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Mosquito-borne African virus a new threat to West
Reuters ^ | Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:53pm EDT | David Morgan

Posted on 09/18/2009 8:25:51 PM PDT by null and void

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Europe face a new health threat from a mosquito-borne disease far more unpleasant than the West Nile virus.

Chikungunya virus has spread beyond Africa since 2005, causing outbreaks and scores of fatalities in India and the French island of Reunion. It also has been detected in Italy, where it has begun to spread locally, as well as France.

Unlike West Nile virus, where nine out of 10 people are going to be totally asymptomatic, or may have a mild headache or a stiff neck, if you get Chikungunya you're going to be sick.

The disease can be fatal. It's a serious disease, there is no vaccine.

Chikungunya infection causes fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash and joint pain. Symptoms can last a few weeks, though some suffers have reported incapacitating joint pain or arthritis lasting months.

It is hyper-endemic in the islands of the Indian Ocean.

The spread of the disease could be greatest in so-called mega-cities such as Mumbai and Mexico City, which have large and impoverished populations, poor health controls and water systems that provide ready breeding grounds for mosquitoes, Diaz said.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: chikungunya; microbiology
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To: null and void
"Mosquito-borne African virus a new threat to West"

Because this thing is from Africa, I feel we should just embrace it....otherwise we would be totally racist!

Welcome little African immigrants! Welcome to America.

21 posted on 09/18/2009 9:14:19 PM PDT by R_Kangel (`.`)
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To: null and void

they used to do a better job of keeping these contained.


22 posted on 09/18/2009 9:19:39 PM PDT by dalebert
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To: R_Kangel
"Because this thing is from Africa, I feel we should just embrace it....otherwise we would be totally racist"

I’m going to have sex with a mosquito as soon as I can!


23 posted on 09/18/2009 9:19:40 PM PDT by I see my hands (_8(|)
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To: R_Kangel

Riiiiiight. We’ve got one large and several smaller visitors from Africa sucking our life’s blood, what’s a few more?


24 posted on 09/18/2009 9:19:43 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Dems, believing they cannot be deceived, it is impossible to convince them when they are deceived.)
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To: ladyvet

In my childhood it was a jeep with a couple MPs...


25 posted on 09/18/2009 9:24:24 PM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 240 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: null and void
"Chikungunya infection causes fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash and joint pain. Symptoms can last a few weeks, though some suffers have reported incapacitating joint pain or arthritis lasting months. "

I think I just figured out what's bothering me.(ahem)

26 posted on 09/18/2009 9:24:47 PM PDT by blam
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To: null and void

We need DDT


27 posted on 09/18/2009 9:27:44 PM PDT by b4its2late (Ignorance allows liberalism to prosper.)
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To: null and void

Swine flue to be blamed blamed?


28 posted on 09/18/2009 9:32:39 PM PDT by 1ofmanyfree ((No jobs, licenses,mortgages,bank accounts or amnesty for any illegal alien criminals ! ))
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To: pandoraou812

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


29 posted on 09/18/2009 9:44:57 PM PDT by TigersEye (0bama: "I can see Mecca from the WH portico." --- Google - Cloward-Piven Strategy)
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To: oldvike
Different regions become culturally mature at different times. Two thousand years ago, the Scandinavians were a backwater group living in mud huts and savaging their neighbors. After a thousand years, after being told how to make iron, they learned how to build houses and ships out of wood and then began savaging others. The Scandinavians at that time gave the world nothing but steel and blood. These days, they give us Volvos, Saabs, dynamite and socialism.

Most Africans I meet are nice people. Africans just have never tasted freedom and free markets.

30 posted on 09/18/2009 9:51:21 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("Do you call it 'unsound method'?" "No method at all," I murmured.)
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To: null and void

thanks, bfl


31 posted on 09/18/2009 10:08:49 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: null and void

I want my DDT.


32 posted on 09/18/2009 10:09:42 PM PDT by murphE ("It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged." - GK Chesterton)
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To: 2ndreconmarine; Fitzcarraldo; Covenantor; Mother Abigail; EBH; Dog Gone; ...
Ping....



Also, keep up with H1N1 update stories on this thread: H1N1 flu victim collapsed on way to hospital [Latest H1N1 updates downthread] thanks to DvdMom and others.

33 posted on 09/18/2009 10:11:17 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: null and void

Ahhh, another gift from the dark continent.

Like Obozo.


34 posted on 09/18/2009 10:22:40 PM PDT by Dick Bachert
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To: null and void
The spread of the disease could be greatest in so-called mega-cities such as Mumbai and Mexico City, which have large and impoverished populations, poor health controls and water systems that provide ready breeding grounds for mosquitoes

Well, ain't this just dandy? This here is a RACIST disease, attacking turd world mega-cities and all... you can almost hear the liberal orgasmic acclaim for this virus...

35 posted on 09/18/2009 11:49:54 PM PDT by glock rocks (health care, gun safety and climate change are strawmen. It's all about CONTROL.)
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To: oldvike
Does ANYTHING good come from Africa? Anything?

Coffee.

36 posted on 09/19/2009 8:04:20 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 241 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: null and void

Climate Change...


37 posted on 09/19/2009 10:18:55 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, then writes again.)
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To: KJC1
I heard that there is a weevil in Asia that will make you vomit just by looking at it.

I'm conducting a brief study to test that theory.....

38 posted on 09/21/2009 10:49:15 AM PDT by OB1kNOb (People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people. - V)
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