CDC Puzzled By High Concentrations of Herpes Outbreaks March 12 - April 9

The Center for Disease Control has recently undertaken an investigation into an alarming explosion of the diagnosis of genital herpes in multiple U.S. Cities starting March 12, 2009 and ending on the week of April 9th, 2009. The outbreaks, which started in San Diego, followed an unidentifiable pattern that has left many scientists baffled. The following is chart shows the first date of the increased diagnoses, the city, and the percentage above the normal amount of cases.

March 12 – San Diego, CA - +200% in Herpes Diagnoses
March 13 – Los Angeles - +212%
March 14 – San Francisco - +1142%
March 16 – Seattle, WA - +546%
March 17 – Portland, OR - +234%
March 18 – Vancouver, BC - +194%
March 21 – Denver, CO - +251%
March 23 – Minneapolis, MN - +200%
March 24 – Chicago, IL - +295%
March 25 – Pontiac, MI - +234%
March 26 – Toronto, ON - +634%
March 27 – Ottawa, ON - +333%
March 28 – Montreal, QC - +225%
March 30 – Boston, MA - +231%
March 31 – New York, NY - +251%
April 1 – Philadelphia, PA - +836%
April 2 – Washington, DC - +5342
April 3 – Richmond, VA - +236%
April 6 – Orlando, FL - +1135%
April 7 – Tampa, FL - +234%
April 8 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL - +234%
April 9 – Atlanta, GA - +234%

Following the week of April 9th, the CDC reported no incidences of increased herpes cases in any city. So far there have been no hypothesis on what caused the outbreak. CDC press correspondent Alfred Stein spoke with RS online yesterday. "So far these herpes outbreaks were contained within these selected cities and we believe that the increased number of incidences will not continue within the previously infected cities or any new cities. As of now it is suffice to say these were isolated incidents and the public need not fear any more outbreaks." Asked if the CDC has any leads, Stein assured RSonline that "[The CDC] has looked at all available data and has been analyzing any possible leads for months now. However, we have come up empty on any correlations. Therefore we here at the CDC have determined that this was just a fluke occurrence, and absolutely nothing else."

RollingScone EXCLUSIVE!: Sufjan Stevens Declares Washington D.C. Subject of Next Album in Fifty States Project

Folk singer-songwriter-musician Sufjan Stevens, in an inexpected move, has declared Washington D.C. to be the third album of his ongoing project to write an album about all of the fifty United States of America. The first two albums in the series reflected on the history and geography of Michigan, Stevens' home state, and Illinois. Although there has been much speculation about the next state chosen for the project, with Oregon, California, New Jersey, and New York mentioned most often, but choosing the District of Columbia was the subject of his next album was an unexpected move, especially since it is not actually a state. However, according to Stevens, was the basis of its appeal in his nationwide musical adventure.

"The District of Columbia was a really interesting subject for this album. Residents of Washington D.C. enjoy less self-governance than anyone else in the nation. They couldn't even vote for president until 1961! With the historic election of Barack Obama, I became more interested in the musical possibilities of the folklore and mystery of the United States government," says Stevens.

The album is expected be a significant musical departure for Stevens from his normal soulful melancholy, orchestral folk, possibly incorporating musical elements previously unused by Stevens, including patriotic songs, jazz, rap, and hardcore.