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Museum reviews: Strong National Museum of Play, Rochester, NY

Rochester, NY’s failed fast ferry: What went wrong?

The geography of Rochester, NY

Places to volunteer in Rochester, NY

A guide to grocery stores in Rochester, NY

These articles were published at Helium.

mosquito biting

[begin Rod Sterling narrative]
It was a typical summer morning for new high school graduate Mary Doe. She donned a robe from her closet and went down the hall to fix breakfast. Little did she suspect what would follow her out of that closet.

It followed her into the kitchen, with only one thing in mind. Her blood. Mary Doe was about to be the subject of a vicious attack. It wanted blood, her blood, to make its babies.

The babies would spread, throughout the house, the neighborhood and the city. Mary Doe’s blood would not be the first to be taken by these monsters.
[end Rod Sterling narrative]

If mosquito bites were a movie, that is how the movie would begin. Nearly everyone has experienced a mosquito bite, the raised bump, the unbearable itching. The story of mosquitoes and man is a complex tale of adaptation, co-existence and far too often, a deadly illness.

The United States, and upstate New York, are very familiar with both mosquitoes and the illnesses they may carry. The ease with which the world interconnects at this time is bringing some strangers to America, new breeds of mosquito and new illnesses.

Not all mosquitoes bite humans. Some bite both animals and humans. Some only bite humans. All biting mosquitoes have one thing in common, they’re female. The blood they draw when they bite allows them to reproduce. The illnesses, viral, bacterial and parasitic, that they ingest from sick people and carry to other people, are just incidentals to their main purpose. They want to make babies and they need our blood to do it.

WEST NILE VIRUS
Rochester and Upstate New York residents are familiar with the West Nile virus. It arrived in the United States about 1999, and was first discovered in New York City. While most people infected with the virus show no symptoms, those with symptoms suffer a flu-like illness for days or weeks. In less than one percent of those infected, life threatening forms of West Nile called West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis or West Nile meningoencephalitis can develop.

This map reflects surveillance findings occurring between January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 as reported to CDC's ArboNET system for public distribution by state and local health departments.

West Nile is spread by various members of the Culex family of mosquitoes with Cx. Pipiens being the primary carrier in New York. It is also called the Northern House Mosquito.

Cx. Pipiens loves the filthy water around people. It breeds in storm drains and sewers, even raw sewage and at sewage treatment plants.

It feeds on birds, some mammals and on humans.

YELLOW FEVER
New York has not seen a local outbreak of yellow fever since about 1870. Before then, the illness was a regular visitor to New York City, Albany and other parts of the state.

The following partial list of outbreaks in New York State is from the World Health Organization publication Yellow Fever, published in 1998.

1694 in Boston, New York and Philadelphia

1702 in New York

1734 in New York, Boston, Charleston, Philadelphia and Albany,

1743 in New York and Virginia

1745 in New York and Charleston

1751 in New York and Philadelphia

1791 in New York and Philadelphia

New York in 1801, 1819, 1821, 1822, 1870

1870 New York The last recorded outbreak of yellow fever in New York

Aedes aegypti is the usual mosquito carrier of this illness. Currently it is found much farther south than New York, though its range varies with the weather.

Aedes aegypti has re-emerged in the Americas following a successful hemispheric eradication campaign during the 1950s and 1960s. CDC map

A. aegypti is very adapted to living around humans. It has regulated its wing speed to reduce the buzz or hum that humans identify with mosquitoes. It is a day feeder, choosing the early morning or late evening to feed. During the heat of the day these mosquitoes seek out dark hiding places where there is little air circulation, like closets or under tables. Most bites from A. aegypti are to the lower leg.

A. aegypti is the opposite of the Culex mosquitoes when it comes to breeding sites. It seeks clean water, rain gutters, clear pools and containers that have collected rain.

MALARIA
Malaria may be one of the earliest illnesses to be described. It is a deadly illness, killing about a million people worldwide every year. It was considered eliminated in the United States by 1951.

In New York, the malaria risk was along the waterways, New York City, up the Hudson River to Albany, along the Mohawk River west, the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie shorelines.

Distribution of Malaria in the United States and Canada in 1882 Reiter, Paul: Environmental Health Perspectives: Vol. 109 -suppl. 1-: Figure 4, Pg 149, March 2001.

Malaria is a parasite carried and transmitted to humans by mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles. An. quadrimaculatus is the variety common to the New York area.

Despite the eradication of malaria in the United States, cases are discovered every year. Most are acquired by travelers in regions of the world where malaria is prevalent. There are occasional outbreaks, such as this one in New Jersey in 1991, that appear to be native. It is almost certain, however, that the initial host was a traveler who did not know they were sick and was bitten by mosquitoes. This is a common source of outbreaks of mosquito borne illnesses not native to the United States.

