West Nile virus symptoms kill Americans

U.S. fight against West Nile virus
Thursday 23, August 2012, 17:51 Clock
In the United States have in the past few weeks more and more people infected with the West Nile virus. This summer already 41 people have died. The risk of infection is likely to continue.

The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes from birds to humans.

The United States currently have to contend with the heaviest outbreak of West Nile virus. Since the beginning of year 1118 cases of disease have been recorded, such as the U.S. Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. For 41 people, the infection was fatal.
Affected to recognize early symptoms and seek medical pass, often several weeks. For this reason, "the risk of an infection with the West Nile virus was likely to continue until the end of September," said the CDC representatives Lyle Petersen.
Ideal weather conditions
It is believed that the cause of the unusually strong outbreak were of mild winter and rainy spring this year. These are the ideal weather conditions for mosquitoes that transmit the virus from birds to humans and to animals.

An infection from person to person or animal to human is not possible. In the U.S., however, cases are known where the virus in blood transfusions, organ donations or transferred during pregnancy was.
Also, a treatment or a specific therapy against West Nile fever does not exist. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health recommends to protect themselves from mosquitoes in the affected countries.
Emergency in Dallas
Particularly affected is currently the state of Texas. The Dallas metropolis called in recent weeks of emergency. In the regions to fight with insecticide against mosquitoes to prevent a further spread of the disease.
The virus was identified in 1937 for the first time in Uganda. The disease is widespread in Africa and Asia. But also from South and South-East Europe often errors are reported. In the U.S., the virus was detected first time in 1999. From Switzerland, no case is known.
Flu-like symptoms
80 percent of infections in humans call produced no symptoms. One in five infected develops in 3-15 days flu-like symptoms with high fever. The disease heals within a few days by itself
Only 0.7 percent of the patients come to complications such as brain and meningitis, which can be fatal. The virus is particularly dangerous for the elderly.

41 dead due to West Nile virus in the U.S.

The West Nile Virus under a microscope. Know that West Nile virus symptoms kill Americans

Washington - It's just a small prick of a mosquito - but it can be deadly: In the U.S., by the West Nile Virus already 41 people died. Nationally, there were 1,118 cases of diseases.
Currently affects 47 states, including Texas especially. But in Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota and Oklahoma had the virus occurred, said the U.S. Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Enlarge

These mosquito (Aedes japonicus) transmits the virus
The outbreak is the largest in the United States. In recent weeks, the authority to have the number of infections increased "dramatically".
In many cases, the victims have no symptoms. But others were suffering from high fever, paralysis - to meningitis, which can be fatal. Before symptoms develop, however, it may take several weeks. Many patients therefore were late to the doctor.
The highlight of the infection was usually reached in mid-August, said CDC Miatrbeiter Lyle Petersen. But his authority expects many more cases: "The risk of infection is likely to persist until the end of September."
Usutu virus

BLACKBIRD VIRUS
West Nile virus symptoms kill Americans and are Dangerous for humans?
Reason for the strong eruption were the mild winter and rainy spring.
Especially birds carry the virus, which was identified in 1937 in the African nation of Uganda. The pathogen is transmitted by mosquitoes, but also on other hosts, including mammals and man.
In the U.S., the West Nile virus was introduced in 1999, by plane. Is an effective treatment as yet.
The only protection is to prevent mosquito bites - by mosquito spray, clothing, window nets. Also, standing water, such as Tiernäpfe should be changed regularly because mosquitoes lay their eggs there.