Comments on: Waging a losing war against mosquitoes
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- In Africa, mosquito bites are very serious. Malaria and other diseases. You have to have a strong program of medicine and vaccines. Many African nations aren't yet there, but a few have progressed very far. The Gambia is the one that comes to mind. Thanks to President Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia has a the highest child immunization rate in all of Africa. It's between 97-99%. And the Gambia was certified as polio-free in 2004.
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- Much to my surprise the virus/disease is still very much alive. I am a survivor of the Incefelitus and I was 4-years old. I remember everything in vivid detail & color that night I went to the hospital. The virus apparently had reached dangerous proportions. I, much to my Father's surprise when I tell him the story is astonished at the details I do remember. At such a young age.
I remember sitting on the couch in the living room with my family as they watched the TV. My nervous system (as I understand now) would not allow me to talk, comprehend, use facial expressions or move any part of my body (arms, legs speech) and could not walk. It was time for bed and my Father carried me up the steps to my room and put me in my bed then gently put the covers over me. I felt secure. I thought and heard nothing. I have no recollection of the time my father returned to my room and carried me down the steps and out to the car. It was so cold outside! My parent's had taken me to the hospital ER. The only distress I felt was when the PEOPLE stepped in. The physicians, nurses, mom and dad moving quickly around/in and out of the room! The nursing staff abruptly started stripping me of my clothes and took my favorite security blanket to be destroyed in the incinerator. The staff entered with face masks, full white draping covering their body and white gloves that extended to their shoulders. There I laid in a cold ER room, no clothing and everyone had left the room. My mother, crying came in to see me and told me and told me she was going to get a drink of water and she would be right back. I remember waiting for her to come back but she never did. Apparently the hospital told her to leave and she was emotionally unable to tell me this (which in retrospect was the best decision).
You must know the virus/illness was not painful. The people were the distress factor! I was terrified not knowing what "the heck" was going on! The next thing I remember was slowly opening my eyes and seeing my Doctor observing me through a glass window. I was in a glass house. I was in quarantine. I did not have happy, scarey or sad thoughts. I was just there! My doctor was a nice man and seemed to find comfort when I saw him through the glass. I was not awake very much. I mean "awake" as just barely opening my eyes. A moment later I was sleeping again.
On Easter Sunday, my father refused to let me lie in that "glass House" and ignored Dr. orders and entered in to the house with me. I did not know when he arrived this I remember slowly opening my eyes and seeing him sitting next to me with a BIG EASTER BASKET! A tear ran from eye when I saw him. GOD did I miss him. He handed me a stick of Wrigley's chewing gum and he put it in my mouth. I did not object and wanted to take it because I did not want to hurt his feelings, simply out of Love! I was unable to chew the gum and went back in to the deep sleep. My dreams while in that glass house still haunt me today at 54 years old. The bright lights, visions of me walking aimlessly looking for someone! And the lights were so bright. Everything was bright white and no one was around! I spent a couple of months in the hospital. What occurred from this time to the time I was moved to a hospital bed is not realized nor remembered.
The next thing I remember was being happy and jumping up and down on the hospital bed in my room. I had a new dress that was pink with ruffles. I was going home!
In the 50's if you had two diagnosis - if you lived it very likely you would have severe mental retardation (as it was said in those days). The inability to care for yourself in any way further in to life. But the trauma and medical help did not end. All of the child psychiatrist's, waking up screaming for help where my mother would find me trapped in closets and urinated myself. Walking out of the house around midnight and caught walking down the street, sleep walking, found in the basement, and more. I have struggled through life with some of it's effects. A lot of negative side effects! You see that living through the past 50-yrs has been the challenging part. I am always grateful for life as it was meant to be.
To this mother I sincerely say, your child more than likely was not in pain. Find peace in your heart that she is in a safe and loving place. My recovery and life time battles I am sure I would not wish on anyone. - Reply to this comment
- And what is the cost (so far) of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? A TRILLION dollars? We could have sprayed the entire planet or at least gone a long ways towards figuring out how to eradicate mosquitoes world wide. Spending billions saving lives instead of taking them. What a concept! Too bad the war profiteers aren't in the mosquito eradication business instead of the death business. Then the politicians that they own would be taking an entirely different course.
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- Correction: Last words in prior posting should be
h0mo sapien. - Reply to this comment
- Would someone please tell us if traces of HIV-infected blood remain in a mosquito's proboscis, so that sucking blood from the next individual can infect him/her with the HIV Virus?
Mosquitoes' transmitting diseases to humans, may very well be the way for Mother Earth to rid the planet of the extremely destructive creature, **** sapien. - Reply to this comment
- This was the most heartbreaking segment I've seen in my life. To lose a baby this way is indescribable. Then a few minutes later the segment on President Garfield was equally as sad.
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- I am actually very lucky. Mosquitoes don't like my blood for some reason. I'm not saying that I haven't gotten any bites, but vary rarely. Where I live, I don't really see that many. I might get one bite every couple of years.
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- Furthermore, aren't there some birds or bugs that can eat the things? Fish? Surely blanketing water with chemicals is not a satisfactory long-term solution, as it has apparently proven not to be. There's got to be a better way to keep populations in check. What are other countries doing? What's the research on this?
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- How an article about mosquitoes devolves into racial stereotyping I'll never know, but one thing I do know is that, despite their threat to humans, mosquitoes play an ecological role of some kind or they wouldn't be here. It would have been nice to have seen this mentioned or maybe even explained in the article somewhere, or even in a comment if possible. Biologists? Also, as with infectious bacteria and antibiotics, creating more disease-resistant strains through forced selection is likely doing more harm than good. Aren't there any other ways to deal with this? Biologists?
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- "To those who worry about environmental impact, Redovan said the spray is formulated to be toxic only to mosquitoes..."
Oh bull. No pesticide is non-toxic. Sure you might not die from the West Nile Virus, and you may not suffer the consequences of the spray today, but years down the road, you probably will. It takes years to find out that the sprays they have been using cause problems. This isn't something that is used rarely, it's used often. - Reply to this comment
