EDITOR: Why has there been no outcry regarding the recent rash of outbreaks of the “Norwalk-like' virus, occurring not only on several cruise ships, but now in at least three New York area hospitals? At present 64 patients from these hospitals are suspected of being infected with the disease. All three of these hospitals have stopped allowing admissions to contaminated areas. While an unsuspicious link could be envisioned with hospitals in the same geographic region, the lack of an obvious link among the different cruise lines (based in different ports) is, to say the least, puzzling.
Even more mysterious is the West Nile epidemic outbreak that exploded this past summer. It will be far worse next year. Many more will die. No one seems to question why this virus was first detected in dead birds on Long Island three years ago. Where did it come from? If birds propagated it, there would be dead birds from whence they came. Yet, there is no origin, and no explanation offered by the CDC. Has the possibility occurred to anyone that this could be a result of an outbreak from a bio-weapons lab breach? After all, West Nile Virus was one of the pathogens, along with Ebola and other such wonderful germs that the US provided to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980's. And, the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, located on Long Island, conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy. Why is the DOE doing biomedical research? Ya gotta wonder.
Although I suspect it has more to do with greenbacks than green screaming meemies, this would certainly provide an explanation as to why Dick Cheney would want to keep secret from the American public what his 'energy task force' is up to. Either way, I get the willies just thinking about it.
Dan Wells
Tracy