A friend of mine almost died from it a while back. I think horses can get and carry it, too.
Yes, it's a bigger deal in horses than it is in humans. We have to vaccinate our horses against it once a year. And I have seen horses die from it. But as I understand it, that's a different strain than the one humans can contract. So while WNV is active in my area (Texas), it's not much of a concern to humans.
That said, some people do get it and die each year. It's a very small number, but still. I think it is only really dangerous for the extremely old and extremely young.
Definitely a mosquito thing. I haven't heard a thing about WNV in a couple of years at least! I lived in Mississippi where big, black swarms of mosquitoes carry off cars and still no cases of WNV. H1N1 is the thing to worry about now. I'm not sure what all the fuss is over though. Nearly four times more people have died of seasonal flu since last year than H1N1.
I tried to give blood recently and couldn't because I've had some microdermal anchors removed. Before that I couldn't because of a new tattoo. Before that it was because I got the microdermal anchors. The pre-screen is very efficient.
Originally Posted by BEEDEE
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