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At a time when West Nile virus is still a potential killer, health officials are worried that a reorganization plan by the Morris County Freeholders will cut mosquito control efforts.

The freeholders plan to eliminate the all-volunteer, Morris County Mosquito Extermination Commission and fold the paid staff into the county public works department.

The proposed reorganization is expected to go into effect after the freeholders January reorganization.

The plan comes not long after a 92-year-old county resident died earlier in the month after contracting West Nile disease.

Infected mosquitoes were first discovered on Aug. 1 at Donatoni Community Park on West Main Street in Rockaway. A week later, the park and surrounding woods, path and access road were treated by the mosquito commission.

As of earlier this month, mosquitoes carrying West Nile have been found in 22 pools, or collections of about 50 tested mosquitoes, in Morris County out of more than 250 tests performed this year.

Morris County Freeholder David Scapicchio, former mayor of Mount Olive, said the reorganization wont affect mosquito control programs but it will save money.

Nothing is changing other than were folding the office responsibilities into public works, Scapicchio said.

Scapicchio said that as part of the savings, the county will have to complete just one audit for both the mosquito control commission and the public works department.

Other potential savings are expected through centralized purchasing, vehicle inspection and licensing.

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Health officials say cost-saving measure could cut mosquito control

LIFE was sweet for Michael Hebington in 1984. A waiter at some of New Yorks most glamorous venues, his busy social life included trips to night spots such as Studio 54.

But that summer he started feeling sick and a swollen gland problem wouldnt go away.

A visit to a doctor turned his life upside down. He had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Back then, it was seen as a death sentence.

Michael, now 61, can look back at those days and be grateful that he is still here, after living with the virus for nearly 30 years.

The Scot said: My consultant jokes with me that I might just live forever, like the Freddie Mercury song.

I have tried to find people who have lived with this as long as I have and I have never heard of anyone else who is approaching 30 years.

I dont know why I have. Its just a flip of the dice, I think.

For some odd reason, as deathly ill as I may have been at times and having been sent to hospitals and hospices, I have never yet thought this is it.

But who knows, maybe you dont ever feel like that until it really is it.

Michael, from Dumfriesshire, was caught in the eye of the early HIV storm.

Continue reading here:
HIV Awareness: Scot tells how love, luck and medical breakthroughs have helped him survive 30 years with killer virus

KEY WEST, Fla., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A measles-like virus killing dolphins along the U.S. east coast has reached Florida and is now infecting whales as well, wildlife experts say.

A die-off of bottlenose dolphins that began in June has been steadily moving south as herds of the marine mammals migrate south, they said.

The virus, which has killed 753 dolphins so far -- in the worst outbreak ever recorded -- has now been identified in two species of whale, NBC News reported Monday.

Three stranded and decaying humpback whales and two pygmy whales in similar shape tested positive for the dolphin morbillivirus, researches said.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration says more tests will be needed to see if the dolphin virus, usually rare in whales, was the cause of their deaths.

"Most of them are very decomposed," making detection of the disease in tissue samples harder, Teri Rowles of the NOAA Fishers Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program said.

Resident Florida bottlenose dolphins are at risk of catching the virus, which spreads through close contact or shared air, she said.

"There is no vaccine that can be deployed for a large bottlenose dolphin population or any cetacean species," Rowles said. "Currently there is nothing that can be done to prevent the infection spreading, or prevent animals that get infected from having severe clinical disease."

Read the rest here:
Killer virus found in migrating dolphins identified in whales, too

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - With past viruses, often called ransomware, a trip to your local computer store and $100 got you back online with your files intact.

But the latest version called a Cryptolocker can permanently destroy every file, picture and email on your personal computer.

The owner of Pinellas Computers Ryan Malize says it's the nastiest virus he's seen. The Cryptolocker not only hijacks your computer and its files, it threatens to destroy them if the user doesn't come up with $300.

But that's not what makes this virus a killer.

It locks down your computer with a random password only the hacker knows. Experts can repair your computer, but may not be able to recover files that are encrypted.

And there are no guarantees that paying the $300 ransom will lead to the restoration of your documents, pictures and anything else in your user folder including emails.

The virus hits your computer through links contained in emails and rogue websites. Here is how you can protect yourself:

1) Install or update antivirus software

2) Schedule backups so if a virus does hit you don't lose everything.

3) Put children and others on limited user or guest accounts, which helps to lock down your computer.

See the article here:
Computer virus will destroy all files

With past viruses, often called ransomware, a trip to your local computer store and $100 got you back online with your files in tact.

But the latest version called a Cryptolocker can permanently destroy every file, picture and email on your PC.

The owner of Pinellas Computers Ryan Malize says it's the nastiest virus he's seen. The Cryptolocker not only hijacks your computer and it's files, it threatens to destroy them if the user doesn't come up with $300.

But that's not what makes this virus a killer.

It locks down your computer with a random password only the hacker knows. Experts like Malize can repair your computer, but may not be able to recover files as they are encrypted.

And there are no guarantees that paying the $300 ransom will lead to the restoration of your documents, pictures and anything else in your user folder including emails.

The virus hits your computer through links contained in emails and rogue websites. Here is how you can protect yourself.

1) Install or update antivirus software

2) Schedule back ups so if a virus does hit you don't lose everything.

3) Put children and others on limited user or guest accounts which helps to lock down your computer.

Read this article:
No cure for new PC virus