> [mailto:TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of 'Devorah' D
Wisti
>
> as far as the human risk for the disease, it is really
> laughable to see how people panic over 13 deaths from WNV in
> the past year when i clearly remember how NO ONE panicked (at
> first!) over THOUSANDS of deaths from HIV when i was a wee
> one. in fact, the HIV infection rate is once more increasing,
> and it kills more people each year than WNV, so it just goes
> to show you how fickle the general populace is with regards
> to disease organisms.

There is nothing fickle about it. Leaving aside the assertion that no
one panicked over the spread of HIV, West Nile is a bit different. HIV
is a disease that is clearly controllable by human behavior
modification. WNV is not.

Eric Henriksen
Richland, WA
Eric.Henriksen at gte.net