Outbreak of Chikungunya!

This is what I found from the CDC website. Although they say that the disease is not fatal, it's not entirely true. People who have diabetes and heart diseases are the ones at risk. It is an extremely painful disease, so much so that it becomes difficult for the person to even move his fingers.

Chikungunya Fever in Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands This information is current as of today, June 27, 2007, 09:56:13 AM

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, including the daytime-biting Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus species. Symptoms can include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain with or without swelling, low back pain, and rash. The symptoms are very similar to those of dengue, but, unlike dengue, there is no hemorrhagic or shock syndrome form. This disease is almost always self-limited and rarely fatal.
A unit of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition in Sri Lanka recently reported laboratory-confirmed cases of chikungunya fever in patients from several districts; the most affected districts are Batticaloa, Colombo, Jaffna, Kalmunai, Mannar, Puttalam, and Trincomalee. Surveillance activities for chikungunya fever cases are continuing in sentinel hospitals in Sri Lanka.
In October 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported ongoing chikungunya fever outbreaks in the following states in India: Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala.
A chikungunya fever outbreak on the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte , Mauritius, Réunion (territory of France), and the Seychelles that began in March 2005 is waning. However, transmission can still occur, and travelers to all tropical and subtropical areas of the world are reminded to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Prevention Measures
There are no preventive medications or FDA-approved vaccines for chikungunya fever, but travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of being bitten by infected mosquitoes.
Use insect repellent on exposed skin surfaces when outdoors, particularly during the day.
Repellents containing 30% to 50% DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are recommended. Lower concentrations of DEET offer shorter-term protection and require more frequent reapplication.
Repellents containing picaridin are available in the U.S. in formulations of up to 15% concentration, which require frequent reapplication. Repellents with higher concentrations of picaridin may be available in some regions outside the U.S.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
Clothing may also be sprayed with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent for greater protection.
Where possible, stay in hotels or resorts that are well screened or air-conditioned and take measures to reduce the mosquito population.
Reduce Aedes breeding sites by emptying standing water that may have collected in containers (e.g., uncovered barrels, flower vases, or cisterns) and either overturning the vessels or covering the opening.
If illness develops, stay under a mosquito net or indoors to limit mosquito bites and to avoid further spread of infection.
These preventive measures are the same steps that one would take to reduce the risk of other mosquito-transmitted infectious diseases, such as dengue, malaria, and yellow fever.
Treatment
No specific drug treatment against chikungunya fever is available; thus, treatment of chikungunya fever is supportive: bed rest, fluids, and mild pain medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or paracetamol may relieve symptoms of fever and aching, provided that the person has no contraindications to these medications. Because aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding and possibly increase the risk for Reye's syndrome, it should be avoided during the acute stages of the illness. Few cases are severe enough to warrant hospitalization. All persons with chikungunya fever should be protected against additional mosquito bites to reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus.

Her Latest Picture

I took this a week ago.

Calvin and Hobbes

Here are some funny ones that I bumped into.

Try teaching a toddler the value of money. When I tell Lisa that I cannot buy her everything she asks for she says, "Why, just open your purse, take the money out and give it". Simple isn't it.



I hated English grammar in school. I wish I had read this back then. :)

I met this guy from Taiwan recently, who said he was 30 then, explained to us with great reluctancy (by writing and so on) that he was actually 29. Why? Simply because they consider the number 9 to be unlucky. However, I would've said 28 instead of 30 ;)

Sometimes you don't want ALL the details do you:)

Seven Virtues

I've always heard about the Seven Deadly sins and never really imagined that "Seven Virtues" have also been documented.

For those who don't know here it is:

Chastity (Latin, castitas)—Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment. Abstinence (Latin, frenum) -Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.
Liberality (Latin, liberalitas) —Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.
Diligence (Latin, industria) —A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.
Patience (Latin, patientia) —Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.
Kindness (Latin, humanitas) —Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.
Humility (Latin, humilitas) —Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.

The list of Seven deadly sins is probably easy to stay away from, but this list is tough!

Training!

I'm in this Advanced Unix training right now and I guess trainings are the only time you can do whatever you want except work. I have no access to my emails or LAN so I get to blogging! I've been using Solaris for 6 or 7 years and never attended a training so I am enjoying this one, simply because I'm learning the finer details.
There are a couple of guys here who are least interested in what's going on in class, doing everything else but training. Orkut for example! What kind of an obsession is that?

Goa! The place to Go!

The trip to Goa was the first for me as well as Lisa and we loved it! Except ofcourse for the bus journey from Londa to Vasco da Gama. It wasn't a trip that we had planned in advance and as a result we took the train from Bangalore to this place called Londa, which was actually in the middle of nowhere. A forest really.At Londa we were told that the nearest bus station was 1.5 km away and that we had to walk all the way with our luggage and Lisa. We had breakfast at the Londa bus station and then began our 3 hour ordeal. The bus was so over crowded that it did not have place for even a little bee to get in, but we did. Hurray! Needless to say, everybody was so exhausted that all we wanted to do was get some food and sleep. It was a trip that none of us want to make again. But all this was compensated with the wonderful time we had in Goa. When Lisa saw the beach for the first time, her reaction was "So much water!". See "Our Trip to Goa" for pictures. Here is one of Lisa.

Global Warming

See what we've done to our world: Climate Map

It is not funny anymore, is it?