West Nile virus hits 8 people in the US

[struggle4progress]

SUNDAY JUNE 22, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- As of June 9, 2008, West Nile infection in birds and animals such as horses and mosquitoes has been reported this year in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The viral infection was also found in 8 people in the Maricopa County (1) in Arizona; Forrest County (1), Lincoln County (1), and Madison County (1) in Mississippi; Pittsburg County (1) in Oklahoma; Shelby County (1) in Tennessee and Denton County (1) and Montgomery County (1) in Texas, according to U.S. Geological Survey.

The real numbers could be much higher because there is a delay for the local health departments to report the cases to the federal agencies ...

http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/A_ffluent_D_iseases_52/062210582008_West_Nile_virus_hits_8_people_in_the_US.shtml

[napi21]

1. How is it possible that only 1 person in each of those counties

was infected? If you believe even 1/2 of the hype about bird flu, it sure doesn't sound like something that would be so random. They're not even talking about places that are close to each other! This doesn't make sense to me.

[lizerdbits]

2. Most people are asymptomatic

So they serve as reservoirs for mosquitoes unknowingly. They have no idea they were infected.

[napi21]

3. I guess this is going to sound pretty dumb, but if you have no sympthoms

are you really sick? If you have no sympthoms is there any risk? I'm asking because the Feds & the CDC made such a BIG DEAL about this for quite a while...thousands will DIE! Were they pushing overkill, or is the real risk MUCH LOWER?

[struggle4progress]

4. West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know

... Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.

No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all ...

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/wnv_factsheet.htm

[lizerdbits]

5. No

If you're asymptomatic you don't have fever, body aches, etc.

It's hard to predict possible 'outbreaks' as it is, but harder with a vector like mosquitoes. Weather will influence mosquito populations and you have no idea how many people will follow suggestions like eliminating standing water, using bug spray, etc. The risk of becoming severely ill is 1 in 150 OF THOSE INFECTED so most people don't need to worry excessively.

[chicagomd]

6. In other medical news:

65 kids dead in the past 7 months from influenza complications.

"Influenza-Related Pediatric Mortality

During September 30, 2007--April 5, 2008, a total of 65 pediatric deaths among children aged <18 years associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza were reported from 26 states, New York City, and Chicago through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. The median age of decedents was 4.5 years (range: 1 month to 17.8 years). During the preceding three influenza seasons, the total number of influenza-related pediatric deaths reported to CDC ranged from 46 to 74."

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5715a4.htm

Not to belittle the whole scary West Nile thing, but people really need to put this disease in perspective relative to other, much more common and contagious, infectious diseases.

The media is not going to do it for you.

[old mark]

7. West Nile carrying mosquitos found in SE Pennsylvania

I believe in Bucks County. Just on the news this morning.

mark