Rashsed Esson

Staff Writer 

Bird Flu has been detected in domesticated birds in the US and now reports are saying in the next few months, chicken and turkey will more than likely be off the shelves as a result.

Bahamas supermarket mogul, Rupert Roberts, as owner of Super Value and Quality Supermarkets, is featured in a report by Guardian Business giving a frightening forecast. He fears poultry products will be wiped out.

This he says is scary.

He adds that suppliers are not saying much if anything at all, but are expecting this outcome worldwide.

The bird flu was found in chickens in Texas and Michigan, said media reports which also said one person was infected, as well as other livestock.

In response to the outbreak, the largest egg producer in the US, CalMaine Foods, temporarily stopped egg production in Texas and started executing over 1 million hens and 337 thousand chicks.

Despite this, Roberts reportedly said chicken and turkey supplies are safe for now. The Bahamas imports its turkey from Brazil, which Roberts hopes will grow to become the country’s main supplier.

However, the unfortunate outcome is that poultry prices are set to go up according to Roberts, as the small island nation competes with giant economies like China for poultry products.

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

May 8th, 2024 – After millions of people took the AstraZeneca vaccine as their choice of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization announced on March 5, that  it is withdrawing its vaccines from the market worldwide, effective as of May 7 as it was reported to cause side effects.

It is said 170 countries received doses of AstraZeneca; it was expected 35.3 million doses would be shared with 36 Caribbean and Latin American countries through the COVAX program, according to PAHO.

First reported by the Telegraph, the side effects are identified as blood clots and low blood platelet counts.  In fact, the medical issues have reportedly been linked to 81 confirmed deaths in the UK alone.  Many others are suffering some other medical injury due to the vaccine popularized as an answer to the then new virus.

AstraZeneca is also being sued by more than 45 affected people.

The vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, the Telegraph informs, can no longer be used in the European Union and it will be the same for other countries and the UK in the coming months.  Over 17 million doses made it into EU countries.

Reports say AstraZeneca made the revelations of the side effects in court documents, adding that the withdrawal of their vaccine is also due to a decrease in demand.

Photo Caption: Public Health Nurse, Patricia Coates (left), administers Daniel Adams’ first dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, during the second COVID-19 Vaccination Blitz at the National Arena in St. Andrew, on Saturday (April 3).

JIS photo from 2021. 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 8^th May 2024: A case of malaria has been identified in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The individual is presently stable and receiving treatment. The Public Health team is currently conducting further investigations, however, initial findings indicate the case may be imported. The Ministry of Health and Human Services is working closely with its stakeholders to respond to this finding.

Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another. It is preventable and curable. However, without prompt diagnosis and effective treatment, a case of uncomplicated malaria can progress to a severe form of the disease, which is often fatal without treatment.

There are five species of Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax – pose the greatest threat. Not all Anopheles mosquitoes have malaria, but if they bite a person with malaria, they can become infectious.

Symptoms

Malaria symptoms range from very mild illness to severe disease and even death. The first symptoms of malaria usually begin within 10–15 days after the bite from an infected mosquito. Early symptoms can include:

• Fever and flu-like illness
• Chills
• Headache, muscle aches, and tiredness
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur

If not treated quickly, the infection can become severe.  If Plasmodium falciparum malaria is not treated within 24 hours, the infection can progress to severe illness and death.

Severe symptoms can include:

• kidney failure
• seizures
• mental confusion
• coma

See a healthcare provider as soon as possible if:

• you are experiencing any of the symptoms of malaria, and
• you have traveled in the last year to or from an area where malaria occurs

Only a healthcare provider can diagnose malaria. A lab test via microscopy and/or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) will confirm malaria using a small sample of your blood.

Prescription drugs can treat and cure malaria.

Prevention

Persons traveling to countries where malaria is endemic should take precautions to prevent infection including taking chemoprophylaxis (use of medications to prevent infection).

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health and Human Services Facebook page onhttps://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.