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Health

The USDA is sprinkling fish-flavored vaccines from the sky to fight rabies :: WRAL.com

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By Zoe Sottile, CNN

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… an oral rabies vaccine, dropped from the sky.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has initiated its annual oral rabies vaccine distribution, a project that will continue through October. The project is focused on preventing the spread of raccoon rabies from the eastern United States into the heartland, according to a news release from the USDA.

This year’s distribution started on August 6. If you’ve gotten your dog vaccinated for rabies, you probably remember taking it to the veterinarian to get a shot. But these rabies vaccines are edible pellets covered in fishmeal to attract raccoons and other hungry critters.

In rural areas, the USDA will distribute the vaccines by airplane. In suburban and urban areas, they’ll arrive by helicopter or vehicle or be deposited by hand in designated “bait stations,” says the release.

The August phase of the program is focused on Maine and West Virginia. Approximately 348,000 vaccines will be distributed in northern Maine and 535,000 distributed in parts of western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and a small portion of southwestern Virginia.

Then from mid-September to mid-October, 70,000 vaccines will be distributed in parts of peninsular Massachusetts.

Finally, in October southern states will receive their rabies vaccines. Parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia will receive more than 880,000 vaccines; Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee will receive around 820,000 vaccines; and parts of Alabama will include 1.1 million vaccines.

The oral vaccine, also called RABORAL V-RG, has been found to be safe in over 60 animal species, says the USDA. This includes domestic dogs and cats, so you don’t need to worry much about your beloved pet snacking on one of the vaccines. Dogs that eat large number of the vaccines may have stomach problems — but they won’t have any long-term health consequences, according to the USDA.

Rabies usually enters the human population via bites from an infected animal, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While all mammals can get rabies, distinct strains are found among bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and mongooses.

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Health

Vets urge caution for dogs experiencing severe case of pneumonia :: WRAL.com

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By Leslie Moreno, WRAL reporter

Raleigh, N.C. — There is a mysterious and severe case of pneumonia affecting dogs, and some veterinarians are already seeing it in Raleigh.

It’s impacting how vets are accepting new dogs for boarding.

Doctors are still trying to figure out what it is. At Care First Animal Hospital at Oberlin, they see 15-20 dogs per day with the infection.

With the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching, some boarding facilities are being careful.

Upper-respiratory diseases are common in shelters because dogs that come in aren’t usually vaccinated.

“Late spring [and] early summer, we did have a few severe cases, but that has calmed down,” said Wake County Animal Center animal services director Dr. Jennifer Federico. “So now, we’re not seeing that as much in our world.”

Federico said private practices are now the ones seeing this kind of infection more.

“This one seems pretty scary because of how sick the dogs are coming in,” said Care First Animal Hospital’s Dr. Page Wages.

Since May, Care First Animal Hospital has seen 450 dogs with pneumonia. In the last two or three weeks, they’ve seen about 20-50 dogs with a more severe case.

“The scary thing is the dogs with this pneumonia,” Wages said. “Some dogs are dying from it …

“It’s young dogs. It’s dogs [that are] a year or 2 years [old]. We have one right now that’s at a hospital that probably won’t survive. It’s really sad.”

An X-ray of a dog with pneumonia shows the animal’s lungs fully infected.

Dogs who are more active with other dogs are at a higher risk.

Symptoms include:

  • A runny nose
  • Cough
  • Diarrhea
  • Eye discharge

Wages said they’re being extra careful boarding dogs because the infection can spread easily.

“[If they are] coughing [and] sneezing, they cannot come in the kennel,” Wages said. “Just people that want to board their dogs that are sick, just please don’t board them here or any other place it’s just going share it to other dogs.”

Doctors encourage pet owners to keep their dogs away from other dogs for a couple of weeks until the infection dies down. Also, doctors recommend dogs stay up to date with their vaccines.

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Health

Wake County Public Health announces North Carolina’s first confirmed cases of monkeypox in women :: WRAL.com

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By Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Wake County Public Health announced on Thursday the county has two confirmed cases of monkeypox in women.

A county-issued release said they are the first confirmed cases of the virus in women in North Carolina.

“While this global outbreak appears to mostly affect men who have sex with other men, monkeypox is a public health concern for all of us,” said Wake County Preventative Health Director Rebecca Kaufman in the release. “Although there is a low level of risk from just being in the same area as someone who has monkeypox, it is always important to clean surfaces, wear a mask when needed and wash hands frequently.”

