WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The United States is in the midst of one of the largest West Nile virus outbreaks ever seen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 1,118 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 41 deaths, have been reported as of August 21, said Lyle Petersen, who is the director of the CDC's Division of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, at a telebriefing yesterday (Aug.22).
Forty seven states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds or mosquitoes, and Texas is the hardest-hit state of them, accounting for half of the reported cases. In Texas, 586 cases, including 21 deaths, have been reported so far.
Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont are the only states that have not reported any West Nile virus activity.
West Nile virus, or WNV, was first detected in North America in 1999 in New York. The virus is mainly transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes, and can cause encephalitis or meningitis.
Of the 1,118 reported cases, 629, or 56%, were classified as neuroinvasive disease, such as meningitis or encephalitis, and 489, or 44%, were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease that can cause skin rash, fever, headache, nausea or vomiting.
The prior worst West Nile virus season in the U.S. was in 2003, at which time there were 439 cases of neuroinvasive disease and 40 deaths overall statewide, noted David Lakey, the commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
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