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Wednesday, October 22, 2003
I've Been Thinking, Historical Account of the Montgomery Area
by Narcissa Martin Boulware
Terror in Navasota
Conclusion
Conclusion
Today there is help and medication for the flu. But, the deadly mosquito is still at work, and there once again is no cure. The mosquito in revenge new has brought something to us. It started a couple of years ago when animal owners, especially horse breeders, began to lose valuable animals from an unidentified sickness. When veterinarians closed in on the problem, they found something that had not previously been in the United States. It was given the name "West Niles Virus". Warnings were issued and instructions given to vaccinate the animals quickly before the sickness advanced beyond recovery. Reading written accounts, the treatment seems to have been able to stem the tide of death to valuable animals, but the determined mosquito has not given up yet. He has found a way to inoculate man, and for many, the bite is fatal. The deaths have not reached a number yet to warrant a mass medical preventive injection that is medicine has such a shot.
Looking back to the Yellow Fever epidemic that we're are privileged to know so much detail as in the account of Navasota, and knowing from history that hundreds of people died from it along the coast's of Texas. From reading the papers and listening to TV, we have to concede the mosquito is winning.
News article: Houston Chronicle, September 5, 2003
"Five people have died in Texas this year from West Nile Virus. There 202 human cases with 13 deaths in Texas last year."
An article in the Readers Digest for June 2003, says the West Niles Virus found, mostly in Africa, arrived here in Texas in the year 2002, but was already on the East Coast in 1999. Colorado seems to have the most cases with more than 1,000 people infected. It seems to affect old people more often, but more than half the people infected in Colorado were between the ages of 25 and 50.
An account in the Readers Digest is of a woman 51 years old with no problems health wise. This lady was helping pack for a trip from Louisiana to Georgia, began to feel feverish, took an antibiotic and went on with her trip. By the time she had reached Georgia, she was so weak and nauseated, she had to be taken to the hospital, and the following day was rushed into ICU, which probably saved her life. She says it happened so fast and was shocked by it. She felt a paralysis and was put on life support. She couldn't breath on her own, swallow, lift her head or move her legs. This lady had contracted West Niles Virus. Never knowing when, and much like Yellow Fever did one hundred thirty years ago, it hits quickly, and leaves death or paralysis behind.
By late Fall, 2002 the virus had reached 48 states, and over 4000 cases had been reported with over 250 dying. In our own area a chronicle item for Saturday, Sept. 6 states that Galveston has recorded its first case of the virus in a human.
The virus can leave a person with paralysis, meningitis, encephalitis, and constant headaches. No drugs have been proven as of yet to fight this deadly virus, though many are under investigation, and may have a preventive within a year or two.
There is one thing for certain, the mosquito is winning the battle, so far. |
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