What Next?

On the evening news it was mentioned that the Zika virus could be harmful to persons, especially pregnant women and their fetuses. The news made me think of the diseases that have been around in my life time.
Many of the diseases are carried by mosquitoes while others are viral or sexually transmitted diseases.
Researching on the Internet I found out that Malaria, which is a mosquito borne illness, has been around for ever. I remember two cousins of mine who were stationed in the Philippines during World War II and they contracted Malaria. I remember them saying that it was horrible and they never got completely over it.

The Spanish Flu which killed many persons  in 1918-1919 took my grandmother when my mother was three years old. From what I have heard from cousins, many relatives died during this time in New Mexico and all over the world!

Growing up I heard about Polio, a viral infection, that made my Mother keep us from going to the swimming pool. Rumors were that people could get polio from the water. Diseases I had growing up were measles,  scarlet fever, chicken pox and mumps. When I had scarlet fever our house was quarantined and my father and brother could not live in the house. My Mother and I were isolated until the quarantine was lifted. What I remember was that the room I was in was kept dark because light bothered my eyes. Tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, scurvy, and small pox were other illnesses I heard about as I was growing up. I had a friend who I was told had t.b., and we were warned not to eat at her home; a cousin who had whooping cough and I read about sailors having scurvy for lack of vitamin C.

Later, I became aware of Herpes (1940), Aids (1959), Ebola (1976), and the West Nile Virus carried by  mosquitoes.  Even though some of the diseases were already around while I was growing up, I did not know about them until I was an adult. Today I am hearing about Zika, carried by mosquitoes and effecting pregnant women and the babies are born with a smaller than normal head. It seems that mosquitoes are the cause of many of the diseases and I do not want to be out in the evening during the summer without covering myself from head to toe! I wonder if there is a way to eradicate the mosquitoes?

All the diseases made me think about the evils that befell the Egyptians when they would not allow the Hebrews to leave to go to the promised land. Blood in the water (Clint, Michigan and their drinking water.) Frogs and Locusts (mosquitoes); hail, (tornadoes, snowstorms.); livestock died, (salmonella); boils and blisters (herpes and aids); first born killed (Zika) and so on. I know it's not connected but it does make me wonder. Where do these diseases hide and then suddenly make an appearance? Why have we never heard of Zika?   I guess it will be a puzzle and I may never know, but I do wonder, what next?

"Death is the cure for all diseases."

Thomas Browne