UPDATE: Number of West Nile Virus Cases keeps Growing

posted: by: klewtv.com Tags: "Clinic Specials" "News" 

LEWISTON, ID - The West Nile Virus is a growing concern for people around the country as the record number of cases continues to increase. This year marks the highest number of reported cases since the disease was first detected in 1999.

Eleven people have tested positive with the West Nile Virus in the state of Idaho. A virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, that in rare cases can lead to serious illness, especially in people over the age of 50.

"There's few people, out of the number of people that get bitten, that ever have any kind of symptoms at all,' said Public Health - Idaho North Central District Environmental Health Director Ed Marugg. "Very few of those end up with what we call a neuroinvasive disease, which is really bad."

Three of the eleven people who've tested positive with the virus in Idaho have developed neuroinvasive disease, a form of the virus that typically affects less than one percent of those infected. Generally this means that one in 150 people infected with the West Nile Virus will develop a more severe form of the disease. However, in Idaho nearly 30% of those infected have already developed serious symptoms.

Although there's also reports of four WNV cases in southern Washington, Marugg said it's safe to assume the virus is in the Valley.

"There's been a lot of mosquito pools around the state that have tested positive so it's probably safe to assume that the mosquito's have West Nile Virus,' said Marugg.

WNV is not spread from person-to-person contact or from infected animals to people, however, the virus can be spread after a mosquito feeds on a bird that's infected with WNV.

"I don't understand why we haven't seen the virus here, because birds fly long distances and the correct species of mosquitoes is around," said Lewiston Veterinary Clinic Veterinarian Nick Egland. "I don't understand why we haven't had particular problems in this area."

Although there is not a specific treatment for infection, there are ways to prevent the likelihood of contracting WNV including mosquito-proofing your surroundings and protecting yourself as well as your family from mosquito bites.

West Nile Virus does not usually affect most domestic animals, but can cause severe illness in horses and certain species of birds. A bird that shows no other sign of injury or reason for death may have died from a WNV infection and should be reported to your local health department immediately.