I don't think it's alarmist at all. Better to have the facts and be prepared is my motto. I would sure think twice about heading to Florida this week, for example!!

As for West Nile, I live in Nebraska and we had hundreds and hundreds of West Nile cases last summer (and more than a dozen deaths). Truly not anything you want to mess around with. We're almost positive that our son had it (he was 14 then)--the cost of the test is over $200 so we didn't have him tested but he had classic symptoms for a week or so, though thankfully mild (rash on his trunk, achy, fever, headache). You can bet that we all don't leave the house in the summer now without mosquito repellent--especially around sunset when the mosquitos are at their worst. Not panicky--just cautious!

I don't wish to be critical - but you think your son had West Nile but didn;t test him because it cost $200? Are you serious? $200? That's a dinner - ard you won;t spend it for a test for a potentially life threatening disease? And I can;t believe your insurance wouldn;t cover it anyway. Sometimes people's decisions are too weird.

tpatricco, thanks, my "people "got a bad rap!

So Spygirl, do you think that people should not fly because by the time you see the drunk pilot or FA you are already preparing to die? And Tess do you really think that West Nile is the worst possible thing that could happen to your 14 year old son? My point is not that bad things can't happen to you but that we should not always be bringing up the horrible things that can happen to people who ask for travel advice.

DO NOT come to my area. We have West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Lyme Disease, terrorist threats, hurricanes, blizzards, wind shear, red tide, and I believe that we are on a earthquake fault that has not seen much activity for 300 years and is probably ready to go.

tpatricco-thank you for getting my point.

To put this in perspective, my pilot uncle no longer flies -- now he drives a travel trailer (an understatement, it's a house on wheels) all over the country.

So, look out! He's coming to a neighborhood near you!

shaz, we have everything except redtide. Great. I like less tourists, I can walk faster wherever I''m headed, without them stopping in the middle of a sidewalk with more than three abreast (an American thing!)

Shaz=your comment regarding pilots is utterly absurd, nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't deserve a legitimate comment.

Life is universally fatal. We all have that in common, at least.

Meanwhile, let's have some fun and see some new sights!

X out.

Mosquito spraying with "very toxic" stuff was done by City of Dallas last night in far N D (Spring Valley, Meandering Way, Preston, Arapaho) as West Nile is back here.
More is planned tonight in the Park Cities.
Probably much more of a concern than the disease, but it certainly would be interesting to understand why some get fatally ill and the majority have no symptoms.
M

This thread makes me smile wistfully...
I rarely consider issues mentioned, but can anyone predict (or warn) when a parent will become needy that will cancel, or delay a trip? Since I've been visiting Fodors, I have now joined the *sandwich generation* taking care of children and aging parents. Both a privilege and juggling game....

No warning Audra, but a prediction that this "sandwich generation" situation will find more and more of us, as people wait longer to have children; those children in turn end up with more elderly parents at a younger age when they are beginning to have children themselves. Sounds to me like a lot of work we didn't bargain for!

Wow, this forum has changed so much since I became a regular in 1998. It's hard to say anything anymore without getting a lecture or worse. NO, West Nile certainly isn't the worst thing that could happen to my 14 year old, but WEST NILE WAS BEING DISCUSSED at time so I threw in 'our experience.' Believe me, my family has experienced worse--I'm waiting as we speak to hear the results from my 12 year old daughter's kidney ultrasound, as a matter of fact. Please don't go all holier-than-thou on me. As for not spending the $200 on the test, you obviously aren't familiar with the virus and the virus in peak areas if you jump me for that. I work in a hospital and last year (West Nile's peak in Nebraska), we were telling people to NOT burden the labs with unnecessary testing if you or a family member had a mild case or suspected a mild case. It's a virus--antibiotics do not work. Of course, using common sense, come get a test if symptoms escalate or if you absolutely need the peace of mind a test will provide. In some cases, hospitalization is necessary, due to dehydration, meningitis, etc. Our son had a mild case with textbook symptoms so we watched him carefully, had him rest, drink lots of fluids and he bounced back quickly. I believe the entire premise of this thread was about using common sense--but flame away if you must. I'm nervous about my daughter's medical tests and thought I'd escape reality for a bit at what used to be my favorite forum. Somehow I don't feel better right now. I really miss the board of old...

Tess, I hope your daughter's tests turn out fine.

Tess,
I and my local internist pals certainly agree re: not testing for mild illness - I had West Nile in August '02.
Had a vaccine been available, I would have opted for that because of my age and the striking density of dead birds in the 'hood.
I am surprised no one has mentioned the predictions re: a nuclear weapon terrorist strike in the US published this week.
M

Seetheworld,

Her tests came back fine, thank goodness. Phew, I should be the first to post Friday's rants and raves with a BIG rave! Thanks for your concern.

Tess, Congratulations to end the week day with good news!

Tess -

I am thrilled that your daughter's tests came back fine and I never meant to insinuate that your son's WN symptoms were not something to worry about. Please accept my apologies.

When my brother was 6 he contracted Eastern Equine Encephatlitis. Very rare but kills half the people who get it. He spent 3 months delirious in the Floating Hospital in Boston. My mom is still trying to get over it. Each year the State of MA tests for the disease. Each year they find it and announce the results. My point was that I would never think to tell people not to come here because they could possibly get a horrible deadly disease.

I hope to instill an adventurous spirit into my 7 children. I simply thought that it was strange that so many posts on a travel message board would contain the bad things that can happen to you while traveling.

I wonder about posts that go like this-

*"I'm staying at the Motel 16 in Boise. How is it?"

"Don't know anything about the Motel 16 but are you aware that Idaho has had ** cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and ** deaths?"

"Also lots of bedbugs have been reported at hotels lately."

"I once cooked an Idaho potato without poking it thoroughly and it exploded. Someone could have been seriously hurt"

Perhaps I am overreacting. I just think that people should warn about things that are imminent like hurricanes within days or unusual like political conventions. I may be entirely wrong. I just don't like to see the worst of everywhere. Forewarned is forearmed except when you have so many warnings that you cannot possibly get all the arms on the plane.