On 24/01/2015 10:32 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 1/23/2015 4:25 PM, Xeno wrote:
>> On 24/01/2015 7:47 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Fri, 23 Jan 2015 13:36:36 -0600, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>>
>>>> Neither of us can tolerate hot-spicy foods. What are some things in Ho
>>>> Chi Minh City that you all would recommend we order?
>>>>
>>>> No chicken--the travel nurse said not to order chicken because of
>>>> bird flu.
>>>
>>> Your nurse is paranoid and over-reactive. You stand a much better
>>> chance of getting salmonella or listeria here in the U.S. than you do
>>> getting bird flu in SE Asia. Your best bet in Vietnam right now is
>>> contracting measles more than anything else.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>>
>> True. It seems the only people who contract bird flu are those who work
>> full time with live chickens. The paranoia spreads far more readily than
>> the bird flu does.
>>
> It was my friend's travel nurse who is with Kaiser. It is in Kaiser's
> literature on traveling to those countries.
>
> I've had more than my share of health issues and I live with (currently
> in remission) lung cancer, so please understand if I'm a bit over cautious.
>
I understand health issues quite well. My point is that all too often
people focus on the item they are least likely to become infected by and
forget the more subtle ones. As an example, on my last trip to Thailand
in 2001, I visited the family farm in Ayuttaya. I took a look inside the
water tanks, something you should always do. I had been drinking from
the local rainwater tanks on previous trips but this time the tanks had
mosquitoes in them, Not a good sign. The people were getting old I guess
and didn't maintain the tanks as well as they should have been. Anyway,
on seeing the mosquitoes, I determined then and there that I would only
drink bottled water for the duration. I was brought undone by my brother
in law who topped up my water bottle from the tank... it didn't affect
them as they were immune. I partook of but a sip before I realized that
the water tasted strange. That tiny sip was enough. Within 2 hours the
fever had begun and I was pretty much stuffed for the next two weeks of
my time in Thailand. Unfortunately that episode left me with some rather
long term consequences. On my return to work I lasted about 2 or 3 weeks
before it became acutely apparent that I wasn't recovered. I spent 6
months on sick leave, another 18 months on provisional retirement, then
permanent retirement since. I have only just begun to make reasonable
progress back to good health in the past 2 or 3 years but I am still not
back to where I was nor am I likely to be again.

All for the sake of a sip of water.

For the record, everyone else drank that water, including my wife, but
they had no issues - immunity developed over their lifetimes being the
key.

--

Xeno.