West Nile
Got a skeeter itch? Watch out for West Nile. As of September 12, there have been 1,634 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and 52 deaths. Idaho leads the list, with California and Texas well behind. America’s North Shore, New York, has eight with no deaths, though there has been much speculation in the local news about a fatality near Rochester, an elderly man with West Nile, but the autopsy results are not in.
Nationally, we are running less than 50% of the totals for 2005, which is good news.
CDC Fact Sheet
As with all viral diseases, there is no treatment. Supportive care, IV’s, oxygen, etc. will be given in the small number of serious infections that occur. Less than 1% of those infected will develop the severest illness, and the mortality rate among those ranges from 3% to 15%. The higher rates apply to the elderly who may contract the disease.
We don’t have malaria or yellow fever in this country any longer. We’ve forgotten all the measures that used to be taken. And, we do not use DDT. West Nile is an example of a mosquito borne illness that also includes some much more deadly diseases. As you read about West Nile, keep in mind that it could be Marburg, Crimean Fever, or Dengue.
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