I happen to think this is sensationalism, but apparently a bat was flying around a Baltimore Ravens game and the Maryland Dept. of health says there is a risk of Rabies infection. Article here. I think the infection risk is significantly lower than the alarm, but it is just one more in the long list of growing diseases.
Category Archives: Viruses, bacteria, plagues, disease
West Nile Outbreak Day 7 – California Edition
It is closing in around us. We were all so unsuspecting. Santa Monica has found two dead birds infected with West Nile. One confirmed case in Studio City, two in the Inland Empire. I hope they don’t start spraying like they are in Dallas.
Resurgent Diseases: California Edition
And the pestilence train keeps coming. In San Diego County, 3 squirrels were found to have Bubonic Plague. If for no other reason, go to the website to see the front page picture. It’s absolutely adorable. While still common, and no cause for alarm (don’t start killing these furry nut eaters), I do feel like it needs to be documented based on the sheer number of strange diseases that are rearing their heads. This disease usually spreads to humans from flea bites, just like when it wipes out 1/4 of Europe. As I reported earlier, there was a case of Bubonic Plague in Oregon. Stray cat bite was the culprit there.
In local news, Typhus is back! Two people have contracted Typhus from fleas found in the Burbank area.
I mentioned this yesterday, but it strikes m that fleas are also great carriers of disease, much like mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are more mobile, but fleas have almost exclusive access to human beings. These two critters are perfect harbingers.
Also, and I will go into this in my next post, but West Nile is closing in on California residents. Two dead birds were found to be infected. There have been several cases in 11 counties in California, including Santa Monica, and Studio City.
Mid-West Nile Outbreak Day 7
According to the CDC, this outbreak of West Nile is the largest in US history. Why is this? Mosquitoes multiply in standing water, streams, rivers, etc. The Midwest is in a drought. The amount of standing water is significantly less than it would be during a wet summer. I am not entomologist, but this whole situation seems crazy to me. I will say, and this is strictly to fuel the conspiracy flames, that a mosquito would be a perfect delivery system for any type of virus. They are in most climates in the US, they are basically walking syringes (as are viruses), and they multiply like crazy.
What irked me in this article is that the CDC says that one in 500 are infected. As I reported a few days ago, officials in Chicago found that 90% of the mosquitoes tested positive! 90%! This whole thing is unbelievable.
Also, according to this article, there have been over 1,000 cases, and HALF of them are in Texas? I KNOW it’s a big state. I know this. I’m just mentioning it because it stuck out to me.
First case in 1999. Where did it come from? I want to do a quick study on all the NEW virulent forms of disease. Not new strains, that can be attributed to Antibiotics. I mean entirely new, extremely deadly diseases.
Mid-West Nile Outbreak: Day 6 part 2
Ok, it seems there have been a few more fatalities associated with West Nile. ABC News just reported that there have been West Nile related deaths both in Dallas Texas, and Fresno California. It seems the victims were both elderly. It really begs the question: Why has this strain become so virulent, so quickly? This wasn’t even news a week ago and now several confirmed cases all across the country?