West Nile anyone?

[PeteJack]

Has anyone contracted West Nile virus or known anyone who has? Has anyone changed tour plans to avoid WNV? I've asked around in Seattle and can't find anyone who has but my friend in the UK seems to think you're likely to drop dead of it if he comes over here.

[FredHiltz]

WNV is not a common disease in the U.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Nile_virus has a good summary with links to the original literature. In contrast, lightning kills 90 - 180 people annually, according to http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2009BAMS2765.1.

Fred

[John Nelson]

There have been 979 reported cases of WNV in the U.S. in 2010, and 43 deaths. These are not big numbers. WNV is fairly easy to prevent with simple precautions (use DEET, don't handle dead birds). 80% of those who contract WNV show no symptoms at all. You should worry about it to the extent that you take precautions, but it shouldn't restrict your activities.

[DaveB]

......can't find anyone who has but my friend in the UK seems to think you're likely to drop dead of it if he comes over here.

I assume the British Tabloids have done their usual carefully researched and low key reporting on this.  It's a non-issue here.

[whittierider]

We had an epidemic of it in our area with crows a few years ago, the disease being spread by mosquitos.  On the 40-mile-long local bike trail that runs along a river, we very often saw dead crows, and the crow population plummetted.  We live near the same river and occasionally get a mosquito bite.  The info we got on it at the time said that healthy, fit people may get the virus and fight it off without ever being aware of it (and indeed we might have had it and didn't know it), but that the ones who get quite sick or even die are the elderly or people whose immune systems are already quite weakened.  If I were you, I would not worry about it.

[tonythomson]

[quote
I assume the British Tabloids have done their usual carefully researched and low key reporting on this.  It's a non-issue here.
[/quote]

Hey Dave don't knock our wonderful tabloids as you never know one day they might rise above the gutter, but it would only be momentarily admitted and shock us all.  Then you will have to eat your words 

[DaveB]

I assume the British Tabloids have done their usual carefully researched and low key reporting on this.  It's a non-issue here.

Hey Dave don't knock our wonderful tabloids as you never know one day they might rise above the gutter, but it would only be momentarily admitted and shock us all.  Then you will have to eat your words 

When that happens, I'll ask you to pass the salt but I don't expect it any time soon.

[tonythomson]

...thats  a bad philosophy

Is that because salt is bad for you?