Latest news with #LongIsland
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Once-eradicated virus now declared 'imminent public health threat' for millions of Americans
New Yorkers are facing an 'imminent public health threat' linked to a virus that parts of the state had eliminated years ago. Rabies is making a comeback in Nassau County - an area on Long Island about 30 miles east of New York City - with new infections among animals becoming 'widespread,' according to county health officials, who warn the city and island's 11 million residents should be on alert. 'The resurgence of rabies in Nassau County, with its high population density and after nearly a decade of absence, represents a serious and evolving public health concern,' said Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr Irina Gelman. There have been 25 cases of rabies in animals over the past 12 months. Four additional suspected cases are currently being tested. Rabies has not yet infected any people in the area. Still, Gelman declared an 'imminent public health threat,' which means the county can allocate more resources to disease mitigation and prevention efforts. The virus, public health officials believe, has migrated from New York City, where funding for rabies infection prevention in animals in the area has dried up. Rabies is estimated to cause 59,000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, with most cases occurring in Africa and Asia. According to the World Health Organization, this number is likely a gross underestimate. Human infections are rare in the US, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually, largely due to widespread animal vaccinations, effective public health measures, and the availability of post-exposure care that can save patients. Without prompt treatment, though, nearly 100 percent of patients infected with the virus die. To avoid infection, health officials advise against feeding or touching wild animals, stray cats, or dogs. Additionally, they recommend keeping pets up-to-date on rabies vaccinations and keeping puppies too young to receive the vaccine indoors, only allowing them outside if someone is supervising them. They also told residents to spread the word about avoiding wild animals, especially those acting abnormally. If a wild animal gets onto your property, they advise people to bring pets and young children inside until the animal is removed and contact an animal control expert to safely remove it. And they said not to touch dead or dying animals. If they need to be moved, use a shovel to double-bag them and leave them in an outdoor garbage bin. Rabies can spread to humans or pets through bites, scratches, or contact with saliva from an infected animal, particularly when it comes into contact with open wounds, eyes, nose, or mouth. The virus is most commonly seen in raccoons, skunks, and foxes, but three feral cats that traveled from Queens in New York City to Long Island were found to harbor the virus. Nassau County has had successful eradication of rabies since 2016, prior to this most recent outbreak. Gilman said: 'There may be more cases out in the wild — because we've confirmed 25, it's indicative of wider spread. 'First of all, [there's concern in] the sheer volume of cases that we have seen in one year, but also the rate of spread and also, the fact that it is feral domesticated animals.' The county will continue its rabies mitigation efforts through the fall, anticipating an increase in animal cases and concerns about potential human transmission. 'When someone sees a cat in their backyard, it's not necessarily as much of a reaction as seeing a wild animal,' Gelman added, warning that children may also unknowingly play with a rabid cat. The health department plans to use a rabies vaccine bait drop along the border with Queens and throughout the county. It involves distributing edible baits containing the rabies vaccine, often by air or vehicle, in residential areas where rabies is prevalent. 'The time for prevention is now,' Gelman said. 'One ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That's exactly what we're trying to accomplish here.'
CBS News
an hour ago
- Health
- CBS News
Family of man who died after being sucked into MRI machine "devastated and seeking answers," lawyers say
The family of a man who died after being sucked into an MRI machine in Nassau County on New York's Long Island is "devasted and seeking answers" in his death, attorneys said. Keith McAllister, 61, died after he entered an MRI room at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury last week while a scan was in progress. He was wearing a large metallic chain, and the magnetic force from the machine pulled the chain around his neck, causing him to be drawn in as well and suffer serious injuries, according to Nassau County Police. McAllister died from those injuries the next day. According to police, a witness said McAllister defied orders to stay out of the room. He apparently went in after he heard his relative, who was a patient, screaming during a scan. Attorneys representing the McAllister family released a statement Tuesday. The McAllister family and their friends are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Mr. Keith McAllister, who passed away following a preventable incident at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York. We ask the public and friends to keep Mr. McAllister's wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, and the entire family in their thoughts and prayers during this profoundly difficult time. The family is truly grateful for the outpouring of heartfelt condolences received from the community and from across the country. At this time, the focus remains on supporting the McAllister family. Both the family and our team at Smith, Cheung & Lauterborn PC are committed to ensuring that all facts surrounding this incident are thoroughly investigated by the Nassau County Police Department and the New York State Department of Health. This heartbreaking incident highlights the critical importance of safety protocols in medical imaging facilities. The family and our legal team are dedicated to assisting the appropriate authorities in their investigation and in efforts to ensure accountability and prevent similar tragedies in the future. The family is devastated and seeking answers. MRI machines can be especially dangerous for people who require metal objects to be near or on them, such as people who use wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, or those who wear magnetic jewelry. "It would act like a torpedo trying to get into the middle of the center of the magnet," said Charles Winterfeldt, North Shore University Hospital's director of imaging services. "The dangers could be catastrophic and it underscores why we have all the safety precautions in place," Dr. Payal Sud said. Injuries and deaths related to MRI machines pulling in magnetic objects are considered rare. So far, Nassau Open MRI has declined CBS News New York's request for comment.
