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Article: RISK MANAGEMENT PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT THE WEST NILE VIRUS BECAUSE IT IS UNKNOWN, EXPERTS SAY, WHILE FAR MORE COMMON DANGERS ARE HARDLY FEARED AT ALL
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- August 20, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2000 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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BROOKLINE - A mother confines her toddler indoors to avoid the
West Nile virus, often running with the child up and down the stairs
to release energy. If they venture out, they dart from the door to
the car.
Is this logical?
An American is 50 times more likely to die in an accidental fall,
such as while on stairs, than to be killed by the West Nile virus. A
person is also about 150 times more likely to be killed in a motor
vehicle accident, according to statistics.
Based on current information on casualties, the odds of an
American dying of this summer's most-dreaded virus are roughly 1 in a
million, the statistical cutoff point for saying something has almost
no risk at all.
Yet, these odds ...