Surviving two hurricanes isn't enough; Now we've got “Katrina Cough”

-->

You know, I've always been prone to respiratory problems; when I was a boy, I suffered from hay fever. As an adult, my "Achilles heel" evolved and expanded so that these upper respirtory problems now settle in my chest and the cough lasts for weeks. Moving to Louisiana hasn't helped; it's probably made it worse. So when I developed a cough a few weeks ago, I went to the doctor and got the requisite steroid shot, Z-Pack prescription with the added bonus of a prescription for Tussin. And for the first time in my life, I got a flu shot.

It worked for a while -- the cough went away. Then it came back. And not only that, Miss Julie got it too. In fact, so many people have it, they've given it a name -- "Katrina Cough:"

A large number of people along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts are developing a condition dubbed "Katrina cough," believed to be linked to mold and dust circulating in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Health officials are trying to determine how widespread the problem is, but suggest that it is popping up among people who have returned to storm-ravaged areas, particularly New Orleans.

Son of a gun. I work with people every day who are going to, and coming from, New Orleans. And you know what? They're all coughing. Everyone has this thing. It doesn't help that Baton Rouge has only had a speck of rain for the last 2-3 weeks -- it's really dry and dusty here.

Man, you survive two hurricanes and then you get this. What's next? Frogs? Vermin? Cattle Disease? Boils? Hail? Locusts?