Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Greetings Infomaniacs,

You have probably heard about the Zika virus. For most people, the Zika virus causes only a brief, mild flu-like illness. But some cases can be much more severe, and the unborn fetuses of pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.

While there are fewer than 200 cases reported in the U.S., the number is growing.

But the real culprit in this story is the tiny, little mosquito which is most responsible for spreading the virus. This particular mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has a long and deadly history that includes yellow fever and dengue.

In fact, this tiny insect that weighs about as much as a grape seed has destroyed armies, crippled economies and rewrote U.S. history.

Enjoy!

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WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "Considering their impact, you might expect mosquitoes to get more attention than they do. Sharks kill fewer than a dozen people every year, and in the U.S. they get a week dedicated to them on TV every year."

HINT: This industry leader and world changer has given over $30 billion to various charities and philanthropic causes over the years.

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RANDOM TIDBITS
During the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century, mosquito-induced yellow fever killed 13 American soldiers for every one who died in combat against the Spanish army in Cuba.

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When yellow fever raced through Memphis in 1878, 25,000 residents fled, leaving behind a city empty of nearly everything but corpses strewn about the streets. The only reason Jacksonville's 1888 epidemic didn't lead to a similar exodus was that neighboring cities blocked the roads so no one could leave. Despondent city officials burned the hotel where the first victim had taken ill.

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When dengue fever spread by mosquito started knocking out American soldiers faster than the Japanese enemy did during the 1944 U.S. invasion of Saipan (about 500 a day were falling too sick to fight) their commanders blasted 25 square miles with 9,000 gallons of kerosene mixed with the super (and now banned) insecticide DDT.

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For the men leading the Panama Canal project in 1904, challenges of building the canal were exacerbated by yellow fever and malaria that ran rampant in the hot, wet Panamanian climate. By 1906, more than 85 percent of the canal workers had been hospitalized.

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In 1905 President Roosevelt gave $1 million to Panama Canal project Chief Medical Officer Doctor William Gorgas who unleashed one of the most extensive sanitary campaigns in history. By the end of 1906 the last victim of yellow fever on the Panama Canal died.


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*** Weekly Mind-Scrambler ***
I sit on a bridge. Some people will look through me while others wonder what I hide. What am I?

Submit your answer by clicking: TheDailyTease

Answer will be posted in Friday's Trivia Today. Good Luck! If your name appears in Friday's newsletter, EMAIL MICHELE your complete name and address to be shipped your prize.

Be sure to put "Winner" in the subject line.

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WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "Considering their impact, you might expect mosquitoes to get more attention than they do. Sharks kill fewer than a dozen people every year, and in the U.S. they get a week dedicated to them on TV every year."

ANSWER: Bill Gates