- Hello Jeff - West Nile Virus can be a very serious disease,
even for healthy individuals. It can present with flaccid paralysis much
the same as Polio. People who have contracted WNV have a long road of recovery
ahead of them, many are left with neurological symptoms including paralysis.
-
- I really appreciate your offering Mosquito Nets for sale
on your site. If only people would realize that the net, not only protects
against mosquitos that carry West Nile Virus, but also protects against
insects that carry many other diseases. Malaria has made a comeback in
the US and people, especially in areas where immigrants from third world
tropical countries have settled. We have seen recent outbreaks of Malaria
in the affluent Suffolk County on Long Island, another affluent county
in Leesberg, Virginia and also in Florida.
-
- As global climate changes and warming begins to effect
climate in the US and Canada, we will be at risk for tropcial infectious
diseases that are spread by mosquitos and other insects. There have been
cases in Texas of Dengue Fever. Dengue can also present in the hemorrhagic
form and is a very deadly disease. Rift Valley Fever is another flavivirus,
like Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, that presents with hemorrhagic symptoms.
These diseases can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites.
-
- It seems very prudent to protect ourselves while we sleep
simply by using a mosquito net. I applaud your offering the nets, which
now include travel nets.
-
- Many people feel that WNV is not a big risk factor in
their lives. They may be healthy and have intact immune systems. These
people may have relatives, and friends, who are not healthy, and may have
surpressed immune systems, and, may also be elderly. I think that purchasing
of one or both of these wonderfully fabricated nets would make a wonderful
gift for an aging parent or friend. Father's day is coming closer, and
I can think of no better way of showing an aging parent how much we care
for them then buying a net to protect them from insects that carry diseases
which ravage the elderly and infirmed.
-
- Patricia Doyle
-
- WEST NILE VIRUS UPDATE 2004 - USA (07)
- ****************************
- A ProMED-mail post
- ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society
for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org
-
-
- In this update:
-
- [1] 1st human case of 2004 - New Mexico [2] Birds - California
[3] Mosquitoes - California (Los Angeles county) [4] USGS West Nile virus
maps 2004
-
- **** [1] 1st human case of 2004 - New Mexico Date: Wed
26 May 2004 From: ProMED-mail
- Source: Miami Herald online, Wed 26 May 2004 [edited]
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/8764906.htm?1c
-
-
- New Mexico: 1st Human Case of 2004
- ------------------------------------
- New Mexico has reported its 1st human West Nile virus
case of 2004, in a San Juan County man. The man had only mild symptoms
and has recovered, the state Health Department reported Wed 26 May 2004
-
- The mosquito-borne virus killed 4 people in the state
during 2003, all of them in their 70s or older. The 1st human case in New
Mexico was confirmed in July [2003]. Eventually, 209 New Mexicans tested
positive for West Nile during 2003. This latest case means the West Nile
virus season has started early in 2004, Health Secretary Patricia Montoya
said. The disease typically causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea,
headache and muscle aches. However, it can also lead to encephalitis, an
infection of the brain, or meningitis, an infection of the lining around
the brain, and can be fatal. The elderly are at most risk.
-
- [New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Paul] Ettestad
said in April 2004 it's difficult to predict what kind of season New Mexico
might expect. Mosquitoes in New Mexico appear in April, increase into May
and hang around until the 1st good frost -- anywhere from late September
into November, depending on the area of the state. West Nile virus was
first discovered in New Mexico in horses and birds in August 2002, but
a vaccine for horses exists. The state Health Department recommends it
be given to horses as early in the season as possible.
-
- The National Animal Poison Control Center warns that
insect repellant should not be used on pets. Cats are highly sensitive
to the chemicals, and both dogs and cats lick themselves and could ingest
toxins from the repellants. So far, both cats and dogs have been fairly
resistant to the virus.
