Record Number of West Nile Virus Cases Reported in Selected Regions of the United States | Society

Regions in the United States have reported a record number of West Nile virus infections. Experts have warned that warming temperatures and floods caused by climate change increase the risk of infection with the disease.

So far this year, West Nile virus cases have been reported in all states of the United States, with the exception of Hawaii, resulting in deaths in Georgia, a growing number of Pennsylvania patients and a record number of infections in Massachusetts.

Texas is also ready for an unusually high number of mosquito-borne virus cases this year, with Kristy Murray, vice president of research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, reporting "a very big year" in terms of numbers of cases. patients with the disease.

"We started receiving two or three patients in one week around June, which was very early," she said. "I thought, 'Oh, my God, I do not remember that it was so intense. "We have this disturbing trend in which we are seeing increasing increases in this virus, and we seem to have very large outbreaks every two years."

West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999, with 62 cases reported in New York. Last year, 2,097 cases and 146 deaths were reported nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year is about to align or surpass this figure, with 1,976 cases registered so far. The virus grows during the hot summer months and infections can take about a month to be recorded with the CDC.

Infections in some years increase or decrease because of various factors – nearly 10,000 cases were reported in 2003 – but research has shown that West Nile virus may become more prevalent as the climate changes. The disease-carrying mosquitoes multiply in stagnant pools of water and thrive in hot weather – conditions fueled by climate change, which generates heat and heavy showers in parts of the United States.

"The climate is largely responsible," Murray said, adding that Hurricane Harvey, who had dumped more than 20 trillion gallons of water into the Houston area during his time in Texas. Last year, had contributed to the spread of mosquitoes. "We are seeing intense activity in Houston and the long-term trend is making me nervous."

After a short incubation period following an infected mosquito bite, a person with West Nile virus may present with fever, headaches and swollen lymph nodes. In some cases, this can worsen potentially life-threatening brain inflammation, a condition called encephalitis or meningitis.

An article written by Murray last year revealed that the virus was also linked to brain damage. "A simple mosquito bite can change your life," she said. "I saw a patient in his 20s who was paralyzed and who had been in rehab for weeks. Another family close to Austin had a perfectly healthy 13 year old child who died as a result of a bite. It can affect anyone.

There is no vaccine against West Nile virus and the drugs can only manage this disease, which means that the CDC insist on prevention, for example by using an insect repellent, by wearing a long-sleeved shirt. and eliminating puddles of water that accumulate on the outside of houses.

A spokeswoman for the CDC said that it "does not know exactly how climate change could affect the distribution and timing of existing infectious diseases," but said research was underway.

"Climate plays a role, although West Nile's activity fluctuates," said Gregory Ebel, an infectious disease expert at Colorado State University. "It's one of the drivers of health, poverty, lack of infrastructure and, more generally, the way we live our lives with irrigation and sewerage.

"We do not have good medicines to treat the virus and we do not have a vaccine. The underlying problem is identical to the spread of dengue and zika – the way we inhabit the planet and interact with each other makes the situation worse. I do not know how you handle that. It's a problem of humanity, really.