An. quadrimaculatus inhabits the eastern United States, east of the Mississippi. They prefer freshwater pods, steams and lakes with vegetation. The mosquito prefers to take blood from animals. They are night feeders.

DENGUE FEVER
Dengue fever has hit the headlines after an outbreak or series of outbreaks of this tropical illness in Key West, Florida. The last outbreak of this illness native to the United States was in 1945, so its reemergence in 2009 was startling.

There have been dengue fever cases and outbreaks traced to travelers, including cases in Florida at this time. One traces to Puerto Rico, another to Haiti, both areas where dengue is endemic.

Dengue is carries by A. aegypti. This should mean that the outbreak can only move as far north as this mosquito can survive, perhaps into the Carolinas. However, a recent illegal immigrant to the United States may change that assumption.

Ae. albopictus, the Asian Tiger mosquito, was accidentally brought in to the United States in the 1980′s. This map shows its range in 2000, and it most certainly has spread in the decade since the map was created.

USDA map of the distribution of the Asian Tiger mosquito in the United States in 2000

Ae. albopictus is known to spread dengue fever, as well as eastern equine encephalomyelitis and the Cache Valley virus. It is also reported to be able to carry West Nile.

The Aedes genera of mosquitoes are highly adapted to living near humans. they have also demonstrated a high degree of adaptation to changing habitat. Their eggs may survive for several months in a dried out area and revive when water returns to the area.

In an interview this week, Dr. Roxanne Connelly, who is Associate Professor and Extension State Specialist of Medical Entomology at the University of Florida, talked about mosquitoes with me. Mosquitoes vary by genera and species and can vary within the species with regional differences. That may include the ability to act as a good carrier of disease microbes. The existence of a particular type of mosquito in a region does not necessarily mean that an outbreak of illness is possible.

Dr. Connelly told me that the primary mosquito borne illness to be aware of in Western New York would be West Nile. She did suggest that a local outbreak of any tropical illness can occur if a sick traveler is bitten enough to create a pool of infection in the local mosquito population.

In an e-mail, Dr. Laura Harrington, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology at Cornell University, talked about the Asian Tiger mosquito, Ae. albopictus. She has found these mosquitoes in New York and New York City but they are not yet able to survive year round. This summer, she is working with others to identify the adaptations made by those Ae. albopictus that are now year round in New Jersey. She believes that any migration into New York by this mosquito would most likely come from the variety now living in New Jersey.

Dr. Harrington closed her e-mail with the suggestion that Rift Valley Fever could have a great impact on both humans and animals in New York should it be introduced. She states that we now have more than one mosquito capable of transmitting that illness.

Munir Muthana, 27, of Rochester

When it was all over, though, Munir’s bad day turned into an arrest and five counts of second-degree assault, driving while intoxicated, and reckless driving. RocNow

Howie at the Jawa Report wonders if it is a case of Sudden Jihad syndrome. This is where a Muslim suddenly begins to try to kill, maim and mangle innocent people around him whose only crime is that they are American.

Muslims engaging in acts of violence is nothing new. Muslims in Rochester being linked to terror is nothing new. Muslims getting drunk and hanging with transvestites is, well, nothing new.

The reality is that the most faithful Muslims in America are those who have just been arrested. Drinking, hookers, strip clubs and computer pr0n all are forgotten as the Muslim in question discovers his faith.

In his statement to police, he said he drank six cans of Budweiser in an hour. Then he started using swear words, cussing police and government. He said, “Ben Franklin was stupid. He should have made it so you *expletives* can’t swerve the law. The Muslims will fix this country.”

When bail was being set at $20,000, the prosecutor said that Muthana has ties to Yemen.

WHEC TV

Muthana is accused of intentionally droving into several pedestrians in the parking lot area of the Sunoco gas station at 700 S. Plymouth Ave. striking a bicyclist, two pedestrians and then ramming his vehicle into a parked car, which in turn hit another pedestrian and pushing her under the parked car, according court documents.

Then Muthana allegedly fled from police officers who were trying to stop him and led them on a chase throughout the southwest part of the city. The chase ended when the vehicle Muthana was allegedly driving rammed into a civilian’s vehicle on near the intersection of Brooks Avenue and Genesee Street before coming to stop and taken into custody by police.

Democrat & Chronicle

Frankly, I think this is a case of merely being dumb and ugly in public. Munir probably has connections in the old country but he’s no jihadi, just a jerk.

He shouldn’t have dissed Ben Franklin.

Halloween 2009 here along America’s North Shore was as cold as I can remember. The temperature fell from 51 degrees around 6 pm. Luckily, the gusty south to south west winds also dropped as it got later.

Still, it was a cold and damp Halloween.