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- [ProMED-mail would also like to thank H. Larry Penning
MD <hlpenning@yahoo.com> and Alfonso Rodriguez for submitting similar
articles. - Mod.MPP]
-
- ****** [2] Birds - California Date: Wed 26 May 2004 From:
ProMED-mail Source: Pasadena Star, 19 May 2004 [accessed Wed 26 May 2004][edited]
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~2159297,00.html
-
-
- California: West Nile virus Suspected Cause of Bird Deaths
- ---------------------------------------------------
- Public health officials suspect that West Nile virus
killed dozens of birds in recent months, including several this week in
the San Gabriel Valley. Crows are genetically susceptible to the disease,
which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, said Kelly Middleton,
a spokeswoman for the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
-
- "Southern California has a tremendous crow population.
The fatality rate is very high in crows -- between 70 to 80 percent,"'
she said. "I would say most of the calls (about dead crows) over the
last 3 or 4 days have come from Arcadia, Covina and West Covina,' Middleton
said. "We've found them on busy streets (and) residential areas. Crows
(also) tend to go to school grounds to feed."
-
- Authorities from the Los Angeles County Department of
Health Services and the Mosquito and Vector Control District will hold
a press briefing this morning at Arcadia County Park to discuss the scope
of the problem and preventive measures the public can take. Initial testing
by the county indicates that so far in 2003, there could be 44 birds infected
with West Nile virus. However, the California Department of Health Services
is still evaluating those cases to determine whether the disease is present,
Middleton said. The county tests birds for the presence of antibodies to
West Nile virus. If the test comes back positive, then the dead bird is
sent to the state for confirmation, Middleton said. The state then looks
for the live virus in the bird. Antibodies only show that the bird contracted
West Nile at some point, but they don't indicate when. It could be an old
infection that the bird survived, only to succumb to some other cause of
death. The first infected bird in the Valley was found 24 Feb 2004 in the
city of San Gabriel, Middleton said.
-
- [Byline: Mary Bender]
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- ****** [3] Mosquitoes - California (Los Angeles county)
Date: Wed 26 May 2004 From: Alfonso Rodriguez <arodriguezm@SaludFMV.org>
Source: Fox 6 Channel News, San Diego, Wed 26 May 2004 [edited] http://www.fox6.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=90C667
47-13A1-4BD3-B176-7AF40F761485>
-
-
- California: 1st West Nile Virus-positive Mosquitoes in
in Los Angeles --------------------------------------------------
- Mosquitos from Pico Rivera have tested positive for West
Nile virus, the 1st such laboratory results in Los Angeles County, health
officials said on Tue 25 May 2004. The finding, combined with the discovery
of several birds that died from the disease in recent weeks, prompted officials
to warn residents that California could be in for a large number of human
cases this summer.
-
- "Although no human cases have yet been reported,
because of the early detection of the virus this year, the chance of an
epidemic of West Nile virus occurring in Los Angeles and neighboring counties
is high," said Jack Hazelrigg of the county's Vector Control District.
West Nile virus, which is transmitted from infected birds to people through
mosquito bites, appeared in California during 2003, where 3 human cases
were confirmed.
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- ****** [4] USGS West Nile virus maps 2004 Date: Tue 25
May 2004 From: Stephen C Guptill sguptill@usgs.gov Source: US Geological
Survey [edited] http://westnilemaps.usgs.gov, updated weekly
-
-
- USGS West Nile Virus Maps 2004 Now Being Posted
- -----------------------------------------------
- County level maps showing 2004 West Nile virus activity
in the United States are now being posted on the U.S. Geological Survey
web site: <http://westnilemaps.usgs.gov>
-
- The web site has been completely re-engineered for 2004
with major improvements in efficiency, appearance, and usability (if the
site does not appear different, click the refresh button on your browser
to clear out the old page stored in cache).
-
- The maps depict the information contained in the ArboNET
database of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The maps are updated
every Tuesday using the ArboNET data from 3 a.m. that morning. These same
data are used to prepare the MMWR West Nile virus summary reports for that
week.
-
- -- Stephen C. Guptill, Ph.D. Senior Research Physical
Scientist U. S. Geological Survey 521 National Center Reston, VA 20192
USA sguptill@usgs.gov
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging
Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health
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