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Sisters create successful beachwear brand as teens
Long Island sisters Madison and Paige Governale join 'Fox & Friends' with their Wave Creations apparel and jewelry brand that found success after going viral during COVID.
CNN
5 hours ago
- Science
- CNN
A low-lying Asian country's defense against rising seas? Its very own ‘Long Island'
Waterlogged parks, submerged underpasses and streets engulfed by knee-deep water — low-lying Singapore is no stranger to what experts call 'nuisance flooding,' which, though burdensome, poses no major threat to people or property. But in a tiny island nation that prides itself on long-term planning, the recent deluges are considered a harbinger of far worse things to come. The Southeast Asian city-state estimates that the surrounding seas could rise by 1.15 meters (3.8 feet) by the end of this century. In a 'high emissions scenario,' they could climb up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) by 2150, according to the latest government projections. Combined with extreme high tides and storm surges, sea levels may sometimes exceed today's by up to 5 meters — higher than around 30% of Singapore. The proposed solution? An 8-mile-long string of inhabitable artificial islands that will double as a seawall protecting the 31-mile-wide country's entire southeastern coast. Dubbed 'Long Island' — a working title, for now — the project will likely take decades and billions of dollars to complete. The plan would see around 3 square miles of land (two and a half times the size of New York's Central Park) reclaimed from the Singapore Strait. The idea dates to the early 1990s, though it has gained significant momentum in recent years. In 2023, Singapore's urban planning agency, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), unveiled an initial blueprint comprising three tracts of land connected by tidal gates and pumping stations. Engineering and environmental studies are underway, meaning the islands' shape and position remain subject to change. But there appears to be little doubt among officials that the plans will, in some form or another, go ahead later this century. 'It's a very ambitious proposal,' said Adam Switzer, a professor of coastal science at the Asian School of the Environment at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU). 'And it's really a testament to the way that Singapore takes long-term planning into consideration for almost everything that it does.' Singaporean officials say they considered a basic seawall but wanted to retain residents' access to the coast. The URA's plan would create over 12 miles of new waterfront parks, with land also likely available for residential, recreational and commercial use. Lee Sze Teck, a consultant at Singapore-based real estate firm Huttons Asia, told CNN via email that Long Island offers the 'potential to build between 30,000 and 60,000 homes' in both low- and high-rise housing projects. Land in Singapore, one of the world's most expensive property markets, is notoriously scarce. As such, creating space for housing ensures the project 'can serve the community in a variety of different ways,' said NTU's Switzer. And there is another geographical vulnerability the proposal helps mitigate: Singapore's water shortage. Despite its tropical climate and heavy investment in desalination plants, the country has long relied on imported water (piped over the border from neighboring Malaysia's Johor River) to meet demand. But amid ongoing disgruntlement among Malaysian officials over the decades-old deal — and with Singapore's water use set to double by 2065 — self-sufficiency is a geopolitical priority. By connecting to the mainland at each end, Long Island would create a huge new reservoir, trapping freshwater that would otherwise be discharged into the sea. Switzer, who advises government agencies but is not directly involved in the project, said the proposal could make a 'major contribution' to Singapore's soaring water needs. 'The government is looking for as many wins as possible,' he added. 'It's not just about coastal defense.' Officials say they expect Long Island to take 'a few decades' to plan, design and implement. Once the land is reclaimed, it will then be years, or even decades, before it has settled enough to build on. Singapore's government is throwing its weight behind Long Island as an illustration of its long-term vision — a common theme in the island's politics. (The country's founding father and first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, famously said, 'I am calculating not in terms of the next election … I am calculating in terms of the next generation; in terms of the next 100 years; in terms of eternity.') Lee's eldest son and later prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, said in 2019 that protecting the country against rising seas could take 100 billion Singapore dollars ($78 billion) over the next century. Earlier this year, his ruling People's Action Party — which has won every election since Singapore's independence in 1965 — featured Long Island prominently in its election manifesto, with the younger Lee's successor, Lawrence Wong, also