so that you can remember what you know.
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.3 SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
Yesterday -
5/4/10 -
5.4 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
VOLCANOES -
ICELAND - Airports in parts of Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland closed for a second day due to risks from a rise in volcanic ash levels.
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.
HEAVY RAINS, SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
U.S. - Officials in Nashville, Tennessee, fear the death count from flooding will continue to grow as the waters recede.
HEALTH THREATS -
H1N1 infected 20% of Nicaraguan kids - Researchers who studied flu in 4,391 Nicaraguan children found that 20.1% of the group had pandemic flu in 2009 - compared with seasonal flu attack rates of 11.9% in 2007, when influenza A dominated, and 24.2% in 2008, when types A and B were both common. Children who had pandemic flu were more likely to have sore throat, lower respiratory symptoms, and gastrointestinal problems, including nausea and loss of appetite.
The 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus continues to decline worldwide, with some circulation still occurring in West and Central Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Influenza B continues to circulate at detectable levels in China, Mongolia, Korea, Ghana, and Cameroon, and seasonal A/H3N2 flu has been found in Southeast Asia. In the Americas, Cuba and Peru have reported increases in UNIDENTIFIED respiratory disease.
RECALLS & ALERTS:
U.S. inspectors found thick dust and contaminated ingredients at the Johnson & Johnson plant that produces Children's Tylenol and dozens of other products (Motrin, Benadryl and Zyrtec) that were recalled last week. Inspectors found thick dust and grime covering certain equipment, a hole in the ceiling and duct tape-covered pipes at the Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, facility that made 40 products recalled last Friday. Inspectors also found raw ingredients contaminated by an unspecified bacteria, a lack of quality control procedures and poor handling of complaints. The findings were a further blow to J&J's reputation, as the FDA urged parents to choose private label alternatives for the over-the-counter medications and said it was weighing possible further regulatory action. A full list of more than 40 affected products made by McNeil Consumer Healthcare can be found at www.mcneilproductrecall.com.
