Remember to need the CDC and FEDGUV

[AZRedhawk44]

Seems we need to be reminded every year how badly we need the goobermint.

SARS, Bird Flu, AIDS, Hepatitis-{insert alphabet letter here}, Swine Flu, Mad Cow...

Remember to thank your betters for their tireless efforts to protect you from West Nile, this year.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/22/health/west-nile-virus/index.html



Sigh... when do they give up on the fearmongering?

[Tallpine]

When we stop being afraid 

[French G.]

Don't see it as fear-mongering. We read reports of ebola from abroad that have killed less. 41 deaths from something preventable is a lot. Public health can be correctly done as a legitimate exercise of gov't. I'm sure they get in all sorts of illegitimate activities, but I like public awareness of something entirely preventable that can kill me. The nooz caused my dad to get a hotel when he was in Dallas 2 weeks ago, his usual MO is sleep in the truck, but he wasn't down for contracting West Nile.

[longeyes]

They have a real job to do.  They need to do it without a political agenda.  The CDC has been pervaded by PC, something that started with the implications of AIDS and continues with the thorny ripples of unchecked immigration.

[Nick1911]

I for one support the CDC.

For instance: Humans are social creatures.  We interact with each other all the time.  In 2011, there were 10,521 new tuberculosis cases reported.  This is the lowest rate recorded since national reporting began in 1953.  We have the CDC to thank for that.  In the event that someone contacts a number of damaging communicable diseases the CDC has federal authority to compel isolation on a mandatory basis.  As someone who has to get up and go the office every day, I like that.  Your rights do not extend to the point of conducting biological warfare against other citizens.

[Fitz]

I for one support the CDC.

For instance: Humans are social creatures.  We interact with each other all the time.  In 2011, there were 10,521 new tuberculosis cases reported.  This is the lowest rate recorded since national reporting began in 1953.  We have the CDC to thank for that.  In the event that someone contacts a number of damaging communicable diseases the CDC has federal authority to compel isolation on a mandatory basis.  As someone who has to get up and go the office every day, I like that.  Your rights do not extend to the point of conducting biological warfare against other citizens.

This

[lupinus]

I for one support the CDC.

For instance: Humans are social creatures.  We interact with each other all the time.  In 2011, there were 10,521 new tuberculosis cases reported.  This is the lowest rate recorded since national reporting began in 1953.  We have the CDC to thank for that.  In the event that someone contacts a number of damaging communicable diseases the CDC has federal authority to compel isolation on a mandatory basis.  As someone who has to get up and go the office every day, I like that.  Your rights do not extend to the point of conducting biological warfare against other citizens.

This^

[AZRedhawk44]

1100 West Nile cases this year.

41 deaths.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

According to the CDC, there have been more than 30,000 incidents of West Nile infection since 1999.  Or, 30,000 in 13 years.  That's 2500 a year.



We're actually BELOW average this year.  Considering that mosquito breeding season is April to October, and we're almost done with that.  Only about 8-9 weeks of mosquito breeding season left, and 19 or 20 weeks done behind us.

How is this worthy of sudden zOMG red font top page Drudge headlines?

[Nick1911]

How is this worthy of sudden zOMG red font top page Drudge headlines?

Do not know.  But, how is what the media, private corporations, decide to publish and with what priority the fault of the CDC?  How does that make the CDC guilty of fear-mongering?

I'm inclined to think I misunderstood your post, and you are instead complaining about the media.  But, the statement "Remember to thank your betters for their tireless efforts to protect you from West Nile, this year." reads otherwise.

[Sergeant Bob]

We're actually BELOW average this year.  Considering that mosquito breeding season is April to October, and we're almost done with that.  Only about 8-9 weeks of mosquito breeding season left, and 19 or 20 weeks done behind us.

I live in a swamp, literally and due to the drought I have not had even one mosquito bite this year. I'm pretty sure the skeeter populations elsewhere have been similarly affected.

That said, I do believe the CDC has a legitimate mission.

[dm1333]

In the event that someone contacts a number of damaging communicable diseases the CDC has federal authority to compel isolation on a mandatory basis.  As someone who has to get up and go the office every day, I like that.  Your rights do not extend to the point of conducting biological warfare against other citizens.

I didn't even know people still got TB until I ended up sitting in an ER waiting room next to a dude who was hacking up his lungs.  I wish somebody had compelled a little isolation on that guy since he obviously didn't care about coming into contact with others.  Keep in mind that neither of us was hurt, we had both brought somebody else in, but Tuberculosis Harry didn't seem to care much about hacking his lungs up over all of the rest of us.

[dogmush]

One of the guys that goes to my old dog park got TB last year. He was really upset when we expected him to stick to the isolation schedule the drs had given him. "My dogs want to play" is not a valid reason to hack tb all over me.

As a side note, Val Kilmer lied. TB doesn't make you speak in cool idioms.

[MechAg94]

I live in a swamp, literally and due to the drought I have not had even one mosquito bite this year. I'm pretty sure the skeeter populations elsewhere have been similarly affected.

