South Florida

[Anne Kilmer]

Michael Gochfeld wrote:

 > Many of us lament the "passing" of South Florida-----our window on
 > the subtropics.
 >
 > But, Alex, perhaps that is part of the Divine plan for humankind.
 >
 > Anne mentioned my mosquito article.  It is posted on the NABA web
 > site http://www.naba.org
 >
 > I can supplement that by saying that whether or not one thinks that
 > controlling mosquitoes is a good idea, West Nile virus is pretty
 > much irrelevant. The serologic surveys done thus far in the
 > northeast indicate that it less than 1% of the people infected
 > become symptomatic and less than 1% of those become seriously ill.
 >  The death rate for West Nile meningoencephalitis may be 5%, but the
 >  death rate for West Nile infection is less than 1 in a thousand.
 >
 > Moreover, among the mengingoencephalitis deaths in the NJ-NY-CT area
 >  in 2000, West Nile was responsible for only 5% of the cases. West
 > Nile distracts public health agencies from focusing on many more
 > serious public health problems. \
 >
 > My OP ED piece on West Nile was published on September 11,
 > 2001-----the day when no one was reading newspapers.
 >
 > Mike Gochfeld
 >
Ratz. Well, if indeed these Miami Blues and their associate ants are 
being killed by mosquito adulticides, we would need to get this piece 
before the public. Both these pieces. For they are not all so tuned to 
the infinite that they are immune to the local venom. Or whatever.
But outdoors people usually don't much care about the occasional 
mosquito bite. And, on the scale of Keys and Everglades mosquitoes, you 
just have to wear clothes and a hat with a veil.
However, if you may catch yellow fever, suddenly the mosquito bite takes 
on new meaning.

Anne Kilmer
South Florida




 
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