Burmese outbreaks

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has asked the United Nations health agency for assistance in combating an outbreak of swine flu that has killed 13 people and infected about 50 others, mainly near the country’s largest city, Yangon. People there have donned surgical masks to ward off infection, and officials warned people to avoid crowded venues such as shopping malls. Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by the H1N1 virus. Infection occurs through contact with pigs or through the air between people. A 2009 outbreak killed about 285,000 people, mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Icelandic unrest

Tremors around southern Iceland’s Katla volcano prompted officials to briefly raise the aviation alert to yellow, meaning there was an increased chance of an eruption. The seismic swarm coincided with a sudden glacial river flood that could have meant temperatures within the volcano had risen. Katla has not erupted violently for 99 years, which is longer than any of the documented intervals recorded between 930 and 1918.

Tropical cyclones

Taiwan was hit by two typhoons in as many days, with much weaker Haitang following on the heels of Nesat, which left 131 people injured, widespread power outages and flash flooding. Typhoon Noru threatened southern Japan as a Category 3 storm late in the week. Minimal Typhoon Nalgae formed well east of Japan. Tropical Storm Emily drenched parts of Florida after forming virtually without warning just west of Tampa Bay.