Monkeypox is transmitted person-to-person through direct skin-to-skin contact, having contact with an infectious rash, through body fluids or through respiratory secretions. Such contact often occurs during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex.

On Thursday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 282 cases of monkeypox in the state, which is an increase compared to 198 cases reported on Aug. 18. Here is a breakdown of the state’s cases:

  • Sex/gender
  • Age
    • 0-17: Two
    • 18-29: 106
    • 30-49: 153
    • 50 years and older: 21
  • Race
    • American Indian/Alaskan Native: Three
    • Asian: One
    • Black or African American: 190
    • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: Zero
    • White: 68
    • Multi-racial: Seven
    • Other: 10
    • Unknown: Three
  • Ethnicity
    • Hispanic: 25
    • Non-Hispanic: 248
    • Unknown: Nine

As of Aug. 25, there are 31 documented cases of the virus confirmed in Wake County.

Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. The symptoms can include a fever and sores that can spread all over the body.

As of Thursday, Wake County Public Health as administered more than 1,300 doses of the vaccine.

Also, North Carolina has two confirmed cases of monkeypox among children as of Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Mecklenburg County Health Department reported North Carolina’s first known pediatric case of monkeypox.

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Health

North Carolina’s first known pediatric case of monkeypox reported in Mecklenburg County :: WRAL.com

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By Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter

The Mecklenburg County Health Department reported the state of North Carolina’s first known pediatric case of monkeypox on Tuesday.

That means someone younger than 18 years of age has tested positive for the virus.

In the past week, North Carolina is adding an average of 11 new monkeypox cases every day.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the state has 261 cases of monkeypox as of Tuesday. On Aug. 9, the state reported 114 cases. On July 25, North Carolina reported 34 cases.

As of Tuesday, nearly all of the cases in North Carolina are among men other than the lone case in someone under 18.

Black men make up nearly 70% of the cases in the state, but only 26% of those who have been vaccinated in North Carolina. White men make up about 25% of all cases, but 63% of vaccinations.

Health leaders said they are addressing the disparity through targeted vaccination events.

Over the weekend at Charlotte Pride, some 2,000 people got vaccinated against monkeypox.

In North Carolina, four out of every 10 infections are among people who live in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The virus is spreading mostly among gay and bisexual men and transgender people.

“The reason we are doing this because we do not have enough vaccine,” UNC Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. David Wohl. “That’s what concerns me.

“With yet another outbreak, we are behind the eight ball. We didn’t get our act together on a federal level. We didn’t get the vaccine in the country like we should have. Others beat us to the punch and ordered the vaccine.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would expand its authorization to allow a different way to get a dose of the monkeypox vaccine due to high demand in some parts of the country. Instead of a regular shot, providers can now use an intradermal shot between the layers of skin. The new way of vaccine injection is one-fifth of the original dose.

Wohl said there are three things people can do to protect themselves:

  • Be thoughtful and check your partners for lesions
  • Encourage people who are at high-risk to get a vaccine
  • Monitor for symptoms

“We are seeing a lot of lesions in the genital area or the rectal area, sometimes in the face or other places,” Wohl said.

Wohl said people who attend Pride or other social settings, like bars and concerts, should not be concerned about catching monkeypox. However, he encourages people to monitor for symptoms — like bumps and blisters — and to be thoughtful about sexual partners.

“You have to know your partner,” Wohl said. “If you don’t know them, know them. That means talking.

“Any new lesions? Any new bumps or ulcers that I should know about? If you are going to be intimate with someone, maybe just take a look before you leap and just check each other out. I don’t think that’s off the table.”

Initial symptoms can include fever or pain when swallowing. Symptoms can take one to three weeks to appear.

“Condoms will not protect you from monkeypox given a lesion can be outside the area a condom covers,” Wohl said. “You do have to be thoughtful about it and we don’t know how much shedding occurs before a lesion shows up.”

As of Tuesday, Wake County is reporting 24 cases, Durham County has 11 cases and Cumberland County has nine cases.

The numbers are lower than the 112 cases reported in Mecklenburg County, which remains the center of the outbreak.

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Business

Multiple people hurt from driver crashing SUV into Hardee’s in Wilson :: WRAL.com

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Wilson, N.C. — Traffic was shut down on a busy road in Wilson on Sunday morning after a driver crashed into a Hardee’s.

The driver crashed into the restaurant around 9:45 on the 2300 block of Forest Hills Road, according to police.

