South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Teenager bitten by bees

South Africa, Pietermaritzburg - A 14-year-old Pietermaritzburg teenager is recovering after he was attacked by a swarm of bees, leaving him with 75 bee stings.Stuart Duncan was at home on Tuesday afternoon when the swarm came from his garden into the house and attacked him.His mother, Roanne Duncan, who was at work at the time,said she received a panic-stricken call from her in-laws who live in a cottage in her yard.She said she was happy that her son survived the ordeal.“We are grateful that he is fine. It could have been far worse.”Jumped into poolShe said her son escaped thebees by fleeing through the front door.“But when he got outside, hewas met by another swarm that attacked him there.”He jumped into the swimming pool as a way of protecting himself.His two dogs, Milo and Norman, were also attacked.Milo escaped to a neighbour’s yard, while Norman collapsed and died from the multiple stings.When she arrived home, Duncan said, her son was in the shower trying to get rid of the remaining bees.“He was frightened. Fortunately, he is not allergic to bees.”An ambulance arrived and asthey were making their way inside, the bees came and attacked Stewart again.“They came in and went straight for him.“He was screaming and shouting,” Duncan explained.Rushed to hospitalThey got rid of the bees and Stuart was rushed to St Anne’s hospital, where he was put on a drip and given an antihistamine injection.Stuart was stung on his head, neck, arms, back and torso.“He’s got red marks, but is not swollen,” Duncan said.The Grade 9 Maritzburg College pupil missed his first day of school on Wednesday because he was still recovering, but managed to go to school on Thursday.His mother said that although he is a quiet boy, he was “quieter” on Wednesday.“He is dealing with the loss of his pet. He felt he could have done something to help.”She said nothing like this hadever happened in her 18 years of living on that property.“We don’t know where they [bees] came from. I have never heard of anyone in Maritzburg who was attacked.”

Lassar fever strke in Benue

No fewer than three persons including a medical doctor have been confirmed dead between 24 and 48 hours interval in Benue State from an ailment suspected to be Lassa fever. Daily Sun gathered that the deceased were among four who were referred to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) after they presented similar symptoms. Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Malu Orkuga, who spoke with newsmen in his office yesterday said investigation showed that one of the patients who died was treated by the deceased medical doctor. He said though it was too early to categorically say that the patients died of Lassa fever, a specimen had already been sent to Edo State to ascertain the real cause of their death.
The CMD listed some of the symptoms they presented to include fever, kidney failure, difficulty in blood clotting as well as convulsion, stressing, however, that the symptoms could also occur in many other diseases that were referred to the BSUTH. “These symptoms can occur in many other diseases so they don’t necessarily mean it is Lassa fever. We can only confirm it with the blood tests, which are not available at present. We have taken specimen to the only diagnostic centre we know in Edo State. It is when we have the result that we will be able to know whether this was actually Lassa fever or not.”
Meanwhile, he said the hospital was treating the patients as if it was Lassa fever or any other infection that could rapidly spread from person to person. Orkuga allayed the fears of members of the public that they could easily contact the infection, saying it was only those who were taking care of the infected people that could contact the infection. According to him, the doctors and nurses and other staffers of the hospital as well as visitors and other patients were not at risk of contacting the deadly infections. He, however, said the hospital had taken precaution by isolating others, who were suspected to have the same ailment while it had also contacted the epidemiology unit of the Benue State Ministry of Health, which, he said, had responded swiftly by providing drugs.

Nigerian spends more than 3.5 trillion on generators

Nigerian manufacturers, small scale businesses and families spend an average of N3.5 trillion yearly to power their generating sets with diesel and petrol due to unstable supply of electricity.
Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, President of Good Governance Initiative, GGI, a Non-Governmental Organisation, who stated this, pointed out that 70 percent of the problems facing the country could be effectively solved through effective power supply.
He noted that epileptic power supply  has posed incalculable hardship to Nigerians, adding that Nigeria has become a dumping ground for all manner of sub-standard generating sets, apart from being one of the highest importers of generating sets in the world to  the tune  of  N17.9 billion  annually.

According to him,  due to  lack of electricity, most businesses have to rely on generators, which are very expensive to run, adding that the unfortunate development  has forced many companies to close  down because they could no longer remain competitive.

Mbisiogu, a Nigerian businessman based in China, however, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the slight improvement witnessed in the sector in the last one year as it has gradually moved from 3000 megawatt in 2011 to 4500 megawatt in 2012.
The GGI president disclosed  that statistics from the  Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) showed that it spends about N800 billion to power its industrial generating sets to remain afloat, while other small scale private businesses, banks and traders in various markets across the country spend over N2 trillion fuelling their  generators to have power.
“In the banking sector, each branch spends over N4 million on diesels in a month, multiply it by the number of branches in Nigeria. An average family man spends over 60,000 in a month on fuel, apart from the maintenance.  Statistics show that every week, 5 to 10 people die as result of smoke from generator. Life expectancy in china is 75 years while in Nigeria it is 45 years because our leaving standard is very poor,” he said.
Narrating his personal experience in Nigeria as an industrialist which according to him was at variance with his experience in China, Mbisiogu said: “To keep my Shanghai Engineering Construction Works and Industry Limited working effectively in Nigeria, I have to spend N30 million on generators alone which consume over N2 million worth of diesel every month, apart from its maintenance cost.
“I have never experienced such in many years I have been operating same business and other businesses in China because China recognizes that power remains the key driver of the economy. How could China have had over 30,000 robust manufacturers, and how could every family have had a business in its compound if their experience were like that of Nigerians?”