(Scypre.com) – Reports from health officials across the country indicate the presence of West Nile virus cases and positive samples. On Friday, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the first reported case of West Nile virus infection this year.
The case involved an older adult aged 61-80 from Plymouth County and was confirmed through testing at the State Hygienic Lab. The department emphasized that the warm summer weather in Iowa increases the risk of mosquito bites, which are the primary method of human infection with the virus.
Similarly, Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services reported the first human case of West Nile virus in the Three Rivers Public Health District. The affected individual was not hospitalized.
As of June 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented a total of 13 cases in various states, including Oregon, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, Illinois, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Four of these cases were reported in Arizona.
Last year, the CDC recorded over 1,125 human cases of the disease. In Texas, the Harris County Public Health Mosquito Vector Control Division identified a positive West Nile virus sample from a mosquito collected in the southwest 77005 ZIP code.
Consequently, the division initiated evening spray operations in the affected area and its surroundings.
The Southern Nevada Health District reported the identification of the first virus-positive mosquitoes of the season in the Clark County 89074 ZIP code.
Although no human cases were reported in the county yet, health officials stressed the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sources and protecting oneself from mosquito bites.
West Nile virus cases typically occur during mosquito season, spanning from summer to fall. Unfortunately, there are no vaccines or specific medications for treating the virus in humans.
According to the CDC, the majority of infected individuals do not experience symptoms, while approximately one in five develops a fever and other related symptoms.
Around 1 in 150 infected individuals may develop a severe, occasionally fatal illness.