Ridecamp: RE: [RC] WNV case confirmed in CA

Someone posted this same story on another equine list and there are some
discrepancies that I'd like to point out. Medics please correct me if I'm
wrong.
1. Meningitis is not the same as encephalitis. We have both here on a
regular basis (makes epidemiology as a hobby really interesting.) Meningitis
is a disease for which you can be innoculated, and children here are
innoculated for it. Encephalitis can be a complication of any number of
diseases including such things as measles (a childhood friend of mine got it
and had to learn to walk again at 9).

2. There are umpteen gazillion viruses carried by mosquitos that can cause a
case of encephalitis, not just WNV. NAMRU (Navy/Army Medical Research Unit)
who have been operating in Egypt since 1946 have a list as long as your arm.
Most of them are rather local. I'm sure if you check them or CDC on the net
you will see. You all are lucky because NAMRU identified WNV about 10 years
or so ago, but they decided that a human vaccine was not economically
feasible and it wasn't a very important disease....however, I'm sure all
their research is being re-examined at the moment.

I'm not really confident that this particular AP guy has all his facts
straight.

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt
maryanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.ratbusters.net


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020907/ap_on_re_us/west_
nile_11

Basically says a woman in CA is confirmed for WNV.  She
did not travel outside the area.  Therefore, they think
she contracted it locally.  The virus may be ahead of
the virus trackers.  If you are going to vaccinate your
horse for WNV, you might want to do so now.

Wish I'd had something funny to say instead...

:/ - Kathy Myers
in Santa Fe, NM

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