Lost Lake Tribune October 24, 2010 Section B
Cholera Outbreak Hits Haiti, Nearly 200 Dead
ST. MARC, Haiti – ST. MARC, Haiti -- A cholera epidemic spread in central Haiti on Friday as aid groups rushed doctors and supplies to fight the country's worst health crisis since January's earthquake. Nearly 200 deaths had been confirmed and more than 2,000 people were ill.
The first two cases of the disease outside the rural Artibonite region were confirmed in Arcahaie, a town that is closer to the quake-devastated capital, Port-au-Prince.
Officials are concerned the outbreak could reach the squalid tarp camps where hundreds of thousands of quake survivors live in the capital.
"It will be very, very dangerous," said Claude Surena, president of the Haitian Medical Association. "Port-au-Prince already has more than 2.4 million people, and the way they are living is dangerous enough already."
The Ministry of Health confirmed 194 deaths and 2,364 cases of cholera, said Imogen Wall, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "It's concentrated in Artibonite right now and we're doing our best to keep it that way," Wall said.
Dozens of patients lay on the floor awaiting treatment at the St. Nicholas hospital in the seaside city of St. Marc.
One of them, 55-year-old Jille Sanatus, had been there since his son Jordany brought him Thursday night. A doctor was struggling to stick a needle into his arm. "He's completely dehydrated, so it's difficult. It's hard to find the vein," said Dr. Roasana Casimir, who had been working nearly without rest since the outbreak began two days earlier.
Casimir finally penetrated the vein and fluid from an IV bag began to trickle in, but half an hour later the father of 10 was dead.
Sanatus' son said the family had been drinking water from a river running down from the central plateau region. Health Minister Alex Larsen said Friday that the river tested positive for cholera.
Wall said the sick patients and the contagious remains of the dead were insufficiently quarantined. "Part of the problem has been people are moving around a lot, and there hasn't been proper isolation in place at the clinics," she said.
The sick come from across the desolate Artibonite Valley, a region that received thousands of refugees following the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed as many as 300,000 people and destroyed the capital 45 miles (70 kilometers) south of St. Marc. Most of the new arrivals have been taken in by host families.
In addition to the two cholera cases in Arcahaie, the International Medical Corps said it was investigating other possible cases in Croix-des-Bouquet, a suburb of the capital. Radio reports also said there were two dozen cases of diarrhea on Gonave island.
Cholera was not present in Haiti before the earthquake, but experts had warned that conditions were ripe for disease to strike in areas with limited access to clean water.
"You cannot say it is because of the earthquake, but because of the earthquake the situation here requires a high level of attention in case the epidemic extends," said Michel Thieren, a program officer for the Pan-American Health Organization.
Cholera is a bacterial infection spread through contaminated water. It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to dehydration and death within hours.
Catherine Bragg, the U.N.'s No. 2 humanitarian official, said officials could not yet explain exactly how the outbreak occurred, or when it might end.
"I cannot say that it is under control," Bragg, the U.N.'s assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told reporters. "Cholera deaths are preventable, and we're doing everything we can. However, clearly a lot more needs to be done."
The number of cases will continue to grow because Haitians do not have any built-up immunity to cholera, said Jon Andrus, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization's Regional Office for the Americas. "We have all the things in place for something we know will get bigger," Andrus said.
Aid groups and the government were rushing in medical and relief supplies including 10,000 boxes of water purification tablets, according to the World Health Organization. Wall said some 300,000 courses of antibiotics were available in Haiti and were being prepared for use.
Outside the hospital in St. Marc, 28-year-old Ismode Mesinord was among dozens of relatives clamoring to get in to see their relatives. She complained security guards would not her in to visit her 1-year-old son. "I'm worried because he's vomiting and has diarrhea and there's no one to take care of him," she said. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/22/suspected-cholera-outbreak-kills-haiti/
The Giants and Rangers Knock Off
The Defending NL and AL Champs
The San Francisco Giants are going to the World Series after a strong showing by their pitching and clutch play by their late season acquisition, Cody Ross. The outfielder had three home runs and five RBIs in the NLCS as the Giants dethroned the two-time reigning National League champion Philies. The Giants pitching yielded just 20 runs and had a 3.00 ERA for the series. The Giants offense scored just 19 runs, but the Giants won three of four games by just one run.