That said, I do believe the CDC has a legitimate mission.

Depends on where you are.  We actually had a bunch of rain in May and June and saw bumper crops of mosquitoes for a couple months.  Less rain lately so they have disappeared.  For a short time, we had more than we have seen in a few years.

[Ben]

I also pretty much agree with Nick. I do wish the CDC would stay out of the "guns are a disease" stuff, but their operational research for disease prevention is sound and I think valuable. Plus their Zombie Apocalypse advertisement a while back was pure win. :)

On the mosquitoes, after the housing crunch hit a lot of people walked away from their Mcmansion's in the CA San Joaquin Valley where my folks are, and many of those McMansions had pools that became mosquito breeding grounds (the valley was already known for the virus). Somebody actually had the good idea to drop some kind  of fish (forget what) in the abandoned pools. The fish apparently thrived on the skeeters and cut the population way down. :)

[lee n. field]

We're actually BELOW average this year.  Considering that mosquito breeding season is April to October, and we're almost done with that.  Only about 8-9 weeks of mosquito breeding season left, and 19 or 20 weeks done behind us.

bad drought --> --> not so many mosquitos

[mtnbkr]

bad drought --> --> not so many mosquitos

Extra mild winter-->-->more mosquitoes even in a drought.  Our winter here in VA was the mildest I can recall (not unusual to have temps in the 50s where we'd normally be at or below freezing).  We started having tick and skeeter problems in March!

Chris

[Sergeant Bob]

Extra mild winter-->-->more mosquitoes even in a drought.  Our winter here in VA was the mildest I can recall (not unusual to have temps in the 50s where we'd normally be at or below freezing).  We started having tick and skeeter problems in March!

Chris

We still have plenty of ticks. Also, due to the drought, our deer population has been struck with epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). Not communicable to humans they say.

[Fitz]

Extra mild winter-->-->more mosquitoes even in a drought.  Our winter here in VA was the mildest I can recall (not unusual to have temps in the 50s where we'd normally be at or below freezing).  We started having tick and skeeter problems in March!

Chris

Yep. Both ticks and mosquitos are REAL bad in the Fredericksburg/KG area this year. I have had a LOT more ticks I have had to pull off myself and my daughtr compared to last year.

[HankB]

There are quite a few fed.gov offices/bureaus/departments I would close down & abolish.

The CDC could stand some reforms, but it performs a legitimate service for taxpayers.

[roo_ster]

FOlks up in arms locally about spraying for skeeters.  Here is what I posted in the local alternative news rag (which is superior to the MSM news rag, oddly):

The thing about mosquito abatement is that West Nile is only a small slice of that infectious disease pie. The big boys are malaria & yellow fever. 

"What, malaria & yellow fever are unheard of in these parts!" 

They are _now._  Malaria cases were found as far north as New York City and was a serious problem in the USA up until 1940.  For example, roughly 30% of the population in the area covered by the TVA in 1933 were infected with malaria.  A yellow fever outbreak in 1867 killed 3000 around Houston and _1/3 the population of Corpus Christi_. Hemorrhagic fever ain't beanbag.

http://www.takeintexas.com/yellow-fever-epidemic-of-1867

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/history/

After we (and by "we" I mean some really smart old white guys 100 years ago) figured out the causes & vectors of these diseases (mosquitoes), we (as a nation, states, municipalities) went on a decades-long anti-mosquito crusade.  Man-made standing water was hammered, swamps were drained (Eeeek! Wetland destruction!), and yes, lots of insecticides were sprayed hither and yon.  And then more tons of insecticide.

Today, we luxuriate in an almost 100% malaria & yellow fever environment.  Fact is, we forgot how we got here and we are coasting on the accomplishments of our forbears (sound familiar?).  We need to stay on top of the issue, emptying man-made stagnant water pools, draining swamps (Eeek!), and yes, spraying the ever-mother-loving heck out of the few pesticides still not outlawed.

Simple fact is, if we let the skeeters get the upper hand, an outbreak of malaria or yellow fever will kill & incapacitate more folks than would ever see ill effects from getting buttered up head to toe in permethrin salsa.

[TommyGunn]

I also pretty much agree with Nick. I do wish the CDC would stay out of the "guns are a disease" stuff, but their operational research for disease prevention is sound and I think valuable. Plus their Zombie Apocalypse advertisement a while back was pure win. :)
......

They didn't stand up all that well against the zombie hordes in the AMC series WALKING DEAD though .....

[Tallpine]

We still have plenty of ticks.

It's an election year 

[Sergeant Bob]

I just have to wonder, why didn't Noah just slap those two mosquitoes before they got on the boat?

[Jamie B]

I just have to wonder, why didn't Noah just slap those two mosquitoes before they got on the boat?

Snort! And the politicians!

I agree with the basic concept of the CDC.

I do know that if I need one of their hoarded vaccines due to an epidemic that I am *expletive deleted*ed, as the rest of my local, state, and federal government is too screwed up to actually get to me in time.

See Katrina at any time.....