The Centers for Disease Control has issued an advisory saying that cases of West Nile Virus are still on the rise. Here at ThirdAge, those of us in New York City on the Upper West Side were surprised to come home to apartment buildings with signs posted about spraying for the virus because cases have been reported in the neighborhood. We were advised to keep windows closed for the duration of the spraying.
The advisory says that as of September 4th 2012, 48 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 1,993 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 87 deaths, have been reported to the CDC. Of these, 1,069 (54%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 924 (46%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease.
The 1,993 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the first week in September since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999. Over 70 percent of the cases have been reported from six states (Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Michigan) and almost 45 percent of all cases have been reported from Texas.
The CDC has devoted a special section to West Nile with advice and tips on how to "Fight the Bite". You can visit it here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
