West Nile cases triple again

Jane Berg
West Nile

Aug 15 (CIDRAP News) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday that West Nile cases have tripled in just the last week. As of yesterday, the CDC was reporting 446 cases of West Nile virus and 10 deaths. Colorado accounts for more than half of those cases, with 247 and 6 deaths.

"West Nile is currently really picking up momentum within the United States. It's important to point out that based on prior seasons, we are just now getting into the peak period of West Nile activity which, over the last several years, has been in late August and early September, and it certainly looks like we will be following a similar course over the next several weeks," said Dr. Stephen Ostroff, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases, at a press conference yesterday.

Because the number of cases continues to climb and the peak season is just beginning, the CDC is strongly urging people to follow certain precautions to avoid contracting the virus. Those precautions include wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, using insect repellant containing DEET, and removing standing water from property.

During the press conference, CDC officials addressed the screening of the nation's blood supply for West Nile (see Aug 14 CIDRAP News story). According to Dr. Tony Marfin, acting deputy director of the CDC's Division of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, during 2002, 23 people contracted West Nile virus from blood transfusions. Since that time, blood banks and hospitals have been refusing donors who are showing flu-like symptoms, and, beginning in July of this year, all blood donations been tested for the presence of West Nile virus.

"Because most West Nile Virus-infected persons remain asymptomatic, collection of data regarding these viremic donors has been an invaluable surveillance tool, in addition to its intended value of screening and removal of potentially infectious products from the nation's blood supply," said Marfin

See also:

CDC briefing Aug 14
http://www.videonewswire.com/cdc/

CDC current case count
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/surv&controlCaseCount03.htm

CDC West Nile home page
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

This week's top reads

  1. 1 in 5 US retail milk samples test positive for H5N1 avian flu fragments

    The highest concentrations were in regions where the virus has been found in dairy herds.

    Lisa Schnirring
    grocery store milk

  2. Analysis of cow, cat H5N1 avian flu samples raises concerns about spread to other animals

    The cats started showing symptoms a day after clinical disease was noted in the cows, and about half of the cats died.

    Lisa Schnirring
    barn cat with milk pails

  3. Risk of uveitis recurrence higher in year after COVID vaccination

    The odds of the condition were increased among recipients of all 4 vaccines studied: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and J&J.

    Mary Van Beusekom

  4. WHO COVID vaccine advisers recommend switch to JN.1 strain

    The FDA's vaccine advisory group will discuss the make-up of 2024-25 vaccines at its meeting on May 16. 

    Lisa Schnirring
    vaccine prep

  5. H5N1 avian flu infects Colorado dairy cows as global experts weigh in on virus changes

    Global health groups say evolving developments, including a novel reassortant in Asia and increasing detections in mammals, require real-time monitoring.

    Lisa Schnirring
    dairy cow ear tags

  6. USDA to test ground beef for traces of H5N1 avian flu virus as more poultry outbreaks reported

    Dairy cows make up about 7% of US beef production.

    Lisa Schnirring
    ground beef

  7. COVID may have eroded doctors' belief that they are obligated to treat infectious patients

    Reasons cited for accepting the option of refusing treatment included unreasonable risk to physicians and their families and labor rights and worker protection.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Exhausted healthcare worker wearing N95

  8. US orders testing for certain dairy cows after H5N1 avian flu remnants found in retail milk

    The USDA says that lactating dairy cows must be tested before interstate transport.

    Lisa Schnirring
    Cows exiting truck

  9. FDA approves new treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections

    Pivya (pivmecillinam) is the first antibiotic approved by the FDA for uncomplicated UTIs in more than 2 decades.

    Chris Dall
    Treatment for urinary tract infections

  10. COVID booster linked to 25% lower odds of long COVID

    People who received the COVID-19 booster vaccine had 25% lower odds of having long COVID than their unvaccinated counterparts.

    Stephanie Soucheray