The Giants breathed a sigh of relief when Phillies slugger Ryan Howard stared at Brian Wilson’s slider for strike three in Game 6. ''Right now it's heaven, but it was torture for that final strike,'' Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff said. ''We fought, we scratched and clawed,'' said Giants left fielder Pat Burrell, who won a championship ring with the Phillies in 2008. ''I don't know how we did it but we did it.''
The Giants will be going to their second World Series this decade with the other appearance coming up short in 2002 against the Angels. The Bay Area has brought little success for the Giants who have not won a world series since 1954, when they were playing in New York.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers are making their first trip to the World Series ever! This postseason they won their first two playoff series in franchise history. The great pitching of Cliff Lee and the timely hitting of Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, and Nelson Cruz got the job done for the AL West winners. The only other time the AL West winner went (since 1995) to the fall classic was when the Angels beat the Giants in seven games in 2002.
Cruz and Hamilton each scored six times in the ALCS. While Catcher Bengie Molina had six RBIs and David Murphy crossed the plate five times. Hamilton is the MVP of the ALCS because of his six runs and seven RBIs. Lee pitched nearly flawless in the pivotal game two as the Rangers overcame blowing a five-run lead in a Game one loss. The Rangers won twice in Yankee stadium to help themselves overthrow the reigning World Champion Bronx Bombers.
The Rangers had some good teams in the late Nineties but an ill-advised trade of Juan Gonzalez to Detroit brought an era of mediocrity. Now, ''The World Series is coming to Texas,'' said Michael Young, the longest-tenured Ranger in his 10th season. ''These fans have waited longer than we have. I know how bad we wanted it and they must have wanted it more.'' ''Totally worth the wait, totally,'' he said.
Game one of the World Series will feature on Wednesday the amazing pitching matchup of Cliff Lee for Texas and Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. Senior Editor Ben Fugate predicts the Rangers will win the series, four games to one.
Information Gained from
http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/interleague_and_events.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_stats ,
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/San-Francisco-Giants-eliminate-Philadelphia-Phillies-will-go-on-to-World-Series-102310 , and
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Rangers-beat-Yanks-in-Game-6%2C-move-on-to-World-Series-102210
Minnesota Poll: Dayton Holds on to Lead
Emmer posts highest numbers yet in new poll; support for Horner sags.
By RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER, Star Tribune
As the Minnesota governor's race rushes to a close, DFLer Mark Dayton continues to lead the field, while Republican Tom Emmer may be gaining ground. Meanwhile, support for the Independence Party's Tom Horner appears to be slipping, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.
Dayton has strengthened his lead to 41 percent, according to the poll, followed by Emmer at 34 percent. Horner, who has struggled to get out of the teens in all public polls, is at 13 percent. That's down from a peak of 18 percent last month.
The poll was conducted between Oct. 18 and 21 among 999 likely Minnesotans voters on both land-line and cell phones. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Dayton has been the frontrunner in the governor's race in Minnesota Polls taken since the summer. Emmer posted his highest numbers yet in this poll, but he has been unable to catch up to Dayton.
"I think people have known me for 35 years and I am grateful that they are putting more stock in what they know about me than in what other people are now saying about me," Dayton said Saturday.
The poll suggests that Democrats could be closing in on their best chance to win the governor's office in more than two decades, while Republicans may have a lot of convincing to do if they want to continue the Republican streak that Gov. Tim Pawlenty started eight years ago.
Emmer spokesman Carl Kuhl said Saturday that "we are very confident in our ability to close this election strong and win this election." He disputed the poll's findings and said other polls have shown a closer race, although all show Dayton in the lead.
Matt Lewis, spokesman for the Horner campaign, admitted disappointment in the numbers but did not dispute them.
"It's a challenge. It's not going to be easy," said Lewis. "We need people to vote for who they think is going to make the best [governor] and not for who they think the polls are telling them who can or can't win."
The poll found that slightly more voters identified themselves as Democrats than Republicans and independents in the state, but the three political groupings were fairly close.
In this poll, the sample of likely voters consisted of 34 percent Democrats, 31 percent independents and 30 percent Republicans.
Dayton, a former U.S. senator, is running a campaign that bucks the anti-tax, anti-government mood evident in much of the rest of the country.
From the start of the campaign, he has pitched the need for higher taxes on wealthier Minnesotans to resolve budget deficits and to preserve and improve government services.
So far, the poll suggests, that stance has not hurt him -- 48 percent of likely voters said they view him favorably, while 40 percent said they don't.
