RM: "Absolutely no reason to think this is generally
     abroad in North America ..."

That's correct, based on this excerpt from that same story:

"All evidence points to the person having acquired vCJD from
 multiple, long-term stays in the UK during the peak of the
 outbreak of the disease."

Also:

"The Canadian victim had spent much of the 1980s and early
 1990s in the UK, Canadian officials say."

This, however, is the worrisome part:

"Canadian health officials ... accept there is a "minute"
 risk of transmission of infection via an endoscope used
 on the man before his death, and then on 71 other
 patients."

Meanwhile, we here in the US are facing an outbreak of West
Nile Virus - the likes of which we have not seen since
facing an outbreak of St Louis Encephalitis in 1975.

  West Nile virus, transmitted by the northern house
  mosquito, Culex pipiens, first appeared in the United
  States in 1999. It was identified in Uganda's West Nile
  District in 1937. The virus causes brain and spinal
  cord inflammation in humans. West Nile virus infects
  many different bird species, but it appears to be lethal
  to crows, jays, and hawks. Mosquitoes feed on birds
  infected with the virus and then transmit it to humans
  and other animals.

  St. Louis encephalitis is not new to the United States.
  It first appeared in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1933, and
  is themost common mosquito transmitted disease in the
  United States.

  Mild infections cause fever or headaches. Symptoms of
  severe infections include headaches, high fever,
  coma, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, or even death.

(Excerpted from:

  http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr01/mosq0401.pdf )



RF Jim


----- Original Message -----
From: "Russell McMahon" <apptech@PARADISE.NET.NZ>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, August 10, 2002 4:49 PM
Subject: [OT]: First confirmed case of vCJD in North America |


> First confirmed case of vCJD in North America
>
>         http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992656
>
> Absolutely no reason to think this is generally abroad in North America
but
> the possible means of transmission mentioned in the article is
interesting.
>

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