Tim Challenger "timothy(dot)challenger(at)apk(dot)at" wrote:

On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 09:00:47 +0100, Tumbleweed wrote:

Lyme Disease is carried by ticks.
An infectious disease caused by a bacterium which is spread to humans
snips ...

Why do so many people worry about rare and uncommon diseases and
dangers, which they are very unlikely ever to encounter and studiously
ignore tobacco, alchohol, junk food, road traffic, etc?

Because those people may be healthy-eating, non-smoking careful pedestrian
tee-totallers, who enjoy a good walk in the hills?

And I would still expect even for such careful people, that the risk of
Lyme disease is very minor.

It might be uncommon in the UK (how common is it actually?) but it's very
common in parts of Europe. Germany and Austria in particular, as well as
"early Summer meningo-encephalitis" (FSME) caused by a virus, for which
nearly everyone who goes outside gets vaccinated against. They have major
advertising and vaccination campaigns every Spring. So, personally I'm more
likely to get FSME or Lyme disease than die of a smoking related illness.

It's still a minor risk, as are many of the risk that get the media
going.
--
Larry Stoter