Posted on 02/02/2006 12:36:37 PM PST by kiriath_jearim
Island disease hits 50,000 people
A crippling mosquito-borne disease is spreading at an accelerating rate on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, health officials say.
They say the number of cases of the viral illness, known as chikungunya, had risen to 50,000, an increase of 15,000 in the past week alone.
The disease is not fatal, but those affected suffer high fever and severe pain. There is no cure or vaccine.
Hundreds of troops have been deployed on the island to eradicate mosquitoes.
Officials said the troops would be spraying the whole island against mosquitoes in the coming days.
The latest outbreak was first noticed there in February 2005 - but has spread at an accelerating rate since December.
Meanwhile, neighbouring territories are mobilising to contain the disease.
On the Seychelles - where 2,000 cases have been reported in the past four weeks - the army has been mobilised to exterminate mosquitoes, Reuters news agency reports.
The authorities in Madagascar also fear the disease may have reached their island, AFP news agency says.
Chikungunya fever is named after a Swahili word meaning "that which bends up" - referring to the stooped posture of those afflicted.
DDT might have helped.
D. D. T.
Millions have died because of its un-earned bad name.
Thanks, Rachel!/s
Yeah, well....the tree huggers are happy it's no longer used.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, hundreds of thousands of people are crippled and die every year to this little insect.
You and Semper Paratus beat me to it. The unnecessary deaths of millions of people (mostly in Africa) since DDT was banned is directly attributable to the Kumbayah wing of the Democrat party. Do they feel bad? Nope. They're too busy congratulating each other to notice all the people who died as a result of their propaganda war against a pesticide that has not caused one documented human death.
Amazing. What are the odds that it would be a round number like that. Incredible...
Agreed !!and do not forget Malaria
Little known fact - that's the same as the derivation for the word "Clinton".
Bingo! When was it outlawed? I think it was when I was a kid 50 years ago.
I've often wondered why there isn't someone somewhere making black market DDT. I'd want to buy some.
I miss DDT, chlordane, and mirex. Good Lord, have they gotten rid of lindane, too?
At what point will Rachel Carson receive the credit for all of the deaths that she's caused?
Since when has the left cared about dead babies, children, etc? The campaign against DDT is a travesty.
She'll be up there with Hitler, Stalin and Mao pretty soon...
Catch a few, put them in a jar and send them to the Iranian and N. Korean dictators.
I'm going to forward this one over to JunkScience.com
They sprayed and sprayed with stuff you can't get today. They killed all the mosquitos and effectively eliminated all malaria.
By 2000, malaria had re-appeared in the Kingdom because malaria-infected east Africans went to work for Saudi ARAMCO and re-infected the healthy Saudi mosquitoes.
No biggie. Spraying continues and malaria is curable. Saudis are healthy malaria-free, for the most part. Don't ask about letting in sick/healthy workers....I know, I know. That, apparently can't happen.
Reunion could be healthier if the local government would spray as assiduously as needed....and continued the war on this mosquito.
I suppose the French will have to pony up the Euros for everything....I hold out no hope for the locals. They are doomed without external help.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.