There have been several dozen recorded cases of flu in Russia this winter. Russian politicians are claiming the US infected Russia.
There is approximately the same number of cases of flu every year but this is in no way influencing the Russians’ belief that this year’s flu is inflicted on them by evil Americans.
Btw, have you heard about this Zika virus? Scary shit. No known cure or vaccine, and it’s coming to the US.
Governments in some south american countries have advised women not to get pregnant until 2018.
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These are countries where there’s no access to abortion, very spotty access to contraception, and rampant domestic abuse of women that makes it pretty much impossible to control one’s reproduction.
So the advice not to get pregnant sounds like cruel mockery. 😦 😦 😦
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Yes, I heard about it when I was researching chikungunya in December. There’s no cure, there’s no vaccine, it’s transmitted by the same species of mosquito and the symptoms are very similar. It’s very bad for the elderly and the very young. We suspected that my grandfather may have contracted it. Prior to that, two of my aunts and my uncle had an illness with very similar symptoms. My grandfather and my one aunt were admitted to the hospital on the same day.
I practically threw every single mosquito repellent and permethrin at my parents.
Just remember, mosquitoes can survive on planes.
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Horrible! I have a feeling that climate change will be bringing more of such things. Maybe then somebody will start doing something.
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Well that somebody sure isn’t gonna be me I can tell ya.
http://sterculianrhetoric.blogspot.ca/2016/01/i-just-fucking-adore-global-warming.html
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You live in Canada? Be sure to move southward into the United States before global warming melts the ice caps and puts most of Canada under water.
Not that I’m knocking global warming. Most of the earth is much too cold, which is why I live in Arizona.
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That’s a major worry for those who study viruses and infectious diseases.
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The mosquito repellents are almost as bad as the diseases the little blighters carry. It is important to weigh the probabilities of infection by mosquito-vector diseases and the carcinogenic potentialities and othe contraindications of the repellents.
Consult your neighbourhood Health Care Professional. Bring cash!
I know of what I speak, I’s a quack, Innit?
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Key phrase being “almost as bad.” There had been an outbreak in the area six months earlier. Of course the usual precautions of wearing long-sleeved clothing, having mosquito nets over the beds and citronella candles, mosquito coils and wearings shoes (not sandals) were already there. Also, if a place is dark enough, the mosquitoes will bite you during the day, perhaps while you’re catching the latest film.
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As much as I love your name, shakti, I don’t need the biology lesson. I’ve spent the last 10 years in mosquito-infested shit-holes face-to-face will malaria, dengue and the like. I am well aware of any and all insect vector prophylaxis, okay? I’ve been lucky, I’ve not contracted any of the fancy afflictions, but I can boast and alphabets worth of Hep infections. I’m a goddamned Doctors Without Borders type doctor!
“Alphabets worth of Hep infections!”
Bloody clever, Innit? You can use it. I don’t mind.
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“I’m a goddamned Doctors Without Borders type doctor!”
It’s nice to know that I’m not the only nutty physician on this website.
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but I can boast and alphabets worth of Hep infections.
pours a 40 out for your poor beleaguered liver
I don’t need the biology lesson.
And I’ve spent half of my childhood summers in “mosquito infested shit holes.” Big deal. Since you posted a paragraph implying I’m randomly spraying pesticides around like a nervous idiot, I added more information. Scroll up to my initial comment on this thread. I didn’t just panic randomly after reading WebMD and the CDC site.
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Shakti:
MayoClinic is better.
“…….implying I’m randomly spraying pesticides around like a nervous idiot,…..”
That was not at all what I meant. I am sorry you read it that way. I apologize.
Dreidel:
Really?
Nu?
I won’t be getting any biology lessons from you then? I was the one taking this photograph. Mosad will kill us if I tell you what we were doing there in August 2006.
http://sterculianrhetoric.blogspot.ca/2012/08/target.html
I do not, nor have I ever, ‘worked’ for MSF. They are nasty bastards. The Tutor and I freelance, usually for very generous American NGOs. God bless America!
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Yawny Yawny!
Old news!
This virus has been with us since at least Lincoln’s day. How else do you explain the existence of all those folks who vote Republican? Zika-induced Microcephally is obviously the reason.
Innit?
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” How else do you explain the existence of all those folks who vote Republican?”
The Republicans are the voters who aren’t infected.
Outit?
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Nyuck!
And “Outit” is non-sensical. “Innit” is a lower-class English contraction of the phrase,
“Is it not?
or
“Isn’t it?”
I was going top say Democrats, rather than Republicans, but I flipped a coin. Besides, I don’t recognize any difference between the two. From my position in the political spectrum – Totalitarian Facist- they’re both Libruls. I mean for chrisake, they both believe in democracy, how liberal is that?
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“Outit” is nonsensical and “innit” is illiterate — I don’t see much difference.
“From my position in the political spectrum – Totalitarian Facist- they’re both Libruls.”
Yes, but you can’t vote in the U.S. elections, anyway. Too bad so many of our domestic loony liberals can.
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“…….“Outit” is nonsensical and “innit” is illiterate — I don’t see much difference……
Ah, but is Merry old England illiterate!
Nyuck!
Now yins is cluing into my humour!
You’re right, I cannot vote in the US – or anywhere for that matter. And even if I could, I wouldn’t. Are you aware that idiots can vote in the US? Is it any wonder y’all get the politicians you get?
Shakti.
I am hurt!
I am just gutted that a fellow girlfriend would turn on one of her sistren. I’ve no lint in my umbilicus! I wear nowt but silk!
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“Are you aware that idiots can vote in the US?”
Sure! Why do you think Democrats occasionally win elections here?
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The Freud comment is brilliant. 🙂
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Nyuck!
See!
Y’all can do humour ifin ya wants to!
How many Fruedians does it take to change a light bulb?
Two.
One to hold the light bulb, and one to hold my penis, ermmmm… I mean, my mother, erpppppp… I mean, the ladder.
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No shrunken head jokes please. 
Innit?
Really, your preoccupation with your belly buttons is most silly, not to mention linty.
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Shakti.
I am hurt!
I am just gutted that a fellow girlfriend would turn on one of her sistren. I’ve no lint in my umbilicus! I wear nowt but silk!
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I must commiserate with the former comrades in Mother Russia, The U S of A has inflicted evil on me as well. The Great Satan turned me into a newt.
I got better.
PS
I am so ashamed of that. I hate Monty Python.
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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