5/13/2008
Summer is almost here, which means so are the mosquitos. And here’s something you probably didn’t know. There are more than 1,000 trillion mosquitos on the planet and they are the world’s most dangerous creatures. I know it sounds crazy, but honestly, the diseases they spread have killed more people than all the wars in history. Fortunately, in the U.S. mosquito-spread disease is rare; only West Nile Virus and various kinds of encephalitis are of any concern. So what can you do? Try to avoid getting a mosquito bite in the first place. Short of going outside in a bubble, applying an effective repellent is the best way. And the most effective insect repellents contain deet, which is safe for most kids. It’s just not recommended for use in infants under 2 months of age.
Here’s a shocking statistic. Lung disease is expected to become the third leading cause of death in the world by 2020. For those of you who suffer, there is help out there. St. John’s offers our Huff & Puff Lung Disease Support Group. Meetings are scheduled year round. For more information about the next session, call St. John’s Referral One at 625-2000 or log onto stj.com.
