At his new digs, PalMD discusses recent news revealing the presence of dengue virus in the Florida Keys--the first appearance in the state in almost 75 years. Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause serious disease, including a hemorrhagic manifestation, and the current outbreak is pitting public health professionals against the tourism industry in the Keys. It's also brought to public attention the closing of CDC's vector-borne disease branch due to funding difficulties. The intersection of these--viral emergence, politics, and economic interests--has the potential to cause a huge mess on the gulf coast, where they've obviously already had enough recent heartbreak.
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Bird flu isn't the only virus dangerous to humans that finds its primary home in birds. West Nile Virus (WNV) and other arbovirus infections do, too. WNV is now on the rise in California and seems worse than last year:
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The name "dengue" means "breakbone fever" due to the extreme bone pain it causes. The virus is a member of the flavivirus family, which includes the virus that causes yellow fever. Both viruses are arboviruses--viruses that are transmitted by arthropods. In the case of dengue and YF, the…
Thanks, Tara!
Sun that will peel the skin off your average yankee, equine encephalitis, bird flu, malaria, huge mosquitoes, monstrous flying roaches, alligators that hide just below the surface, pythons lurking, hurricanes, sweltering heat and brutal humidity (87F and 95% RH at 0900), and now dengue fever. Yes, Florida is a hell-hole. It is the suffering of the damned down here.
So stay away. Don't even consider moving down here. If you're already here and can, save yourselves and move away.
Let us suffer in peace.
Yes, Florida is a hell-hole. It is the suffering of the damned down here.Thanks yes thats a good idea.