The lovely wife had dug out some decorations that has gotten buried. We had a stuffed vampire sitting in a chaise lounge. We also had a witch, about 3 ft high, that spoke when an electric eye was activated.

We had the usual bowl with the rubber hand and electric eye that many of our visitors look forward to year after year.

We found two giant spiders to hang, about camel spider size, and a plastic skeleton.

We had about 100 trick or treaters. Fewer older teens than usual but they made up for it by grabbing handfuls of candy instead of just a couple pieces.

Not really any one costume seemed popular, other than heavy jackets.

Several of the toddlers were enchanted by the witch. The lovely wife felt it was due to the witch being their size.

It was a fun evening and the cats survived it, too,

25 pound salmon caught in Lake Ontario on Sept 15 2009

Click on the pic for a larger image. Half an hour battle and my brother in law could barely hold the fish after. Sis says it was good eating, milder flavor than Atlantic salmon.

OK, all you HVAC experts out there. Here are some pictures of the damage to our air conditioning compressor overnight, during the thunderstorms that rocked the Rochester, NY area.

The initial diagnosis is a new wiring harness and new fan wiring. Unknown if the compressor itself is damaged.

Damage to the wiring above the damaaged capacitor. Capacitor already removed.

Damaged capacitor

The entire set of pictures is on Flickr here.

New York State map of pandemic flu case numbers by county as of 6-26-2009. Click on the image for a larger version.

This table ranks the New York State counties by pandemic flu case count, showing those counties with 10 or more cases. Cities in red are NYC metro. Blue cities are Albany metro.

New York State map showing counties with pandemic swine flu - novel H1N1 cases for June 19 2009

New York State is currently reporting 1,756 recorded cases of pandemic swine flu / novel H1N1. New York City has recorded 1,032 cases. The city’s Department of Health has this to day:

Community transmission of the H1N1 virus appears to be declining in New York City, as emergency departments report lower numbers of visits due to influenza-like illness, the Health Department reported today. As expected, however, hospitalizations and fatalities continue to occur. As of June 19, the Health Department had recorded 748 hospitalizations and 30 deaths. The latest deaths occurred in persons aged 26-64.

The NYC area, the city and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester, have a total of 1,283 cases. Despite the number, the metro New York case count is far less than Chicago / Cook County, or Milwaukee.

In upstate New York, Erie County and Buffalo have recorded 155 cases. Onondaga County and Syracuse have 84 cases. Dutchess County, considered upstate by the “city folk”, has 31 cases. Jefferson County and Fort Drum have 28 cases.

1,007 cases of swine flu or novel H1N1 in New York State. 623 cases in New York City and 384 cases outside of the city. NYC and adjoining counties – metro NY – have a total case number of 798.

Onondaga County and Syracuse have retaken the upstate lead in cases from Erie County and Buffalo. Onondaga = 69 cases and Erie County = 66 cases. The nearest upstate county has 10, which is Monroe County and Rochester.

Map of New York State counties with novel H1N1 or swine flu cases as of May 27. Click image for larger map.

New York City school closings can be found at this link.

Erie County Health Commissioner suggests students with influenza like illness be banned from school. Williamsville schools are the center of a cluster of swine flu cases.

And, a new case in Monroe County. Elementary school student in Churchville-Chili School District.

Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, Multi-National Corps-Iraq command sergeant major, talks to Spc. Heather Lemanski, an aviation specialist with Company E, 3-142 Assault Helicopter Battalion, N.Y. National Guard, during a trip to Forward Operating Base Delta May 15. Grippe took time out to recognize Lemanski for her actions months earlier when she was able to detain a fellow male Soldier who had planned to sexually assault her in the female shower trailer; the male Soldier was responsible for another attack on a woman in the area, according to the Army's Criminal Investigation Command. Photo by Sgt. Lindsey Bradford

Spc. Heather Lemanski, Company E, 3-142 Assault Helicopter Battalion, New York National Guard, had just returned from block leave when she was informed of a recent attack on a female Ugandan guard while in the shower.

Concerned for her safety, Lemanski’s husband suggested she carry a knife and pepper spray with her when she went to shower.

Taking his advice, the Fredonia, N.Y., native made it a point to have both items with her; a decision that may have possibly saved her life and earned her recognition from Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, during his battlefield circulation May 15.

Upon entering the shower, Lemanski heard someone come into the trailer after her.

“I didn’t hear another shower start, so I called out to see if anyone was in there,” she said. “No one answered.”

With a knife in one hand and a can of pepper spray in the other, Lemanski began checking each shower. Soon she found herself face-to-face with a male Soldier, dressed in his army combat uniform, crouched in another stall.

“I managed to restrain him, and I called out to a sergeant passing by to notify the [military police],” she said.

