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 ...
ping
Chikun Gun Y’all
eat More ChiKun
DDT ...
Does ANYTHING good come from Africa? Anything?
This pisses me off. Liberals never have to accept responsibility for their actions...they were primarily responsible for the banning of DDT, and millions have died from insect borne diseases and hundreds of millions more have suffered...for what?
Grrrr.
Barak Obama?
Another thing I can stress over besides the swine flu.
It's called
There might still be time....
It was great fun running thru the smoke when the Northern
Wisconsin the family stayed there in the early 1950’s.
YUK — OMG! What did we do to ourselves in the goode olde daze!
Ok, that’s it, I’m ready to sign up for ObamaCare. Can we have a few more health scares to boost support?
I heard that there is a weevil in Asia that will make you vomit just by looking at it. Sign up now, citizens, and push through ObamaCare.
thanks, bfl
Driving our bikes behind the mosquito truck. Maybe they outlawed DDT because it turned you into conservatives.
Obama is the African virus we need protection from.
Dern insect terrorists. I kill every bug I see, just in case. The only good bug is a dead bug.
I found a darn good wife, and at a bargain, in S Africa. British trained, of Latin descent—I would highly recommend the breed.
Population control.
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