WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Cases of West Nile virus have more than doubled over the same time last year, potentially signaling an epidemic in certain areas, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To date, 185 cases have been registered nationally, up from 87 at the same time last year, with 60 brain infections and five deaths reported this year.
“Given the jump in reported cases, along with the minute chance of developing life-threatening illness, we are asking people in areas where it is prevalent to become familiar with the incidence and symptoms of West Nile virus and to take extra precautions against mosquito bites,” said Brian Keaton, MD, FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). “These steps are especially important for the elderly, young children and persons with suppressed immune systems.”
The hardest-hit West Nile virus areas to date include the Dakotas, with 52 cases, and California, with 42, but the virus could also spike in other states as peak mosquito season gets underway in August and September. Also, because incidence levels of the virus are subject to change, based on rainfall levels and other variables, ACEP recommends checking the CDC’s West Nile Virus Web site home page at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm for updates and maps.