“Texas is on track to have the worst year ever for West Nile virus.”-Christine Mann, Texas Department of State Health Services
“We’re in a fight we can’t win on the ground.”-Zach Thompson, Dallas County Health Department
15 August 2012, the mayor of Dallas, Texas, has just declared a health emergency. A health emergency has also been declared for Dallas County. Reports say between 14 and 16 people in Texas (10 in Dallas County alone) have now died from West Nile, a type of Japanese encephalitis virus.
As of 13 August 2012, there were 381 reported cases in Texas. In all of 2011 only 27 cases were reported in Texas. In the city of Houston, officials say that 90% of tested mosquitoes show they are infected with the virus. The emergency declarations allows local officials to conduct massive aerial spraying operations to kill mosquitoes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at least 24 people, in the United States, have died. 42 states are reporting cases, but 80% are concentrated in Texas, Oklahoma (55 infections and one death) and Louisiana and Mississippi (both with 39 infections and one death).
Massachusetts has just reported their first case: “Today’s announcement is a compelling reminder that people should take simple, common sense steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites and the illnesses they can cause.”-Al DeMaria, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Illinois has reported a new case. DuPage County Health Department says a woman in her 50s is infected. She lives in the Chicago suburb area. So far there are seven confirmed infections in that state. Officials say the cases are showing up earlier than normal, most people got infected in July.
Minnesota is also reporting cases that are showing up sooner than normal.
California is reporting one death and 18 infections.
On 14 August, North Carolina reported their first West Nile death.
New York has ordered a second round of truck spraying to kill mosquitoes in Nassau County.
Indiana and Ohio are reporting higher than normal amount of cases.
Officials, from many states, are blaming a warm winter and wet spring for the mosquito outbreak. But here in Idaho we did not have a wet spring, in fact we’re so dry that our wildfire season started months early! Yet, Idaho now has three case of humans infected with West Nile. Eight Idaho counties are reporting that mosquitoes are testing positive for West Nile.
The CDC is not sure why there’s a sudden increase in West Nile cases: “It is not clear why we are seeing more activity than in recent years.”-Marc Fischer, CDC
But maybe the CDC is out of touch? According to the Guardian Express, as recently as last week the CDC’s own website had posted much lower case numbers than what were being reported by state health officials: “Either they are short on staff and have fallen behind or something more disturbing is at work.”
Now the CDC has declared West Nile an epidemic!