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West Nile Virus- some basic information--
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| 09-07-02
| The Heavy Equipment Guy
Posted on 09/07/2002 5:22:15 PM PDT by backhoe
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1
posted on
09/07/2002 5:22:15 PM PDT
by
backhoe
To: backhoe
You are a champ!
2
posted on
09/07/2002 5:24:12 PM PDT
by
mombonn
To: mombonn
I do appreciate the kind words... hopefully, people will educate themselves about this and other threats, and be less inclined to panic, or just turning a deaf ear to it.
3
posted on
09/07/2002 5:32:53 PM PDT
by
backhoe
To: backhoe
Thanks for the info. I just read in my local paper yesterday that West Nile has been discovered in 11 different places in the county where I live. No human cases yet so that is good news. I thought about wearing pants outside today but it was 89 degrees.
To: backhoe
Out of curiosity.
To anyone who knows more than I about this virus (which is probably everybody): Why is this disease so frightening? It seems to affect very few people when compared to other common diseases that can kill (like severe flu)?
5
posted on
09/07/2002 6:25:53 PM PDT
by
templar
To: templar
This disease is frightening simply because the vector to humans is the common mosquito; ubiquitous, insidious and invidious and we are defenseless against it.
To: backhoe
Perhaps someone more current in arthropod vector viral infections may care to correct me, but I am under the impression that the West Nile infection is just another equine encephalitis. [I use the term
just with caution as these diseases can be quite devastating to those who contract them.]
There are several of these equine encaphalitis infections around which cause a number of infections annually, specifically Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Equine Encephalitis and Venezuelean Equine Encephalitis. These diseases are primarily bird to bird infections [carried by mosquitoes] with occasional cases occurring in both horses and humans. The old-fashioned term for these diseases used to be sleeping sickness.
To: backhoe
Our headlines in today's paper announced mosquitos testing positive in our town. I've been waiting for such an announcement.
To: backhoe
Two questions, 1). Can it mutate into something worse? 2). Could an Iraqi agent have set this loose on us?
To: FryingPan101
They've found WNV in mosquitos in our town as well. It's been at least two weeks since it hit the papers. All I can say is that the blue jays are still squawking in the woods along the creek, and the crows are cawing. No one is ill yet, so far as has been reported.
To: FreeAtlanta
Could an Iraqi agent have set this loose on us?
I'm certainly no expert at all, but it seems to me that there are dozens of other diseases "they" could have released on us. Viruses that cause encephalitis (like St. Louis, which has been around for decades/centuries) actually kill very few people. If WNV mutates, I haven't read about it.
To: backhoe
I was in NYC when it first appeared in 1999...I still have some of the bug spray that the City distributed. I wasn't too concerned then; no one knew what it was and it seemed to be centered in a small section of northern Queens.
Last summer, here in Florida, my sister's horse was the first in the county to get the disease...it was front page news. It was a pitiful sight - the horse was stumbling around like a drunken sailor.
It is spreading at an alarmingly fast rate. I'm not going to panic...but, as a caution, I do apply insect repellent when working outside.
To: backhoe
You missed putting my thread up on your list. WHAT'S UP???
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/746284/posts?page=28#28
To: Clara Lou
most of the time the infection doesn't cause the full-blown, "your-gonna-die" brain infection. Most of the time, it's a more mild illness.
Happy headaches.
To: Old Professer
--we are defenseless against it.--
We do have an effective weapon, that we don't use DDT.
15
posted on
09/07/2002 11:23:25 PM PDT
by
itsahoot
To: bonesmccoy
16
posted on
09/08/2002 1:47:04 AM PDT
by
backhoe
To: itsahoot; All
We do have an effective weapon, that we don't use DDT.Well, here's my 2 cents on that subject:
17
posted on
09/08/2002 1:50:21 AM PDT
by
backhoe
To: backhoe
Thanks, but I believe my chances of being struck by lightning are much greater than contracting West Nile virus.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is SOMETHING behind all of this media hype. Is the CDC up for a congressional funding review or something?
In the meantime, people are freaking out everywhere. My neighbors won't let their daughter outside to play with my daughter after 3pm, because they're petrified by the media-driven hysteria.
18
posted on
09/08/2002 9:57:53 AM PDT
by
pocat
To: bonesmccoy
most of the time the infection doesn't cause the full-blown, "your-gonna-die" brain infection. Most of the time, it's a more mild illness. Happy headaches.I am not panic prone, but week before last I developed a severe headache and nausea. The nausea only lasted for one evening, but a dull headache and persistant dizziness lasted for about 5 days. I kept making jokes to my family that I had West Nile...but I wasn't entirely joking.
19
posted on
09/08/2002 10:02:26 AM PDT
by
dubyagee
To: backhoe; All
My understanding is that we are approaching 1000 reported cases of West Nile in the USA. Are there any DOCUMENTED cases of hildren contracting this virus? Futhermore; are there any DOCUMENTED cases of CHILDREN dying from West Nile?
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