Dayton holds an advantage in virtually every demographic group and is running well ahead of Emmer and Horner in the Twin Cities metro area.
There appears to be a significant gender gap in the race. Dayton and Emmer do almost equally well among men, but 43 percent of women choose Dayton, compared to only 32 percent who back Emmer.
"I just think he has a really good feel for what Minnesotans need and want, and he will work for us," Annette Contos, of Fergus Falls, said of Dayton.
The 72-year-old Democrat said she likes Dayton's "tax the rich" message. "I think we all have to bite the bullet and pay more taxes," she said.
Emmer has held on to most Republicans and Dayton has done the same with most Democrats, according to the poll. But the findings also suggest that Dayton has attracted a number of independents -- 30 percent.
That's as much as Horner and significantly more than Emmer's 23 percent.
Emmer makes his strongest showing among voters who earn more than $75,000 a year, drawing 39 percent. For Dayton the figure is 34 percent.
Months of negative ads appear to have taken a toll on all three candidates, with their unfavorable ratings ticking up as the assaults mount.
According to the poll, the number of voters who view Emmer and Horner unfavorably now exceeds the number who view them favorably.
About 48 percent of Minnesotans view Dayton favorably, compared to 41 percent for Emmer and 32 percent for Horner.
Both Emmer and Horner have their fans.
"We need to limit government and not give government free rein. We need to rein in the expense and freewheeling spending," said Evy Chritton, a 57-year-old Champlin homemaker. Chritton, a Republican, is backing Emmer.
Chris Hubert, an independent from West St. Paul, said he plans to vote for Horner.
"I think he's got the most comprehensive policy that I've seen so far on both taxes and spending," Hubert said. He is 24 and works at a re-insurance company.
If Horner were not in the race, the poll suggests that both Dayton and Emmer would pick up votes, but that Dayton would widen his lead.
When asked to choose solely between Dayton and Emmer, 49 percent of voters chose Dayton, 39 percent chose Emmer and 12 percent remained undecided.
Information Gained from
http://www.startribune.com/politics/local/105602968.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU
Letters to the Editor
GO REPUBLICANS! TEA PARTY HERE WE COME! YAH!
David Fish: Lansdale, Pennsylvania
ST. MARC, Haiti – ST. MARC, Haiti -- A cholera epidemic spread in central Haiti on Friday as aid groups rushed doctors and supplies to fight the country's worst health crisis since January's earthquake. Nearly 200 deaths had been confirmed and more than 2,000 people were ill.
The first two cases of the disease outside the rural Artibonite region were confirmed in Arcahaie, a town that is closer to the quake-devastated capital, Port-au-Prince.
Officials are concerned the outbreak could reach the squalid tarp camps where hundreds of thousands of quake survivors live in the capital.
"It will be very, very dangerous," said Claude Surena, president of the Haitian Medical Association. "Port-au-Prince already has more than 2.4 million people, and the way they are living is dangerous enough already."
The Ministry of Health confirmed 194 deaths and 2,364 cases of cholera, said Imogen Wall, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "It's concentrated in Artibonite right now and we're doing our best to keep it that way," Wall said.
Dozens of patients lay on the floor awaiting treatment at the St. Nicholas hospital in the seaside city of St. Marc.
One of them, 55-year-old Jille Sanatus, had been there since his son Jordany brought him Thursday night. A doctor was struggling to stick a needle into his arm. "He's completely dehydrated, so it's difficult. It's hard to find the vein," said Dr. Roasana Casimir, who had been working nearly without rest since the outbreak began two days earlier.
Casimir finally penetrated the vein and fluid from an IV bag began to trickle in, but half an hour later the father of 10 was dead.
Sanatus' son said the family had been drinking water from a river running down from the central plateau region. Health Minister Alex Larsen said Friday that the river tested positive for cholera.
Wall said the sick patients and the contagious remains of the dead were insufficiently quarantined. "Part of the problem has been people are moving around a lot, and there hasn't been proper isolation in place at the clinics," she said.
The sick come from across the desolate Artibonite Valley, a region that received thousands of refugees following the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed as many as 300,000 people and destroyed the capital 45 miles (70 kilometers) south of St. Marc. Most of the new arrivals have been taken in by host families.
