- The following two emails point toward an entirely unusual
epidemiological spread pattern for West Nile Virus. -ed
-
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- From Mary Sparrowdancer 8-25-2
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- Hi Jeff,
-
- There's a statement in the Reuters news article "Cuba
Offers to Help US Contain West Nile Virus," that just doesn't seem
quite clear to me.
-
- " . . . West Nile virus, which is moving across
the United States mainly through bird migration . . . "
-
- From my observations as a former long-time wildlife rehabilitator,
the summer months are primarily the breeding months for most of our birds
(with a few exceptions, of course) - so, these would NOT be months of expected
migration.
-
- Even if they were migratory months, however, migratory
routes are generally north/south in direction. It seems strange for the
WNV to be blamed "mainly on bird migration" when the WNV appears
to be following a more east-to-west course.
-
- Kind regards,
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- Mary Sparrowdancer
www.sparrowdancer.com
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- _____
-
-
- From Patricia Doyle, PhD
- dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com
8-25-2
-
- Exactly! We would have expected some zigzagging effect
from birds that normally stay within a 50 mile area this time of year.
There might possibly be a slight cross area contamination, but by and large
West Nile Virus should NOT have passed the 97th meridian. Most epidemiologists
thought it would not pass the 97th.
-
- Also, I have heard the theory that the birds were infected
in Cuba and sent North. This really would not be the case because the infections
would have been seen first in the south - in Florida and North Carolina,
Carolina, etc., not FIRST in New York near Plum Island. As the writer shows,
the virus is going due west along the interstates. Since when do birds
migrate along interstates due west. Maybe they got tired this year and
decided to vacation in California and they are hitchiking out in true "hippy"
fashion of the 60s and 70s! grins!
-
- Some epidemiologists thought that perhaps, WNV might
hit California from birds migrating north from Central and South America.
No one ever dreamed of a due west spread of the virus along major US Interstate
highways.
-
- That, to my mind, spells H-U-M-A-N. Whether by carlessness
or plan, but human.
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- Patty
-
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- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging
Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/emergingdiseases/index.shtml
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health
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