Encephalitis warning in the USA
The battle to control mosquito-transmitted encephalitis has made national headlines. Less than 1 in 1000 mosquitoes carry the disease and most people who contact the virus do not develop symptoms. The virus causes an inflammation of the brain and produce headaches, stiff neck, fever and sometimes disorientation. Some patients lapse into a comma. The worst cases result in brain damage or death. (McGrath) Those at risk are small children, older people and those with weak immune systems. (Wilgoren)The virus is believed to have arrived in southern New England each spring in the blood of migrating birds, which then pass it to mosquitoes. Now, a field study of songbirds has found evidence that the virus never dies here at all, but spends a comfortable winter inside the bodies of birds that live here year round. That would mean the virus isn't a chance visitor to the state, but a resident that makes an appearance every summer. (Woodside) It is possible that the West Nile virus was transported here on jet plane from foreign climes most likely Africa or Asia through the blood of imported exotic birds or human travelers. Population upheavals are key factors in the spread of disease, and the fal
4. Wilgoren, Jodi. " New York Mosquito Control is Weak and late, Experts Say". The New York Times. September 8, 1999 3. McGrath, Mary. "State's Mosquito transmitted A western Nebraska study finds encephalitis in Scotts Bluff Scotts Bluff Country colonies but no cases in humans or horses Viral Encephalitis. The Omaha World-Herald Company. October 5, 1999 The state opened a toll-free information hotline and it crashed within hours because of anxiety overload. Of the thousands of callers, the biggest number were concerned with the pesticide spraying, though folks worried about viral symptoms were a close second. (Fritz) The encephalitis outbreak may very much have an impact on the kinds of activities we look in the future, since were obviously concerned about the problem now. It is not known how long the current siege of West Nile virus will last, exactly which insects are transmitting it from birds to humans, how virulent it is or even if global warming plays a role. (Ferraro) As a virus, it is extremely promiscuous, which means it has multiple hosts: people, different birds, different mosquitoes and ticks," said Dr. Dickson Despommier, a microbiologist at Columbia University. " That makes it very complex biology. No one knows what will happen next." (Ferraro) So far there are reports
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Ferraro Today's, WoodsideNew Jersey, Africa Asia, West Nile, McGrath Environmentalists, Woodside Iowa, Woodside Scientist, Newark Malathion, Ferraro York, nile virus, west nile, mosquito-transmitted encephalitis, west nile virus, scotts bluff, global warming, virus found,
Approximate Word count = 875
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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