An epidemic under the radar

The numbers of those stricken by the cripping disease chikungunya are exploding on Reunion Island, a French-governed isle off the coast of east Africa in the Indian ocean.

An epidemic of a crippling and incurable mosquito-borne disease has continued to spread throughout the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, with thousands of new cases reported, a health official said Thursday.

Only in the last week more than 5,600 new cases were reported, taking the total number of people infected by "chikungunya" to 22,167 on the French-ruled island since the beginning of the epidemic last March, said Gilles Brucker, director of a government health monitoring institute.

"We should expect that the number of cases will pass 30,000," Brucker told AFP.

While we had mentioned this before, it now behooves us to point out that for those wanting to know what an epidemic looks like, this is it. Unless island health officials are attacking the disease at its source - the mosquitos - there is little doubt the 30,000 will be reached.

Mosquitos can be controlled, as was proven in the past. The post-modern reluctance to take the necessary measures could be considered a crime against humanity. It certainly is an offense against common sense.

But, hey, it's Africa were talking about, at least today, so don't expect too much action from the UN and its complicit pals in the New World Order. They'll talk a good game, and that's about it. (Need another example: google "darfur" and do a little reading.)