West Nile: Prepare, Don't Panic

Yes, it's spreading. Yes, it can kill you. But a little common sense can offer a lot of protection

The big summer scare last year was shark attacks. This year it's West Nile virus--a threat that is in some ways more frightening because you don't have to go near the water to get hurt. Death this summer is being spread by mosquitoes hatched in our backyard. The infestation, first reported in the U.S. in New York City in 1999, has reached nearly every state east of the Rockies. Seven people, all in Louisiana, have died so far this year, and health officials believe that an eighth man, who died in Mississippi last week, was infected. Neighbors have practically come to...

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