordinate and guide development and implementation of a robust monitoring
program to better understand baseline conditions, analyze actions, and
identify modification to improve results.
5. Propagation/Augmentation: The Corps and the Service will work together
to increase pallid sturgeon propagation and augmentation efforts, while
habitat and hydrology improvements are being implemented. This short-term
action will ensure genetic integrity and prevent extinction of existing
pallid sturgeon populations.
Details of the primary actions of the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative
described above and the complementary actions are described in the
biological opinion text.
"Work on several parts of the RPA are already underway, including studies
for a possible test of modified flows out of Fort Peck Dam as early as next
spring," said General Strock. "Over the next few months we will consult
with impacted tribal governments, states, and other regional stakeholders to
craft the details of our implementation plan. Ultimately though, our
ability to meet the recovery goals will depend on congressional and regional
support of expanded authorities and increased appropriations, especially for
the extensive monitoring necessary to measure the success of the RPA."
The biological opinion is available on the worldwide web at:
www.nwd.usace.army.mil or by writing to: Project Manager, Missouri River
Master Manual, 12565 West Center Road, Omaha, NE 68144.
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=> Links Area
FIRES IN MONTANA
Montana (US)
Several heat signatures are visible from fires burning in western and
central Montana. Some of these
may be hotspots from the summer's wildfires.
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Fires/US_Northwest/FHSusMT333_N4.jpg
FIRES IN NEW MEXICO
New Mexico (US)
Several heat signatures are visible from fires burning in central New Mexico
northeast of Socorro in
this 2X zoom
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Fires/US_Southwest/FHSusNM333_N4.jpg
TROPICAL CYCLONE 03B
Bay of Bengal
Tropical cyclone 03B was located on the southeast coast of India at 08:30
UTC (2:00 PM local
time).
03B has been moving in a westerly direction at 04 knots with maximum
sustained winds estimated at
65 knots, gusts to 80 knots and was
located inland near 11.7 N 79.9 E at 12:00 UTC.
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Tropical/Bengal/TRCtc03B334_MT.jpg
TROPICAL STORM RUMBIA (33W)
W. Pacific
Tropical storm Rumbia has intensified and was located east of the
Philippines near 8.8 N 129.9 E at
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Rumbia has been moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 04 knots with
maximum sustained
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http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Tropical/W_Pacific/TRCrumbia334_GM.jpg
FIRES IN BRAZIL
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Numerous heat signatures (red) and smoke clouds (light blue) are visible
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