Scott McPherson's Web Presence

The first locally-acauired case of Dengue since the Eisenhower Administration has hit shiny, glamorous Miami.  Story here.

Now "locally acquired" means the person did not travel recently to any of the known areas (or even unknown areas) where Dengue is normally found.  This person did not travel, and still contracted Dengue.  That means, therefore, that there are mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County carrying Dengue.  Period. No other way to say it.  And if one has Dengue, it is a fair question to ask how many misdiagnosed persons are out there currently, also with Dengue?

The mosquitoes are winning.  Insect-borne diseases such as Dengue, EEE, West Nile, and even bites from bedbugs are on the march.  All could all be easily mitigated.

All it takes is the political will (yes, the political will) to re-engage a little something called DDT.  As you may know, I am a big proponent of the return of DDT.  It's either that, or we start asking the UN for our own mosquito nets. 

The Miami New Times is a groundbreaking alternative publication.  Published weekly, it has been a (free!) source of reporting and commentary since the 1970s.  It occasionally crosses over into the mainstream, and it has won numerous awards.  One look at its building, a high-rise office complex on Biscayne Boulevard, is a metaphor for both its profitability and its transition from a small scraggy operation to a Pillar Of The Community.

The New Times is reporting Miami-Dade County's first confirmed case of Dengue fever.  the link is here:

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/07/first_case_of_dengue_fever_rep.php

This makes three stories about Dengue in South Florida in as many days.  Stay tuned.