US sued over Navy sonar tests in whale waters..

[AquaEyes]

I have one word for you "Ebola". That was man made too.

It's a form of necrotising faceitus, or flesh eating bacteria that works from the inside out.

This is incorrect. Ebola is caused by any of five known related viruses, which periodically escape into populations living in or near African rainforest habitats, where the viruses are thought to be spread through feeding activities by bats, primates, some rodents, and duikers. Humans show a short incubation period and high degree of mortality, which indicates that the viruses are relatively new to infect humans, while other species that have tested positive for related (but different) viruses show little or no outward symptoms, indicating a longer evolutionary history of association. The general idea is that this family of viruses has been bouncing around among species in that area of the world for a long time, and then some forms jumped to infect a new species -- humans. Typically, when viruses first infect a new species, the effects are devastating and fast. Over time, selective pressures on host and parasite favor a more benign association, since viruses that don't kill their host quickly will spread to more hosts, and hosts which survive infection will live to produce more offspring. This pattern has been observed in other human infections, the classic example being smallpox.

Necrotizing fasciitis is the result of a bacterial infection of the subdermal tissues, which can be caused by one or more of the following: Streptococcus aureus, S. pyogenes, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio vulnificus, or Bacteroides fragilis. Necrotizing fasciitis is most often found in people with compromised immune systems, such as those who are HIV positive, undergoing chemotherapy or other cancer treatment, are recipients of organ transplantation, or some other cause, and is more about WHERE the infection takes hold, and the host's inability to fight it off, than the actual invading organism. In other words, the bacteria that do the damage are commonly found in the environment, and most people with normal immune systems won't have any danger of developing Necrotizing fasciitis due to exposure. The rise in new cases is not because of an epidemic of "flesh-eating infection" but is a side-effect of the growth in the HIV-positive and cancer-battling populations.

 

[cassie]

I have one word for you "Ebola". That was man made too.

It's a form of necrotising faceitus, or flesh eating bacteria that works from the inside out.

Where did that come from? Ebola is NOT man made. Quite the contrary. There are several varieties of Ebola all differing in severity. One interesting thing about Ebola is, at least the last time I checked, the carrier was unknown. It could be bats, insects, mice, or some other animal.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Why is this relevant? Some "Save the Whale" groups are pretty fanatical and I don't agree with those groups, yet some are reasonable. Much like some of us older guys may automatically be considered Dirty Old Men just because we are old. While I feel that Dirty Old Men occasionally need some loving too, I don't lump us all together any more than I lump all people in conservation efforts together.
Noise is noise, but Sonar in a specific testing use is different than a propeller moving a regular ship. I did not see anything in that article other than sonar testing off the west coast. And I did not see anything about stopping the testing or preventing the testing, just something about considering the whales in deciding where and when to test. Apples and oranges.

 

[JD4570]

This is incorrect. Ebola is caused by any of five known related viruses, which periodically escape into populations living in or near African rainforest habitats, where the viruses are thought to be spread through feeding activities by bats, primates, some rodents, and duikers. Humans show a short incubation period and high degree of mortality, which indicates that the viruses are relatively new to infect humans, while other species that have tested positive for related (but different) viruses show little or no outward symptoms, indicating a longer evolutionary history of association. The general idea is that this family of viruses has been bouncing around among species in that area of the world for a long time, and then some forms jumped to infect a new species -- humans. Typically, when viruses first infect a new species, the effects are devastating and fast. Over time, selective pressures on host and parasite favor a more benign association, since viruses that don't kill their host quickly will spread to more hosts, and hosts which survive infection will live to produce more offspring. This pattern has been observed in other human infections, the classic example being smallpox.

Necrotizing fasciitis is the result of a bacterial infection of the subdermal tissues, which can be caused by one or more of the following: Streptococcus aureus, S. pyogenes, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio vulnificus, or Bacteroides fragilis. Necrotizing fasciitis is most often found in people with compromised immune systems, such as those who are HIV positive, undergoing chemotherapy or other cancer treatment, are recipients of organ transplantation, or some other cause, and is more about WHERE the infection takes hold, and the host's inability to fight it off, than the actual invading organism. In other words, the bacteria that do the damage are commonly found in the environment, and most people with normal immune systems won't have any danger of developing Necrotizing fasciitis due to exposure. The rise in new cases is not because of an epidemic of "flesh-eating infection" but is a side-effect of the growth in the HIV-positive and cancer-battling populations.

Where did that come from? Ebola is NOT man made. Quite the contrary. There are several varieties of Ebola all differing in severity. One interesting thing about Ebola is, at least the last time I checked, the carrier was unknown. It could be bats, insects, mice, or some other animal.

Hmm. I stand corrected.