FACT SHEET
TAAL VOLCANIC SMOG DETECTED, HEALTH
ADVISORY ISSUED
- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (Phivolcs) said that volcanic smog or
vog has been observed at Taal Volcano in
Batangas
- Phivolcs said there is an upwelling of hot
volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake, causing
steam plumes to rise as high as 2,400 meters
high adrift west-northwest
- The institution issued a health advisory as
volcanic smog persists - Authorities also
suspended Friday classes in several parts of
Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas.
- "Vog has been affecting the Taal region since
the first week of September 2023 as an average
of 3,402 tons per day SO2 has been degassed
from Taal Volcano for the month," said Phivolcs.
- The institution advised the elderly and those
with health conditions such as asthma, lung,
and heart diseases to limit their exposure to vog
and reduce outdoor time.
- It also advised people to wear an N95
facemask and drink plenty of water to soothe
throat irritation.
https://kami.com.ph/philippines
- "Vog is made up of water vapor, pollutants
and S02. Because of thermal inversion, there
was almost zero visibility in the Taal earlier
today," Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol told
the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an
interview.
- Taal Volcano is currently on Alert Level 1,
indicating an abnormal state.
- Acid rain may form when there is rainfall
concurrent with the release of volcanic gases in
regions where the plume spreads, which can
harm crops and cause corrosion of metal roofs
on homes and structures.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/
NIPAH VIRUS OUTBREAK
- Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging zoonotic
virus that can be transmitted to humans
from animals (both wild and domestic).
- Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are
the natural hosts of Nipah virus. NiV
infection can be asymptomatic or mild
(subclinical), but it also causes acute
respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
- The case fatality rate is estimated between
40–75% or higher, and it varies depending
on the specific NiV strain.
- There are no specifically approved
treatments or vaccines available for NiV
infection, either for people or animals.
- So far, NiV outbreaks have only been
described in Asia. The first reported
outbreak occurred in 1998–1999 and
involved pig farmers in the village of Sungai
Nipah (Malaysia). Since then, sporadic
outbreaks have been documented in
Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and
Singapore.
- NiV infection is one of the priority diseases
on the World Health Organization (WHO)
R&D Blueprint because of its epidemic or
pandemic potential.
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/infectious-
disease-topics/z-disease-list/nipah-virus-
disease