Baghdad boil affecting US troops

[JoFerret]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040418/ap_on_re_mi_ea/baghdad_boil&e=5


...."A lot of people started coming down with sores," he said, sitting at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with an IV taped to his right arm. "It was like, 'You ain't cool unless you got it.'"


What DiVona thought was a spider bite was actually caused by a tiny sand fly with a fierce parasite stewing in its gut, an organism that causes stubborn and ugly sores that linger for months.


Scientists and doctors refer to the disease caused by the parasite as cutaneous leishmaniasis. But soldiers serving in sand-fly rich Iraq call it, with little affection, the "Baghdad boil."


The sores are not painful or contagious, but left untreated they can last up to 18 months and leave permanent, burn-like scars. Since the flies bite exposed areas, many soldiers have sores on their necks, faces and arms.


Doctors at Walter Reed have seen 653 cases of leishmaniasis, and the hospital's infectious disease wards until recently overflowed with soldiers undergoing a 20-day treatment regimen.
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[daleo]

1. Sounds kind of biblical, like one of the seven plagues

If I was very religious, this might make me wonder whose side I was on.

Just kidding. Kidding on the square.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Wasn't there some thing in the bible about boils

its enough to make me run out and buy a copy of "Left Behind"

Sorry I already read the book and found it to be entertaining not factual. I do believe however it is in the bible pertaining to the armys of Armageddon

[JoFerret]

3. One of the ten plagues in Exodus

Full Biblical boil references here:
http://www.topical-bible-studies.org/13-0020.htm

[boobooday]

4. YUCK!

God, and I thought mosquitoes were bad . . .

Bush should take a couple of bites, in solidarity.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Lizz612]

5. My friend had that

He got it on a trip to Israel earlier last year. (He might have subcutaneous leishmaniasis) Wasn't contagious to us around him but was really ugly looking and the doc was stumped about what it was. Took a long time to get rid of.

[cliss]

6. Since we're on the subject, what exactly are

the warning signs of Armageddon? I was thinking of starting a thread about this. I was greatly concerned when I read the news about the assassination of Rantissi yesterday. This does not bode well. I believe every man, woman and child in the muslim world has reached the boiling point.

I believe there was something about a Temple (whew, maybe there's still time....)