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The City/County Health Department continues to promote a "prevention" model of community health with respect to West NIle Virus and now the second mosquitoe borne viral threat Western Equine Encephalitis:

Stay in between Dusk and Dawn.
Where long sleeve shirts and pants.
Use insect repellent with DEET.
Drain all standing water.

The problem is that mosquitoes are ever present and can bite through clotes... even blue jeans. Is there really anyone that has not been bitten once by a mosquitoe between May and November?

The region has had nearly 10 confirmed cases of mosquitoe borne illness with one death. It is impossible to determine how many residents have actually been exposed. To determine exposure in patients it is necessary to examine spinal fluid. Few "healthy" and "unexposed" residents will volunteer for that procedure.

Some residents feel that it is necessary to increase ones immune system to avoid the disease from becoming more serious.

The Upper Valley Beacon has continutally stressed that it is necessary for all residents to be vigilante of any health changes during the summer months and if any flu or sleepy feelings occur, to take it very seriously and get plenty of rest until your body can combat any infection.

Some use supplements to increase the immune system. Echinacea  is widely used by people when they have a cold. Susan Mendez of Anthony, NM says that she will "take a few capsules at the first sign of a cold or flu".

The problem is that in recent scientific tests, Echinacea  was not found to be significantly better than a placebo (a blank or neutral dose which fools the person into thinking that they have taken a medicine. Some patients then think that they will get better and ... some do.)

Critics of the studies say that they didn't use any reasonable dosage in the studies and tha Echinacea  has been used for thousands of years for improved immune function.

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Editor, Upper Valley Beacon

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