Rat lungworm has a ground zero, Puna.

[kalakoa]

necessary to move from Maui to Seattle in order to receive proper treatment

Not "scary" -- merely "realistic" in light of State's reaction to the outbreak.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Not "scary" -- merely "realistic"

Yes, certainly pragmatic on the part of an infected person seeking proper care.
If the Hawaii Department of Health doesn't act as if they know what's going on*, why trust the hospitals here? Shouldn't a patient expect more of the same in the treatment they receive?

* "Considering that's the epicenter of where it all is, there were no signs, there were no flyers, there was no information at all," she said. "The only reason I knew about it was because a friend had told me about it." Tatum Larson, rat lungworm patient

On the fifth day - the scientists who studied the rivers - were forbidden to speak - or to study the rivers. -Jane Hirshfield's poem on creation

[kalakoa]

why trust the hospitals here?

Nothing says "quality care" like an airlift to Oahu for treatment.

[DTisme]

"purchased in Hilo" - from grocery? healthfood store? farmer's market?

I've only been buying bagged lettuce from the mainland lately. Whether to wash or not w/catchment water is the question for me at this point. We do chlorine and have filters and UV. But I personally don't drink that water, although I do cook with it.

Very wary of salads in restaurants at this point.

[eigoya]

Just another twist as I've taken to swimming in the Hot Ponds after a nearly two year hiatus: if we can get RLW from a slug (2?5? 15?) in catchment water, how many semi-slugs in the hot ponds would be a critical mass to lead to infection? Admittedly, it is super large, there is constant flow of salt water (most days), but there are probably hundreds or far more semi slugs in and around the pond.

[kalakoa]

constant flow of salt water

Is the salinity high enough ...

[Guest]

Smiley's son Pheonix may have contacted the RLW from their Puna water catchment system.

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/0...reen-lake/

If the infrastructure for county water is to expensive then Maybe subdivisions like Leilani, Nanawale and others should be brought fresh water monthly to help clean and refill their catchments?

[kalakoa]

Maybe subdivisions like Leilani, Nanawale and others should be brought fresh water monthly

From the County that can't pave their roads, or from the State with its "wash your veggies" pamphlet?

[Guest]

Here is yet another informative Big Island news video regarding RLW here in Puna.

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/0...-lungworm/

200 plus signatures deserves a little attention by the state and the way they have handled this RLW disease thus far.

[Kenney]

That was actually an interesting article gypsy. Mahalo. I worked with Steven and Dr. Jarvi's other student researchers and volunteers when they did the RLW Test in Puna. Those people are really committed to research and prevention.
IMO, DOH is mostly useless unless Press Conferences can prevent/cure RLW.
UH School of Pharmacology is the only reasonable place for the $ to have gone, so naturally, it didn't.
No wonder we don't have any definitive answers. No funding for Research, no facts.