A photo submitted to WRAL showed a damaged silver SUV at the side of the restaurant with several window panels dislodged. Police said several customers were hurt. The extent of the victims’ injuries were not disclosed.

The restaurant and surrounding stretch of road was closed as police investigated. Around 1:45 p.m., the SUV was still inside the restaurant with tow trucks on scene trying to remove it.

It’s not known what led to the crash. Only one vehicle was involved.

WRAL News is working to learn more.

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Science

New image of colliding galaxies previews the fate of the Milky Way :: WRAL.com

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By Ashley Strickland, CNN

A new telescope image showcases two entangled galaxies that will eventually merge into one millions of years from now — and previews the eventual, similar fate of our own Milky Way galaxy.

The Gemini North telescope, located on the summit of Maunakea in Hawaii, spotted the interacting spiral galaxies about 60 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation.

The galactic pair NGC 4567 and NGC 4568, also known as the Butterfly galaxies, have just begun to collide as gravity pulls them together.

In 500 million years, the two cosmic systems will complete their merger to form a single elliptical galaxy.

At this early stage, the two galactic centers are currently 20,000 light-years apart and each galaxy has maintained its pinwheel shape. As the galaxies become more entangled, gravitational forces will lead to multiple events of intense star formation. The original structures of the galaxies will change and distort.

Over time, they will dance around each other in circles that become smaller and smaller. This tightly looped dance will pull and stretch out long streams of gas and stars, mixing the two galaxies together into something that resembles a sphere.

As millions of years pass, this galactic entanglement will consume or disperse the gas and dust needed to trigger star birth, causing stellar formation to slow and eventually cease.

Observations of other galactic collisions and computer modeling have provided astronomers with more evidence that mergers of spiral galaxies create elliptical galaxies.

Once the pair come together, the resulting formation may look more like elliptical galaxy Messier 89, also located in the Virgo constellation. Once Messier 89 lost most of the gas necessary to form stars, very little star birth occurred. Now, the galaxy is home to older stars and ancient clusters.

The afterglow of a supernova, first detected in 2020, is also visible in the new image as a bright spot in one of galaxy NGC 4568’s spiral arms.

Milky Way merger

A similar galactic merger will unfold when the Milky Way galaxy eventually collides with the Andromeda galaxy, our largest and nearest galactic neighbor. Astronomers at NASA used Hubble data in 2012 to predict when a head-on collision between the two spiral galaxies might occur. Estimates project that the event will happen in about 4 billion to 5 billion years.

Right now, a massive halo that surrounds the Andromeda galaxy is actually bumping up against the Milky Way galaxy’s halo, according to research based on Hubble Space Telescope data that published in 2020.

Andromeda’s halo, a large envelope of gas, extends out 1.3 million light-years from the galaxy, almost halfway to the Milky Way, and as much as 2 million light-years in other directions.

This neighbor, which likely contains as many as 1 trillion stars, is similar in size to our large galaxy, and it’s only 2.5 million light-years away. That may sound incredibly distant, but on an astronomical scale, that makes Andromeda so close that it’s visible in our autumn sky. You can see it as a fuzzy cigar-shaped bit of light, high in the sky during the fall.

And if we could see Andromeda’s massive halo, which is invisible to the naked eye, it would be three times the width of the Big Dipper constellation, which dwarfs anything else in our sky.

Scientists at NASA said it’s unlikely that our solar system will be destroyed when the Milky Way and Andromeda merge, but the sun might get kicked into a new region of the galaxy — and Earth’s night sky may have some new spectacular views.

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Health

More than 550 vaccinated at Wake County monkeypox clinic :: WRAL.com

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By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter

Raleigh, N.C. — A monkeypox vaccine clinic in Wake County accommodated 559 people Saturday, running out of all doses available for the event.

The Public Health clinic was supposed to run until 3 p.m., but the county said it was vaccinating those in line until past 4 p.m.

Some lined up hours before the first shot was administered.

Count Christopher Ellis among them.

“I know demand is high, particularly in wake county,” said Ellis. “It’s important to protect yourself and protect the people around you.”

Wake County Public Health set aside 550 vaccine doses for this clinic. Ellis wanted to be sure to get one

Concern around monkeypox is growing with the number of infections. There are 95 cases across our state.

Preventative health director Rebecca Kaufman said in Wake County “we are seeing spread, we are up to 11 cases.”

At the moment, the vaccines are going to those considered most at risk.

“Right now most of the cases are in men who have sex with men,” said Kaufman. “We know that can change quickly.”

