[SubMareener]

Looks as if they missed a cell in New Orleans!

[areafiftyone]

NO - West Nile has been around (at least recorded) since the 1930's.

[texasbluebell]

Looks like the Heartland was hit pretty hard...

[American in Israel]

Statisticly this is over the top. Not looking good. If indeed Biowarfare has been used inside America, as this startling pair of maps indicate, It is past time for Mecca to glow in the dark.

Bit by bit the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. If this is public, what does the government know and hide?

[fone]

I've pondered this question often. You live in the NE Ohio area, and this summer (in Ashtabula county anyway) was VERY unusual...NO mosquitos... almost zero. I live out in the sticks, and get home from work often around dark. I like to sit out on the porch for awhile and listen to the quiet. Only once this year did I need bug spray, just after one heavy rain we got. Very bizzare.

Back to your thesis, this scenario is very possible. Fox Channel 8 had an "unplugged" show a month or two back, featuring some doctors etc. discussing the issue. A caller asked (to the effect) what was the genesis of this virus? The panel stammered a bit, and never really had a coherent answer of how the virus began. One person did offer a sort of cross contamination theory (akin to the zebra mussels coming in from overseas ships).

The media hype on this is a bit extreme. 20,000 people a year die from influenza (so a doctor recently told me); I've talked to a number of elderly people who were frightened to death (no pun defended) to go outside after dusk.

[fone]

Also noted on the map the outbreaks travel along water routes. Makes nothing but sense to me, mosquitoes + water = breeding. Duh

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

According to a man who fills in for Rush Limbaugh, former mayer of Sandiego, our brilliant beuarocrats gave Castro some West Nile Virus samples back in the 90s I think it was. Castro showed an interest in curing West Nile Virus. Isn't it great the way the world is getting along so well?

[Mr. Mojo]

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[Maelstrom]

Very good.

Review my comments from the past on this subject.

[RBurke]

My thinking is it is a distinct possiblity. I remember an article in the London Times (a few years ago) warning of a future Islamic attack using a manipulated virus-and a version of West Nile showed up shortly after that. Yes West Nile virus has been around for years, but I think this is a different version of it--which is precisely what terrorists try to do to affect new bio weapons; take an old virus and make a newer, more virulent strain of it.

Look in the London Times past issues beginning in 1999. I think Jessica Stern was one of the authors of some of those published warnings.

It's kinda like the Anthrax incident-Someone tries to kill large groups of people but they arent very adept at manipulating the virus. So far so good, for us!

[marsh2]

Isn't the purpose of terrorism to affect a change in political policy through fear in response to the threat of harm (or death) to persons or property? If so, any terrorists who may have done this have failed to adequately tie their actions to the desired policy they wish to change.

No, I don't think it is an intentional act of terrorism.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I apparently had it only half-right. We gave samples to Iraq. Saddam and Castro appear to be good buddies.

Here are some links....

http://www.haciendapub.com/betan.html

http://www.nocastro.com/Terrorism/westnile5.htm

http://foi.missouri.edu/terrorintelligence/usgavevirus.html
--- gave samples to Iraq, who might have given them to Cuba


Daily Home - A gift Iraq can't wait to return

... Incredibly stupid comes to mind as we gave the samples to Iraq. ...

www.dailyhome.com/columnists/2002/ dh-denisesinclair-1011-dsinclair-2j10t5307.htm

[relee]

Looks like the mosquitoes are taking I-80 West and I-95 North and South from the NYC area.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Very possibly. But the map doesn't tell the story... the timeline must be added.

This year's WNV infestation began... guess where... right adjacent to the U.N.

Certainly, some posters are correct: there's nothing new about WNV. But it's new here, and it was brand-new when the first infestation was detected in the U.N.'s neighborhood.

And, gee, guess what country more than any other has a grievance against the U.N.? Hm. Let's see, what country with known bioterrorism R&D has been subjected to U.N. sanctions for a decade now... I'm thinking... I'm thinking...

[Coleus]

ping....