Hunt_News
09-09-05, 09:16
West Nile Virus continues to infect Americans across the country as case counts have risen significantly in recent weeks. Public health officials have reported 732 West Nile infections this year. Most cases have been diagnosed within the past month. Illinois officials reported 46 new WNV cases last week, raising their total this year to 89. Nearly all are in the Chicago area, primarily Cook County (46). California, which for the second straight year has the most WNV cases (268 so far this year, 779 in 2004), is seeing a slow decline after a peak in August. West Nile Virus activity peaks in August and September, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and floodwaters and rain from Hurricane Katrina has heightened concern in many states. The CDC last year reported of 2,749 human cases of WNV, with 900 the serious "neuroinvasive disease" and 88 deaths.