During the Gulf War, I remember it being mentioned that Iraq might have been capable of using the West Nile virus against U.S. troops. Now it’s been reported that the particular strain of the virus found here recently was traced back to the Middle East. Coincidence? Are we being bio-terrorized as we speak??
Thanks.
I doubt it. Bush is desperate for international support for his policies. If they could produce a link between West Nile and Hussein or Bin Laden, Bush would be shouting it from the rooftops. They sure tried hard enough to concoct a link between Iraq and the anthrax attacks, even though all the evidence points to a domestic terrorist.
THE CDC has this to say about West Nile: Most people who become infected with West Nile virus will have either no symptoms or only mild ones.
That would be an interesting form of terrorism. Which will cause more deaths this year in the US: West Nile, or forgetting a spouse’s birthday?
I swear I saw a Mosquito with a beard and a turban. Further more, Some anagrams for ‘West Nile Mosquito’ are: SEMITE LIST NOW QUO; MESQUITE I OWL SNOT; SEMITE QUIT OWLS ON; SEQUELS IM INTO TWO. This is clearly a consiracy amongst the extremist mosquitos. Landing on my forearm while I’m watching is much akin to a suicide attack.
The west Nile Virus was here before 9/11. It’s not suprising that it was initially found in a busy Port City such as New York. The infected mosquitos most likely hitched a ride on a cargo ship (much like the terrorists are said to be doing)
This is surreal.
I’m blaming terrorists for my runny nose today. They have spread pollen throughout the Southern California basin. The fiends!
well, of course the West Nile virus has Middle Eastern origins.
The Nile is just a very short distance from Middle East.
This is just one of several viruses whose primary impact is on horses ( Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses have all been around for awhile in this country ) and is not an even remotely significant threat to the human population of the U.S. ( unless you are one of the extremely unlucky handful that get and have a severe reaction ). It rarely transmits to humans and usually isn’t a huge deal when it does ( there are scattered exceptions ).
WNV is found all over the world, but was first isolated in Uganda in 1937. It’s not new. It’s just a recent arrival. Others got here earlier. In Venezuela from 1962-1964 , VEE caused 23,000 human cases, 960 with neurological involvement, 156 deaths. In 1970 it reached the U.S. border. In 1971 it caused 84 non-fatal cases in Texas and something of a panic.
WEE is probably endemic to North America. An epidemic in 1941 caused 3,000 human infections and there are a few new human cases virtually every year.
Also around in the U.S. is St. Louis Encephalitis Virus ( related to WNV ) which also causes cases every year. An epidemic in 1933 caused 1,100 cases, 200 fatal. In a 1975 outbreak there were 2,00 cases in 30 states. It is almost certainly worse than WNV which has a lower viremia.
WNV is nothing for people to panic over. It is just one of a number of mosquito-born diseases in the U.S., that just happens to be in mild epidemic right now. The odds of getting it are still astronomically low and your odds of surviving it are very, very good. On a scale of 1-10, its threat factor to the U.S. is about 1.5. It hardly merits some of the slightly overblown press it is receiving.
Actually I should amend my statement slightly - WNV mostly impacts birds. But like the EE’s above it has a disproportionate level of fatalities in horses compared to humans.
It’s only a matter of time before the politicians pick up on the political possibilities.
But will they ever notice the security implications of making aerosol spraying vehicles an unremarkable part of the urban landscape ?
The death toll is up to, what, four now? That’s not a very ambitious terrorist.
Just wanna say that I think that’s an excellent point. 
The death toll is at 7 now.
To address the OP: Only five people died of anthrax, but look at all the disruption it caused. Terrorists don’t have to chalk up a high body count to achieve a terrorism objective of “confusion to their enemies”.
Which says to me that no, the WNV thing isn’t terrorist-generated, because I don’t see much disruption. I live in one of the Illinois counties that (it was officially announced) “has WNV” in its bird and mosquito population, and I don’t see folks rushing around panicking the way they were last fall over anthrax. Actually, everybody here seems pretty laid back about it.
If it is terrorist-generated, I think they picked the wrong virus. 
Slow and steady. Slow and steady. Cause an uproar in the press. Cause fear in the general public. The goal of a terrorist is to accomplish a goal through fear, not necessarily death.
Are terrorists behind the West Nile Virus? I strongly doubt it. America has been investigating the origins of WNV since the first appearance (1998?). If they found even a scrap of evidence, as a poster noted above, they would be all over whoever was linked.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Just another reason to smack those blood sucking bastards.
Now, now, Wolfian, I don’t think it’s fair to blame the politicians for this–
–oh, you mean the mosquitos?