Cases of cyclosporiasis spread in Florida.
Cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause diarrhea, are increasing in Florida. Fifty cases have been reported so far in the Sunshine State, but only one case in Brevard County. The time between becoming infected with the parasite and becoming sick is typically about a week, but can be as short as two days. According to the FDOH, the two main ways to prevent cyclosporiasis are to practice good hygiene and avoid contaminated food and drinks.
Sophia the loggerhead filled with fishing hooks.
The Brevard Zoo and Orlando Health have partnered to save a loggerhead turtle filled with fishing hooks in the Indian River Lagoon. WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
A loggerhead sea turtle named Sophia is recovering after an extraordinary rescue and medical effort. Rescued in May with severe shell fractures and a fishing hook protruding from her mouth, a CT scan at the Brevard Zoo revealed about 18 additional hooks lodged in her digestive tract. After removing two hooks at the Zoo, veterinarians partnered with Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital to perform a specialized, minimally invasive procedure using advanced gastroenterology equipment to remove additional embedded hooks.
Outro: Sophia is now in stable condition and continues to be monitored with a goal of returning her to the wild.
Port Canaveral expands cruise terminals.
Port Canaveral expects to finish two major construction projects by the end of the year: an expanded Cruise Terminal 5 and a new parking garage next to Cruise Terminal 6. The Cruise Terminal 5 expansion will nearly double its size to accommodate the newest and largest cruise ships. And a new 13-story parking garage will add 3,700 spaces, making it the largest construction project in the port's history.
SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket may launch tomorrow.
SpaceX is targeting tomorrow evening for the next launch of its massive Starship rocket from its Starbase headquarters in Texas. The 90-minute launch window for the 13th test flight of Starship opens at 6:45PM Eastern. Starship is being developed as a fully reusable system for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. SpaceX is under contract with NASA to have a version of Starship ready for the Artemis III moon mission in 2027. SpaceX is planning on launching Starship from Florida in the not-too-distant future.
Brevard’s aerospace industry continues to grow. Extant Aerospace has broken ground on a new third-of-a-million square foot facility for electronics and avionics operations. The expansion may create 200 new jobs. Extant says it will ramp up hiring soon. Local workforce and training groups predict the company will need assembly technicians, electricians and quality-control staff.
More luggage delays at MCO.
International travelers arriving at Orlando airport experienced another round of delayed luggage recently. For the third time in less than a month it took hours for their baggage to be delivered on the carousels at Terminal C. Airport officials claimed there was no systemic problem at the international terminal - just a lot of bags arriving at once. At least one passenger left the airport in frustration without his luggage. Back in June passengers at terminal C waiting for over five hours for their bags. The airport blamed bad weather on that those delays. Then earlier this month, a mechanical failure caused another hours-long delay for international bags. Orlando Airport thanked passengers for their patience, and gave them a bottle of water.
