This One’s for the Coyote – West Nile Deaths Rise

Mr. Mack (the coyote) has decided to change my “name” in his blogroll to “Debbie Downer, The Librarian,” with the mouseover text, “explaining why everything you love will kill you.” As such, I feel it’s only fair to dedicate the ocassional doom & gloom post to him. Given that Mr. Mack has an awesome cabin setup in the middle of some beautiful woods with a gurgling creek, he gets this one as his first dedicated post – West Nile Virus deaths up in 2006.

The June 8 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report includes the piece, “West Nile Virus Activity — United States, 2006,” which indicates, aside from the CDC having snappy titles, that

epidemics of febrile illness and severe neurologic disease in the United States. This report summarizes provisional WNV surveillance data for 2006 reported to CDC as of April 3, 2007. During 2006, WNV transmission to humans or animals expanded into 52 counties that had not previously reported transmission and recurred in 1,350 counties where transmission had been reported in previous years. In addition, 1,491 cases of WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND) were reported in the United States during this period, amounting to a 14% increase from 2005 and the largest number reported since 2003.

 

During 2006, a total of 4,261 cases of WNV disease in humans were reported from 731 counties in 43 states and the District of Columbia, accounting for 23.3% of the 3,142 counties in the United States. Of these cases, 1,491 were WNND, 2,612 were WNF, and 158 were unspecified illnesses.

Definitions for those acronyms are as follows:
-WNV – West Nile Virus
-WNND – West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease (i.e., meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis)
-WNF – West Nile fever, which is symptomatic WNV disease that does not affect the nervous system

The report does not seem to indicate whether surveillance was increased, changed or improved in a way that would increase the counts, although MMWR generally reports those types of changes. More information on the disease and preventing transmission is available here from the CDC.

Have fun outside this summer, Mack. ;P

Photo: Final 2006 West Nile Virus Activity in the United States; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Click to enlarge.