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| Science & Technology |
| Hemorrhagic Dengue Fever Hits Texas |
| 2005-10-30 |
| State health officials said Wednesday that they think a young woman in Brownsville has the nation's first case of dengue hemorrhagic fever acquired from a mosquito in the United States. She got medical care and survived. The woman, who was not named and is believed to be in her 20s or 30s, is among 15 cases being investigated in Brownsville for dengue illness. Three of those cases have the more serious form of the illness, dengue hemorrhagic fever, while the others might have dengue fever, said Dr. Brian Smith, director of the Texas Department of State Health Services region that includes South Texas... Dengue is a mosquito-borne illness endemic to Mexico. With first infection, you are seriously ill for about three weeks, and every joint in your body hurts. A second infection may unpredictably turn into the hemorrhagic form, like ebola. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #2 No dengue vaccine is available. Recently, however, attenuated candidate vaccine viruses have been developed. Efficacy trials in human volunteers have yet to be initiated. Research is also being conducted to develop second-generation recombinant vaccine viruses. Therefore, an effective dengue vaccine for public use will not be available for 5 to 10 years. SOURCE (CDC) Oh great. Yet another disease to worry about. Damn birds and mosquitos. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2005-10-30 22:53 |
| #1 Not good. Is there an inoculation or a cure? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-30 22:24 |