CDC – Current Influenza Activity
What are the most common symptoms of the latest cold virus in New Orleans, and how long does this blasted thing last? This is my fourth day of being Woozy McCough’n’Splat and, aside from the well-rested body, the head still feels like a balloon filled with helium and phlegm. Between the Ebola Outbreak at Karen‘s and what I term the Avian Flu at my house, we’re a healthy bunch, I hope. And, what about Shecky – why is he suspiciously well when the rest of us wish to rip out our lungs? Hmmmm.
Since the beginning of the year, my family has muttered something about chicken guniya and I, up until now, dismissed it as some new North Indian dish … not stopping to think for one moment what my abject vegetarian family would be doing discussing a meat-based item. (Incidentally, I also misheard this as chicken duniya, duniya meaning “world” in Hindi, Urdu and Arabic – coming soon to your city: Chicken World!) My confusion was abated only recently, and quite humorously, when I told my mother I’m sick and she horrifiedly replied, “Oh no, I hope it isn’t chicken guniya!” And my dad immediately jumped into the fray with, “No, it isn’t chicken guniya! What are you talking about? Don’t scare her! That isn’t even in America.”
So, there I was wheezing into a cellphone while my parents argued, wondering what they were on about: Bad masala? Cumin rash? When was the last time I ate Indian food? Should I dump out all of my spices? “Mom, dad, hold up, what in the wide world is chicken guniya?”
It turns out they were talking about chikungunya, a “relatively rare form of viral fever caused by an alphavirus that is spread by mosquito bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito,” which has recently resurfaced in epidemic proportions in parts of Central and South India. Come on, mom, you’ve got to know that the Culex pipiens, Culex restuan, and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitos hold court in these parts and that we have the West Nile market cornered. Sheesh!
I’m suffering from the latest mutation of the common cold virus and that’s that. But, it feels awful – my chest feels like I’ve just run a 5K, my neck and eyes are killing me, the coughs will not ease up and … am I contagious still?
You eat oranges, drink plenty of water and hot tea and stay away from me. Until Saturday night.
Yesterday I had to go see my Surgeon for a post-op visit. When he walked in the room he told me I looked awful and that I should call a Doctor.
I drank more nyQuil instead.
Feel better
Hey, I had the skank flu for a month and I’m still not 100%.
I hate to break this to ya…but our little buddies of the Aedes aegypti persuasion were responsible for such great moments in New Orleans history as the Yellow Fever epidemics of the 1850’s, and haven’t really left us. Speculation is that they (along with the disease itself) hitchhiked a ride from one of their native ranges aboard slave ships, setting up shop in our cisterns and open ditches, and predominantly breed in backyard containers in New Orleans today.
All my cisterns and open ditches are full of gunk. maybe I should stop drinking out of them.
Guess we’re hiring a gardener to clear out the 18-month-old forest that is now our backyard.
Puddinhead is right re:yellowjack. It was indeed that particular brand of critter. Adrastos was also right. I was sick, like barely moving sick, for three weeks. Turned into a sinus infection, so I took the ridiculously expensive anti-biotics and it’s a bit better, but it’s been over a month now and no, I’m still not up to par, but feeling better for sure. I’ll still hug you if I see you on Saturday. No, I don’t think you’re still contagious. And my doc told me that I really needed to keep my allergies under control so I wouldn’t complicate it. So if you have them, do that.
Hmmm. Sheckyzuma’s Revenge.