personally backing the project. Land reclamation has always been central to Singapore's futureproofing efforts. The country's total area is, today, 25% larger than when colonialist Sir Stamford Raffles established it as a trading post for the British East India Company in the early 19th century. Indeed, the coast Long Island will be built off was itself reclaimed during the so-called 'Great Reclamation' of the 1960s and 1970s, when almost 6 square miles of new land, including a long stretch of beach, was created in the country's east. Land reclamation comes with its own political and environmental challenges, however. The process requires huge amounts of infill (Long Island would need 240 million metric tons of it, by one estimate) which traditionally consists of imported sand. But the major Southeast Asian exporters, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, have all at various times banned sand exports, citing environmental concerns over its excavation. Singapore is currently exploring alternatives that would reduce dependence on its neighbors. Research is currently underway, for instance, to see if ash from incinerated landfill could be used, alongside soil and construction debris, instead. Nature Society Singapore has meanwhile expressed a range of environmental concerns, including the impact of land reclamation on the area's horseshoe crabs, hawksbill turtles and nesting Malaysian plovers. Various other low-lying nations are — or are considering — using land reclamation to mitigate the effects of climate change. Indonesia's proposal for a giant seawall protecting its capital, Jakarta, remains mired in heated political debate more than a decade after the first plans were unveiled. Thailand and the Maldives are among the other countries to have suggested island-building as a response to rising sea levels. In Denmark, construction of a controversial 271-acre artificial peninsula protecting the capital, Copenhagen, from severe flooding began in 2022, though it is still the subject of ongoing protests. By contrast, there has been little significant opposition to Singapore's Long Island thus far. Flood resilience appears to be a priority in a country that has spent 2.5 billion Singapore dollars ($1.9 billion) improving its drainage infrastructure since 2011. The scheme may be the poster child for coastal resilience, but NTU's Switzer said the wider strategy could encompass everything from sediment realignment to 'nature-based solutions,' like building oyster beds or extending mangroves and offshore reefs. 'Long Island is just one part of a much, much bigger picture,' he added. 'As a low-lying nation, incredibly dependent on our coastline, it has to be at the forefront of everybody's thinking.'
CNN
5 hours ago
- Science
- CNN
A low-lying Asian country's defense against rising seas? Its very own ‘Long Island'
Waterlogged parks, submerged underpasses and streets engulfed by knee-deep water — low-lying Singapore is no stranger to what experts call 'nuisance flooding,' which, though burdensome, poses no major threat to people or property. But in a tiny island nation that prides itself on long-term planning, the recent deluges are considered a harbinger of far worse things to come. The Southeast Asian city-state estimates that the surrounding seas could rise by 1.15 meters (3.8 feet) by the end of this century. In a 'high emissions scenario,' they could climb up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) by 2150, according to the latest government projections. Combined with extreme high tides and storm surges, sea levels may sometimes exceed today's by up to 5 meters — higher than around 30% of Singapore. The proposed solution? An 8-mile-long string of inhabitable artificial islands that will double as a seawall protecting the 31-mile-wide country's entire southeastern coast. Dubbed 'Long Island' — a working title, for now — the project will likely take decades and billions of dollars to complete. The plan would see around 3 square miles of land (two and a half times the size of New York's Central Park) reclaimed from the Singapore Strait. The idea dates to the early 1990s, though it has gained significant momentum in recent years. In 2023, Singapore's urban planning agency, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), unveiled an initial blueprint comprising three tracts of land connected by tidal gates and pumping stations. Engineering and environmental studies are underway, meaning the islands' shape and position remain subject to change. But there appears to be little doubt among officials that the plans will, in some form or another, go ahead later this century. 'It's a very ambitious proposal,' said Adam Switzer, a professor of coastal science at the Asian School of the Environment at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU). 