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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1999
> September
> September 17, 1999:
Hour Two: St. Louis Encephalitis/Hurricanes
New York City workers have been spraying the city with the pesticide malathion after eleven people were confirmed to have the mosquito-borne disease St. Louis encephalitis. Three of those people have died; 74 possible cases are still being investigated. On Tuesday, the mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, announced that ninety percent of the city's mosquitoes had been killed. The disease is thought to normally be carried by birds, then transmitted to humans through insect bites. It can cause a swelling of the brain that can lead to seizures, paralysis, and even death. It is particularly dangerous to infants and the elderly. We'll talk about the illness and its spread, and how health officials are working to contain the outbreak. We'll also take a look at hurricanes. Hurricane Floyd pounded its way up the eastern coast of the U.S. this week, bringing strong winds and torrential rain. Floyd was labeled a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The storm made landfall near Cape Fear in the early morning Thursday -- but the storm's effects were felt all along the eastern seaboard. Over two million school children were kept out of school on Thursday. Earlier in the week in Florida, Floyd caused the evacuation of many residents, shut the Disneyworld theme park for the first time in its 28-year history, and scared NASA workers who raced to protect the nation's four space shuttles and other rockets based on Cape Canaveral.
| And Floyd's not the only storm in the sea. Hurricane Gert is now making its way up the coast as well. Researchers predicted in April that this would be a busy hurricane season. On this Science Friday, we'll find out how they knew - and talk about the destructive power of these powerful storms. | |
Guests:
Duane Gubler
Director Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fort Collins, Colorado
Roger Pielke
Author "Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impact on Society" (John Wiley and Sons, 1998)
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Boulder Colorado
Paul Knight
Senior Forecaster, New York Times
Pennsylvania State Climatologist
Department of Meteorology
Pennsylvania State University
State College, Pennsylvania
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
- New
York City Department of Health - DOH Press Releases
American Mosquito Control Association
St
Louis Encephalitis Q&A from the CDC
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- National
Weather Service Home Page -U.S. Government warnings & forecasts
- The
National Hurricane Center
- Federal
Emergency Management Agency
- Dr
Grays 1999 Hurricane Forecast
- CDC.
Hurricane -- A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health
and Safety
- National
Center for Atmospheric Research
- This segment produced by:
Annette Heist
Web producer:
Charles Bergquist
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