If monkeypox continues to spread, more people may be considered for a vaccine.

For health workers still fighting COVID-19, monkeypox adds to the heavy workload.

At the same time, COVID has shown them how to take on a challenge like this one.

“We are going to use those lessons learned and apply them to the monkeypox vaccine,” said Kaufman.

Wake County officials told WRAL News they have more monkeypox vaccines doses on hand.

Starting Monday, people can sign up for an appointment to get one by calling 919-212-9398 or heading to the county’s website.

The monkeypox vaccine administered at Wake County’s vaccine clinic requires two doses.

People who got their first shot Saturday, must get another one in four weeks.

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Health

Duke Health experts say monkeypox cases will keep rising in NC :: WRAL.com

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By Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter

Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina added nine new cases of monkeypox on Friday, bringing the state close to 100 cases since the outbreak began.

Duke Health experts say they expect that number to keep rising.

Almost all of the cases are among men who have sex with other men – but doctors believe it’s only a matter of time before more women and children are infected, too. Monkeypox is spreading by close, often intimate, skin-to-skin contact.

“If we compare this to COVID, which was overwhelmingly a respiratory infection, this is orders of magnitude less infectious,” said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, Infectious Disease Specialist at Duke Health.

Even though it’s spreading mostly among gay and bisexual men, Wolfe says monkeypox should be on everyone’s radar.

“There is nothing about the way the virus moves that cares about your gender, who you love, or who you hang out with,” he said. “There’s no reason that this needs to stay in those populations.”

Monkeypox transmission in households and schools

Pediatrician Dr. Ibukun Kalu expects household transmission, but not transmission in daycares and schools.

“Children with a history of inflammation of the skin, specifically dermatitis or eczema may more be more likely to have moderate or severe presentation,” he said.

Vaccinations available in North Carolina

The virus starts with a fever, followed by rashes and painful blisters that take 2 to 3 weeks to heal.

To help combat the outbreak, the state is getting thousands more doses of the monkeypox vaccine. However, metrics show less than a quarter of the shots have gone into arms.

Doctors say the vaccines can prevent infection. Right now, North Carolina has gotten more than 10,000 doses. However, only around 2,200, or 22%, have been administered.

Wake County has 550 doses available, and right now those are only for those deemed high-risk – a group which includes gay and bisexual men who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 3 months.

“I think we need to think about things from a health equity lens and ensure we are reaching the right people, that we are moving at the pace we need to move,” said Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing.

Doctors say those already vaccinated against smallpox likely have some protection against monkeypox – but it’s unclear how much and those people at-risk are encouraged to get the newer vaccine.

On Saturday, Wake County is holding a free, walk-in vaccine clinic from 10 to 3 at the Health Center on Sunnybrook Road.

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US

23-year-old identified after exiting plane midair, falling into Fuquay-Varina neighborhood :: WRAL.com

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By Eric Miller, WRAL multimedia journalist and Heather Leah, WRAL multiplatform producer

Fuquay-Varina, N.C. — Authorities say they have found the body of a man who may have jumped or fallen from a plane before it approached Raleigh-Durham International Airport for an emergency landing after having trouble with its landing gear.

Late Friday evening, police identified the man as 23-year-old Charles Hew Crooks who was believed to be the co-pilot of the plane.

Crooks, who was not wearing a parachute, was found near Sunset Lake Road and Hilltop Needmore Road in a Fuquay-Varina neighborhood.

First responders from more than a half dozens agencies searching on the ground, and in the air, along the plane’s flight path.

“No precedent for this, leaned on training,” said a responder.

Crooks was wearing tan pants and a shirt with a logo on it, according to Wake County Emergency Management chief of operations Darshan Patel.

A resident flagged down officers searching the area after claiming to have “heard something in their backyard,” Patel said.

The search started around 2:30 p.m. near West Lake Middle School, but eventually shifted to the residential area in Fuquay-Varina. They found Crooks around 6:45 p.m., when officials say firefighters helped get his body to a place where it could be safely moved.

According to the FAA, two people were on board the plane when it took off. However, a RDU spokesperson told WRAL News that only the pilot was on board when it had its rough landing.

The pilot, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to Duke Hospital with minor injuries, RDU said.

A WRAL pilot caught video of the plane – a twin-engine turbo – skidding off the runway and into the grass at RDU when it landed.

Local police are reviewing the plane’s flight path, radio traffic and working with the FAA to determine what happened.

The plane, which is owned by SPORE LTD LLC., is a small, 10-person plane.