'And it's really a testament to the way that Singapore takes long-term planning into consideration for almost everything that it does.' Singaporean officials say they considered a basic seawall but wanted to retain residents' access to the coast. The URA's plan would create over 12 miles of new waterfront parks, with land also likely available for residential, recreational and commercial use. Lee Sze Teck, a consultant at Singapore-based real estate firm Huttons Asia, told CNN via email that Long Island offers the 'potential to build between 30,000 and 60,000 homes' in both low- and high-rise housing projects. Land in Singapore, one of the world's most expensive property markets, is notoriously scarce. As such, creating space for housing ensures the project 'can serve the community in a variety of different ways,' said NTU's Switzer. And there is another geographical vulnerability the proposal helps mitigate: Singapore's water shortage. Despite its tropical climate and heavy investment in desalination plants, the country has long relied on imported water (piped over the border from neighboring Malaysia's Johor River) to meet demand. But amid ongoing disgruntlement among Malaysian officials over the decades-old deal — and with Singapore's water use set to double by 2065 — self-sufficiency is a geopolitical priority. By connecting to the mainland at each end, Long Island would create a huge new reservoir, trapping freshwater that would otherwise be discharged into the sea. Switzer, who advises government agencies but is not directly involved in the project, said the proposal could make a 'major contribution' to Singapore's soaring water needs. 'The government is looking for as many wins as possible,' he added. 'It's not just about coastal defense.' Officials say they expect Long Island to take 'a few decades' to plan, design and implement. Once the land is reclaimed, it will then be years, or even decades, before it has settled enough to build on. Singapore's government is throwing its weight behind Long Island as an illustration of its long-term vision — a common theme in the island's politics. (The country's founding father and first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, famously said, 'I am calculating not in terms of the next election … I am calculating in terms of the next generation; in terms of the next 100 years; in terms of eternity.') Lee's eldest son and later prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, said in 2019 that protecting the country against rising seas could take 100 billion Singapore dollars ($78 billion) over the next century. Earlier this year, his ruling People's Action Party — which has won every election since Singapore's independence in 1965 — featured Long Island prominently in its election manifesto, with the younger Lee's successor, Lawrence Wong, also personally backing the project. Land reclamation has always been central to Singapore's futureproofing efforts. The country's total area is, today, 25% larger than when colonialist Sir Stamford Raffles established it as a trading post for the British East India Company in the early 19th century. Indeed, the coast Long Island will be built off was itself reclaimed during the so-called 'Great Reclamation' of the 1960s and 1970s, when almost 6 square miles of new land, including a long stretch of beach, was created in the country's east. Land reclamation comes with its own political and environmental challenges, however. The process requires huge amounts of infill (Long Island would need 240 million metric tons of it, by one estimate) which traditionally consists of imported sand. But the major Southeast Asian exporters, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, have all at various times banned sand exports, citing environmental concerns over its excavation. Singapore is currently exploring alternatives that would reduce dependence on its neighbors. Research is currently underway, for instance, to see if ash from incinerated landfill could be used, alongside soil and construction debris, instead. Nature Society Singapore has meanwhile expressed a range of environmental concerns, including the impact of land reclamation on the area's horseshoe crabs, hawksbill turtles and nesting Malaysian plovers. Various other low-lying nations are — or are considering — using land reclamation to mitigate the effects of climate change. Indonesia's proposal for a giant seawall protecting its capital, Jakarta, remains mired in heated political debate more than a decade after the first plans were unveiled. Thailand and the Maldives are among the other countries to have suggested island-building as a response to rising sea levels. In Denmark, construction of a controversial 271-acre artificial peninsula protecting the capital, Copenhagen, from severe flooding began in 2022, though it is still the subject of ongoing protests. By contrast, there has been little significant opposition to Singapore's Long Island thus far. Flood resilience appears to be a priority in a country that has spent 2.5 billion Singapore dollars ($1.9 billion) improving its drainage infrastructure since 2011. The scheme may be the poster child for coastal resilience, but NTU's Switzer said the wider strategy could encompass everything from sediment realignment to 'nature-based solutions,' like building oyster beds or extending mangroves and offshore reefs. 'Long Island is just one part of a much, much bigger picture,' he added. 'As a low-lying nation, incredibly dependent on our coastline, it has to be at the forefront of everybody's thinking.'
