[mombonn]

You are a champ!

[fiftymegaton]

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.

[templar]

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)?

[curmudgeonII]

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.

[FryingPan101]

Our headlines in today's paper announced mosquitos testing positive in our town. I've been waiting for such an announcement.

[FreeAtlanta]

Two questions, 1). Can it mutate into something worse? 2). Could an Iraqi agent have set this loose on us?

[Alice in Wonderland]

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.

[bonesmccoy]

You missed putting my thread up on your list. WHAT'S UP???

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/746284/posts?page=28#28

[pocat]

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.

[who knows what evil?]

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?

[Quix]

THANKS FOR FILES

[backhoe]

Update- here's a partial set of returns from a current search of this site alone:

3 more West Nile Virus deaths in IL(21 total) 18 new cases(399) total
			Posted by newsperson999 On Sep 17 10:38 PM with 7 comments
Canadian Man with West Nile Disease Dies
			Posted by areafiftyone On Sep 17 6:57 PM Yahoo News ^ | 9/17/02 | Jeffrey Hodgson
Castro Weaponizes West Nile Virus
			Posted by TheConservator On Sep 17 9:55 AM with 57 comments Insight on the News ^ | Sept. 16, 2002 | Martin Arostegui
Castro Weaponizes West Nile Virus
			Posted by LibWhacker On Sep 16 12:46 PM with 24 comments UPI via Insight Magazine ^ | 9/16/02 | Martin Arostegui
West Nile Virus: An Inside View
			Posted by Tailgunner Joe On Sep 13 11:14 PM with 2 comments newsmax.com ^ | Sept. 9, 2002 | Carlos Wotzkow with the collaboration of Jaums Sutton
Sen. Leahy: West Nile Outbreak Could Be Terrorism
			Posted by honway On Sep 13 4:56 AM with 73 comments Newsmax.com ^ | Sept. 12 ,2002 | Carl Limbacher
33 new cases of West Nile virus in IL, 346 total, 14th death also reported
			Posted by newsperson999 On Sep 12 11:25 PM with 13 comments
Sen. Leahy: West Nile Outbreak Could Be Terrorism
			Posted by Tumbleweed_Connection On Sep 12 9:25 PM with 58 comments NewsMax ^ | 9/12/02 | Limbacher
ILLINOIS CASES OF WEST NILE RISE, 44 new cases, highest number of cases and deaths in the nation
			Posted by newsperson999 On Sep 10 1:06 AM with 3 comments
West Nile Virus- some basic information--
			Posted by backhoe On Sep 8 4:22 AM with 35 comments various links | 09-07-02 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

[backhoe]

West Nile Appears Able to Paralyze: Six Patients With Virus Have Symptoms Mimicking Polio

[backhoe]

Doctors link polio to West Nile virus