Once in custody, the Criminal Investigation Command interrogated the Soldier and discovered that he was responsible for other assaults, including the incident involving the female Ugandan guard, and had planned to overtake and assault Lemanski after she exited the shower.

“I did what I had to do, and didn’t think twice about it,” she said.

Captivated by her story of courage, Grippe made it a point to find Lemanski during his visit.
“When I heard her story, I knew that I had to meet this woman,” he explained. “She is a true American… and because of her situational awareness she was able to avoid a very dangerous situation.”

As Lemanski recalled the incident to Grippe and various Soldiers from the 41st Fires Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, shock spread across their faces and gasps were heard all around.

Grippe told the Soldiers that part of his intent during the trip was to make Soldiers aware of the dangerous they may face on a daily basis. With male-on-male sexual assault up 12 percent, he put emphasis on battle buddy teams and maintaining situational awareness at all times.

Lemanski’s encounter is just one example that could be used to highlight the importance of the Army combatives program, Grippe said.

“There is no reason to have blue-on-blue sexual assault,” Grippe said. “It needs to stop—bottom line up front.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Lindsey Bradford

Here is the weekend summary of swine flu / novel H1N1 cases around the globe. Because of various reporting deadlines the numbers may not appear the same on all reports. In addition, many of the states and Federal agencies in the United States have reduced or eliminated regular reporting.

WHO for May 23, 2009: 12,022 cases and 86 deaths in 43 countries.

Nicaragua, Venezuela and Bolivia have not reported any cases of swine flu. Is it true, or are their politics keeping them from reporting?

Canada as of May 22, 2009: 805 cases in 9 provinces and 1 territory, with 1 death. The median age of the cases is 21, meaning that half of the cases are age 21 or younger.

Department of Defense as of May 20, 2009: Reporting once a week now. 294 total cases. All cases are included in the counts by state health agencies and the CDC. Largest new outbreak is at Fort Riley, Kansas with 13 cases since the last DoD report.

CDC Report as of May 22, 2009: 6,552 cases and 9 deaths. CDC numbers continue to vary from state website numbers in some cases. It is not just reporting times differ. It appears that CDC is not pursuing updates from states as there have been occasions that CDC number has remained the same for several days despite state site changes.

Swine flu cases by city/metro area: Milwaukee=706, Chicago=668, Seattle=499, Phoenix=261, NYC and nearby counties=323.

Swine flu cases in Update NY counties: Erie=17 Buffalo area, Onondaga=11 Syracuse area.

Texas exploding with swine flu cases. Only rpting twice a week. 1,359 cases as of today. Rio Grande counties Cameron + Hildalgo=381 cases Milwaukee +194 cases in 4 days, Chicago +155, Seattle +132.

Florida is no longer reporting swine flu numbers on their site. Louisiana’s numbers make little sense. CO and SC counts difficult to locate on website.

The case count for novel H1N1 or swine flu continues to climb in New York State. The largest number of cases are in New York City and its suburbs, but the Syracuse / Onondaga County area has a cluster as well.

There are 227 cases in New York City and 106 elsewhere in the state.

New York State map showing counties where novel H1N1 or swine flu cases have been discovered. Click on the image for a larger map.

New York City school closing status as of 5 pm May 20, 2009:

As of 5/20 5:00pm, a total of 24 public schools and programs - 20 in Queens, 1 in Brooklyn, 2 in the Bronx, and 1 in Manhattan - are currently closed. These schools have experienced unusually high levels of influenza-like illness in recent days.

• PS 16Q - reopening Friday, May 22
• P255 (District 75 program located at PS 16Q) – reopening Friday, May 22
• IS 5Q – reopening Friday, May 22
• P9 (District 75 program located at IS 5Q) - reopening Friday, May 22
• IS 238Q - reopening Friday, May 22 for staff and Tuesday, May 26 for students
• JHS 74Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 107Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• MS 158Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• IS 25Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• World Journalism Preparatory (located at IS 25Q) – reopening Tuesday, May 26
• Q233 (District 75 program located at IS 25Q) - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• IS 318K - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 19Q – reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 32Q – reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 209Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• P9 (District 75 program located at PS 209Q) – reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 130M - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 35Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• Merrick Academy Charter School (located in Queens) – reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 242Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• PS 130Q - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• Q993 (District 75 program located at PS 130Q) – reopening Tuesday, May 26
• South Bronx Charter School for International Culture & the Arts (all three locations) - reopening Tuesday, May 26
• Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industries (located in the Bronx) – reopening Tuesday, May 26

All of these schools are closed based on recommendations from the New York City Department of Health with the exception of the two charter schools in the Bronx, which made their own decisions to close.

Here is a map of New York States. It shows the confirmed cases, by county of swine flu / H1N1 for May 15.

Counties and case counts for NYS swine flu - H1N1 cases as of May 15, 2009. Click on image for larger map.