Source DVBID
# 6586
While the big infectious disease news this week has been the novel coronavirus that has killed one Saudi, and seriously sickened a Qatari man, there are other infectious disease threats we follow, including West Nile Disease.
The DVBID has updated their West Nile website, and while the number of new infections is beginning to decline, 13 additional deaths have been reported via ArboNet in the last week.
2012 West Nile virus update: September 25
As of September 25, 2012, 48 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 3,545 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 147 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 1,816 (51%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 1,729 (49%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease.
The 3,545 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the last week in September since 2003. Seventy percent of the cases have been reported from eight states (Texas, Mississippi, South Dakota, Michigan, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Illinois) and 38 percent of all cases have been reported from Texas.
It should be noted that the latest numbers reported via ArboNet may lag behind the most recent totals being reported by each state.
Case in point: Texas, which is shown to have 1345 cases and 52 deaths in today’s report, is reporting somewhat higher numbers on their website:
The incidence level of the more serious neuroinvasive form of West Nile disease – which can produce encephalitis, meningitis, and/or acute flaccid paralysis – is illustrated by the following chart.
Although the peak period of transmission for WNV may have passed, infected mosquitoes are still out there and are still biting and infecting people.
So we still need to heed the advice of our local health departments to follow the `5 D’s’ of mosquito protection:
