L.A. hit hard by West Nile virus
By Troy Anderson
Staff Writer
As the West Nile virus season winds down, health experts say the mosquito-borne disease caused far more serious health problems than initially expected, especially among an alarming number of healthy, young and middle-age adults.
While experts originally were most concerned about the potential for deaths among the elderly and those with immune deficiencies, they now say the virus also caused paralysis and other serious neurological complications among a significant number of people who were expected to suffer little more than flu symptoms.
"It's the new polio," said James J. Rahal, a professor at the Cornell University Weill College of Medicine in New York. "It's a devastating complication. The West Nile virus can cause the same paralysis and pathology as polio."
Of the 1,951 people infected this year in the United States, 37 percent developed paralysis, encephalitis and meningitis -- complications that can lead to death.
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More problems developing (Debka report)
DEBKAfile reports exclusively: Syrian mortar fire against US and Iraqi border patrols in key smuggling al Qaim region knocks hole in brand-new Syrian-US military cooperation accord. Syrian 82 mm mortar cannonade prevents US-Iraq patrols from approaching border. Smuggling of fighters and weapons continues unabated.
Washington is responding with fresh Security Council motion on Syrian troop presence in Lebanon and economic pressure, including threat to freeze assets of senior Syrian and Lebanese officials.