Months after the conclusion of one of the
strongest El Niños in history, the weather
system’s lesser-known sister, La Niña, has
finally made her arrival. Unlike El Niño,
which occurs when ocean temperatures
in the Pacific become unusually warm,
La Niña cools the surface of the tropical
Pacific, altering the storm track over North
America and other parts of the world.
El Niño was blamed for last year’s balmy
winter in the Northeast and soaking rains
in the drought-stricken West; La Niña will
have the opposite effect, ushering in wetter,
cooler conditions in the northern states
and exacerbating dry conditions across
the South. The weather system “is likely
to contribute to persisting or developing
drought across much of the southern U.S.
this winter,” Mike Halpert of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, tells
CNN.com. An ongoing drought in Southern
California also is likely to continue. This
La Niña isn’t particularly strong, and is
expected to last only until spring.
Mumps infections spike
Reported cases of mumps have spiked to
a 10-year high in the U.S., jumping from
229 cases in 2012 to more than 4,000 in
2016. A vaccine-preventable disease that
affects the salivary glands, mumps causes
headaches, fatigue, and swelling of the jaw;
in rare cases, it can lead to complications
including deafness or brain inflammation.
Infections were reported in 46 states and
the District of Columbia last year; particularly
hard hit were Arkansas, Iowa,
Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York,
and Oklahoma. Health officials have noted
that the controversial “anti-vax” movement,
which opposes the use of vaccinations,
isn’t entirely to blame: Most of the
people diagnosed with mumps last year
had received the two recommended
doses of the measles-mumps-rubella
(MMR) vaccine. There is also no evidence
that the virus has mutated, which
would render the vaccine less effective.
“The most likely reason for these
outbreaks is that vaccine immunity
is fading,” Dr. Paul Offit, with the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
tells Scientific American. Health
officials investigating the issue say a
third dose of the MMR vaccine may
be required.
a 10-year high in the U.S., jumping from
229 cases in 2012 to more than 4,000 in
2016. A vaccine-preventable disease that
affects the salivary glands, mumps causes
headaches, fatigue, and swelling of the jaw;
in rare cases, it can lead to complications
including deafness or brain inflammation.
Infections were reported in 46 states and
the District of Columbia last year; particularly
hard hit were Arkansas, Iowa,
Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York,
and Oklahoma. Health officials have noted
that the controversial “anti-vax” movement,
which opposes the use of vaccinations,
isn’t entirely to blame: Most of the
people diagnosed with mumps last year
had received the two recommended
doses of the measles-mumps-rubella
(MMR) vaccine. There is also no evidence
that the virus has mutated, which
would render the vaccine less effective.
“The most likely reason for these
outbreaks is that vaccine immunity
is fading,” Dr. Paul Offit, with the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
tells Scientific American. Health
officials investigating the issue say a
third dose of the MMR vaccine may
be required.
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