Emergency landing caught on camera

Video captured by a WRAL Sky 5 pilot shows the plane skid off the runway, where it spins in a partial circle before coming to a stop, where multiple firetrucks and paramedics can be seen waiting.

Late Friday, WRAL News received audio of the pilot of the twin-engine turbo-prop asking traffic control for help. 

“Emergency, we’ve lost our right wheel,” said the pilot in the recording. “We’d like to speak to Raleigh and make an emergency landing at Raleigh.”

The airfield at RDU was temporarily closed until the scene was secured.

“I saw a whole crowd of people looking out the window at the jet bridge, and then saw that propeller plane on the grass beyond the runway and a couple of emergency vehicles,” said Simon Palmore, who witnessed the plane’s tumultuous landing and shared photos on Twitter,

Hermang Pathak, another witness, said RDU Airport played an announcement saying departures would not be impacted.

One witness, who was on a plane circling above RDU at the time, said the pilot delayed their landing, saying there had been a “scare” at the airport.

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Health

Durham patient questions North Carolina’s readiness for monkeypox outbreak :: WRAL.com

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By Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter

A 29-year-old Durham man who struggled for nearly two weeks to find a monkeypox test is questioning the readiness of medical providers, state and county public health officials and the federal government in combating the growing outbreak.

The man was notified of his positive monkeypox test on Monday. He spoke to WRAL News on the condition of anonymity.

“It’s been terrible,” he said.

The man said he started making phone calls on June 28 after he had developed mouth sores five days before.

“[I] said, ‘Hey, I think maybe I have monkeypox,’” he said. “’What do I do?’”

The man’s primary care doctor at Duke Family Medicine Center in Durham and the Durham County Health Department told him they weren’t offering monkeypox testing. During the next week, he developed a 103-degree fever.

“The fever is the worst fever I have had in my life,” he said. “The chills, the night sweats.

“I could not eat because opening my mouth to put a fork full of food in my mouth was impossible. It was so painful.”

During two urgent care visits and a trip to the emergency room, he said doctors only tested him for more common sexually transmitted infections.

“We are emerging from two years of a global pandemic, and I don’t feel like we are prepared for the next one,” the man said.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has identified 11 cases of monkeypox in the last three weeks within the state. The state does not publicly provide a county-by-county breakdown of where the cases are to protect the identity of the people with monkeypox.

When a monkeypox case is identified in a North Carolina resident, the NCDHHS works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local health departments and health care providers to identify and notify individuals who may have been in contact with an infectious person and to assess each individual contact’s level of risk.

“This is a big deal, and we are already behind,” said UNC Health Dr. David Wohl. “It’s true. We didn’t learn our lesson well enough from COVID-19 and how hard it was, and a struggle to get things up and running, including testing.”

Wohl said there’s not enough testing, and not nearly enough vaccine for gay and bisexual men at the highest risk.

WRAL News asked Wohl why the man was not tested for monkeypox despite getting tested for STIs.

“Good question. I think it’s the availability of the tests,” Wohl said. “I think it’s also sensitivity of people that monkeypox is around.

“It’s still not getting out as much as we need it to, to a lot of providers that this has to be on your radar.”

As of Tuesday, doctors are required to make a phone call before every monkeypox test. A state epidemiologist must give permission. Then, doctors collect a sample by swabbing a patient’s lesions. The process can take hours, and the results can take up to two days.

However, a new monkeypox test from LabCorp could expedite the process.

“The beauty of LabCorp is you don’t need to call the state for permission to test, and you can use the criteria you feel is best as a provider,” Wohl said.

On July 8, the Durham man traveled to UNC Health in Pittsboro, which is about 40 minutes from his home and is outside his insurance network. There, medical professionals were willing to test him. On Monday, the test came positive for monkeypox, more than two weeks after he first developed symptoms. The man had to isolate for two more weeks, which will mark one month since his exposure.

“I think my frustration is at every possible level,” the man told WRAL News. “At every step of the process, I have had to fight to get a test for monkeypox.”

There is a vaccine for monkeypox that should be given within 14 days of exposure to the virus. On Tuesday afternoon, the Durham County Health Department vaccinated its first four people.

On Tuesday, Duke Health said all primary care, urgent care and infectious disease clinics are able to collect specimens for monkeypox.

“In recent days, we have taken steps to ensure that staff and providers are more fully aware of the symptoms of monkeypox, the associated risk factors for exposure and the processes for specimen collection and testing,” Duke officials said in a statement.

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