My 79 year old mother has COPD. Thursday she began to run a fever of 102 and was very disoriented. She was admitted to the hospital because her heart rate was very high. Today her heartrate is fine, her white blood cells are fine but she is still running a fever and her disoriented state has worsened, she has become very weak, and she will not eat. Until Thursday her mental capacities were fine. Today she seems like an invalid. The hospital is offering no diagnosis.

I will also mention she lives about 60 miles from Gulfport, MS and about 200 miles from New Orleans, LA - in the direct path of Hurricane Katrina. Could there be an airborn illness caused by disturbance of the air quality?