In addition to the two cholera cases in Arcahaie, the International Medical Corps said it was investigating other possible cases in Croix-des-Bouquet, a suburb of the capital. Radio reports also said there were two dozen cases of diarrhea on Gonave island.
Cholera was not present in Haiti before the earthquake, but experts had warned that conditions were ripe for disease to strike in areas with limited access to clean water.
"You cannot say it is because of the earthquake, but because of the earthquake the situation here requires a high level of attention in case the epidemic extends," said Michel Thieren, a program officer for the Pan-American Health Organization.
Cholera is a bacterial infection spread through contaminated water. It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to dehydration and death within hours.
Catherine Bragg, the U.N.'s No. 2 humanitarian official, said officials could not yet explain exactly how the outbreak occurred, or when it might end.
"I cannot say that it is under control," Bragg, the U.N.'s assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told reporters. "Cholera deaths are preventable, and we're doing everything we can. However, clearly a lot more needs to be done."
The number of cases will continue to grow because Haitians do not have any built-up immunity to cholera, said Jon Andrus, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization's Regional Office for the Americas. "We have all the things in place for something we know will get bigger," Andrus said.
Aid groups and the government were rushing in medical and relief supplies including 10,000 boxes of water purification tablets, according to the World Health Organization. Wall said some 300,000 courses of antibiotics were available in Haiti and were being prepared for use.
Outside the hospital in St. Marc, 28-year-old Ismode Mesinord was among dozens of relatives clamoring to get in to see their relatives. She complained security guards would not her in to visit her 1-year-old son. "I'm worried because he's vomiting and has diarrhea and there's no one to take care of him," she said. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/22/suspected-cholera-outbreak-kills-haiti/
The Giants and Rangers Knock Off
The Defending NL and AL Champs
The San Francisco Giants are going to the World Series after a strong showing by their pitching and clutch play by their late season acquisition, Cody Ross. The outfielder had three home runs and five RBIs in the NLCS as the Giants dethroned the two-time reigning National League champion Philies. The Giants pitching yielded just 20 runs and had a 3.00 ERA for the series. The Giants offense scored just 19 runs, but the Giants won three of four games by just one run.
The Giants breathed a sigh of relief when Phillies slugger Ryan Howard stared at Brian Wilson’s slider for strike three in Game 6. ''Right now it's heaven, but it was torture for that final strike,'' Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff said. ''We fought, we scratched and clawed,'' said Giants left fielder Pat Burrell, who won a championship ring with the Phillies in 2008. ''I don't know how we did it but we did it.''
The Giants will be going to their second World Series this decade with the other appearance coming up short in 2002 against the Angels. The Bay Area has brought little success for the Giants who have not won a world series since 1954, when they were playing in New York.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers are making their first trip to the World Series ever! This postseason they won their first two playoff series in franchise history. The great pitching of Cliff Lee and the timely hitting of Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, and Nelson Cruz got the job done for the AL West winners. The only other time the AL West winner went (since 1995) to the fall classic was when the Angels beat the Giants in seven games in 2002.
Cruz and Hamilton each scored six times in the ALCS. While Catcher Bengie Molina had six RBIs and David Murphy crossed the plate five times. Hamilton is the MVP of the ALCS because of his six runs and seven RBIs. Lee pitched nearly flawless in the pivotal game two as the Rangers overcame blowing a five-run lead in a Game one loss. The Rangers won twice in Yankee stadium to help themselves overthrow the reigning World Champion Bronx Bombers.
The Rangers had some good teams in the late Nineties but an ill-advised trade of Juan Gonzalez to Detroit brought an era of mediocrity. Now, ''The World Series is coming to Texas,'' said Michael Young, the longest-tenured Ranger in his 10th season. ''These fans have waited longer than we have. I know how bad we wanted it and they must have wanted it more.'' ''Totally worth the wait, totally,'' he said.
Game one of the World Series will feature on Wednesday the amazing pitching matchup of Cliff Lee for Texas and Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. Senior Editor Ben Fugate predicts the Rangers will win the series, four games to one.
Information Gained from
http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/interleague_and_events.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_stats ,
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/San-Francisco-Giants-eliminate-Philadelphia-Phillies-will-go-on-to-World-Series-102310 , and
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Rangers-beat-Yanks-in-Game-6%2C-move-on-to-World-Series-102210
Minnesota Poll: Dayton Holds on to Lead
Emmer posts highest numbers yet in new poll; support for Horner sags.
By RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER, Star Tribune
As the Minnesota governor's race rushes to a close, DFLer Mark Dayton continues to lead the field, while Republican Tom Emmer may be gaining ground. Meanwhile, support for the Independence Party's Tom Horner appears to be slipping, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.
Dayton has strengthened his lead to 41 percent, according to the poll, followed by Emmer at 34 percent. Horner, who has struggled to get out of the teens in all public polls, is at 13 percent. That's down from a peak of 18 percent last month.
The poll was conducted between Oct. 18 and 21 among 999 likely Minnesotans voters on both land-line and cell phones. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Dayton has been the frontrunner in the governor's race in Minnesota Polls taken since the summer. Emmer posted his highest numbers yet in this poll, but he has been unable to catch up to Dayton.
"I think people have known me for 35 years and I am grateful that they are putting more stock in what they know about me than in what other people are now saying about me," Dayton said Saturday.
The poll suggests that Democrats could be closing in on their best chance to win the governor's office in more than two decades, while Republicans may have a lot of convincing to do if they want to continue the Republican streak that Gov. Tim Pawlenty started eight years ago.
Emmer spokesman Carl Kuhl said Saturday that "we are very confident in our ability to close this election strong and win this election." He disputed the poll's findings and said other polls have shown a closer race, although all show Dayton in the lead.
Matt Lewis, spokesman for the Horner campaign, admitted disappointment in the numbers but did not dispute them.
"It's a challenge. It's not going to be easy," said Lewis. "We need people to vote for who they think is going to make the best [governor] and not for who they think the polls are telling them who can or can't win."
The poll found that slightly more voters identified themselves as Democrats than Republicans and independents in the state, but the three political groupings were fairly close.
In this poll, the sample of likely voters consisted of 34 percent Democrats, 31 percent independents and 30 percent Republicans.
Dayton, a former U.S. senator, is running a campaign that bucks the anti-tax, anti-government mood evident in much of the rest of the country.
From the start of the campaign, he has pitched the need for higher taxes on wealthier Minnesotans to resolve budget deficits and to preserve and improve government services.
So far, the poll suggests, that stance has not hurt him -- 48 percent of likely voters said they view him favorably, while 40 percent said they don't.
Dayton holds an advantage in virtually every demographic group and is running well ahead of Emmer and Horner in the Twin Cities metro area.
There appears to be a significant gender gap in the race. Dayton and Emmer do almost equally well among men, but 43 percent of women choose Dayton, compared to only 32 percent who back Emmer.
"I just think he has a really good feel for what Minnesotans need and want, and he will work for us," Annette Contos, of Fergus Falls, said of Dayton.
The 72-year-old Democrat said she likes Dayton's "tax the rich" message. "I think we all have to bite the bullet and pay more taxes," she said.
Emmer has held on to most Republicans and Dayton has done the same with most Democrats, according to the poll. But the findings also suggest that Dayton has attracted a number of independents -- 30 percent.
That's as much as Horner and significantly more than Emmer's 23 percent.
Emmer makes his strongest showing among voters who earn more than $75,000 a year, drawing 39 percent. For Dayton the figure is 34 percent.
Months of negative ads appear to have taken a toll on all three candidates, with their unfavorable ratings ticking up as the assaults mount.
According to the poll, the number of voters who view Emmer and Horner unfavorably now exceeds the number who view them favorably.
About 48 percent of Minnesotans view Dayton favorably, compared to 41 percent for Emmer and 32 percent for Horner.
Both Emmer and Horner have their fans.
"We need to limit government and not give government free rein. We need to rein in the expense and freewheeling spending," said Evy Chritton, a 57-year-old Champlin homemaker. Chritton, a Republican, is backing Emmer.
Chris Hubert, an independent from West St. Paul, said he plans to vote for Horner.
"I think he's got the most comprehensive policy that I've seen so far on both taxes and spending," Hubert said. He is 24 and works at a re-insurance company.
If Horner were not in the race, the poll suggests that both Dayton and Emmer would pick up votes, but that Dayton would widen his lead.
When asked to choose solely between Dayton and Emmer, 49 percent of voters chose Dayton, 39 percent chose Emmer and 12 percent remained undecided.
Information Gained from
http://www.startribune.com/politics/local/105602968.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU
Letters to the Editor
GO REPUBLICANS! TEA PARTY HERE WE COME! YAH!
David Fish: Lansdale, Pennsylvania
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