Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) begins its WVN fact sheet with, “West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness.” Seriousness of illness, according to Dr. John Balbus is when it kills people and has significant threat to the public. While the term serious defines severe negative effects in an individual’s viewpoint, it doesn’t directly say that the sickness is actually fatal, when in fact it is. Despite cases of deaths, it’s good to know that there’s been a decline of cases of infection as well as of death this year.
As of September, CDC record lists 12 confirmed deaths among the 381 reported cases this 2010. If death of the elderly woman from Illinois is included, the country already has 13 deaths. These comprise 1.4% average deaths and 31.75% of new infections per month, a little lower compared to the deaths and infections last year, which are 2.7% and 60% respectively. Since 2006, this year’s number of reported cases is the least. Year 2003 reported the highest, which reached 9,862 infections, including 264 deaths. The highest number of WNV fatalities since the virus’ appearance in 1999, on the other hand was in 2002; among 4,156 reported cases, 284 died.
Less than one in one hundred individuals bitten by the vectors would develop serious complications like meningitis and encephalitis. And only about 3% to 15% of those who got severely ill end up dead. The elderly, who are 50 years old and up, are most at risk due to weakened immune systems. The public, in general don’t have to freak out. The disease is curable, and it can be prevented. When symptoms surface, visit the nearest clinic or hospital and get checked. Those professionals in scrub tops and scrub pants would determine illness, and advise you of the right things to do to get cured of the disease.
