According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus infection is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall.  West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness and this year is predicted to be the worst season in the United States.

California is the worst affected state with 86 cases of West Nile virus reported thus far. Among them six cases have proved fatal.

Although West Nile infection is mild in many cases, one in 150 people can develop severe symptoms, which include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.

Milder symptoms can include fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. The worst of the symptoms arise when West Nile virus invades the neurological system.

According to the CDC, "West Nile encephalitis and West Nile meningitis are forms of severe disease that affect a person’s nervous system. Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain; meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord."

Last year there were a total of 4269 West Nile virus infections reported to the CDC among which 177 proved lethal.  The worst affected state in terms of fatalities was Texas with 32 deaths in the 354 cases reported to the CDC.

Idaho followed the fatality charts with 21 deaths among the 956 West Nile infections reported to the CDC.

Around 27 states have reported human cases of West Nile Virus this year. They include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Other than this birds, animals and mosquitoes infected with WNV have been spotted in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Meanwhile the Mississippi State Department of Health has reported that the number of West Nile cases this year has surged to 23. Last year Mississippi reported 180 human West Nile cases and 14 deaths.

However California has experienced the worst West Nile virus season in the country. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared an emergency and has pledged $1.35 million to tackle the crisis.

The main route of human infection with West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. The best way to prevent West Nile virus infection is to avoid mosquito bites.

Additionally the following measures are also proposed by the CDC:
* When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient. Follow the directions on the package.

* Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours.

* Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
    
* Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.

For more information call the CDC public response hotline
At (888) 246-2675 (English), (888) 246-2857 (Español), or (866) 874-2646 (TTY)

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