West Nile Virus Cases At Highest Level In 8 Years
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This summer's hot, dry weather has been ideal for mosquitoes carrying the virus (Photo by Eli Christman/Creative Commons)
With nearly 700 cases being reported in 32 states, the U.S. has experienced the largest number of West Nile virus infections since 2004, according to ABC News. The virus has resulted in 26 deaths this year.
ABC reported:
- The hot, dry weather across the nation's midsection has created ideal conditions for some species of mosquito. The heat speeds up their life cycle, which accelerates the virus replication process. And during a drought, standing water can quickly turn stagnant when it's not flushed away by rain or runoff.
- Most people infected with West Nile virus won't get sick, but about one in 150 people will develop the severe form of the illness. Symptoms include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.
Texas has had the most occurrences of West Nile this year; Maine— which has never before reported the virus— discovered its first West Nile mosquito this year. Health officials strongly recommend using insect repellent as there are no vaccines or medications for the virus.
Find more Neon Tommy health news here.
Reach Executive Producer Paige Brettingen here.
Comments
You absolutely can NOT get HIV from a mostuiqo. HIV is a very fragile virus, meaning it dies upon contact with air, alcohol, bleach, heat, etc. Mosquitoes have enzymes in their digestive track that immediately break down the components of HIV. Furthermore, when a mostuiqo bites you it does not inject you with another person's blood. It injects you with mostuiqo saliva. Even in the rare chance that there is a small amount of an infected person's blood on the mostuiqo mouth bits, the amount of virus in that bit of blood would be a very very very small amount, AND it would die upon contact with air. There have been numerous scientific studies to prove this because it was a concern in places like Sub-Saharan Africa where there are large populations of HIV+ people and lots of mostuiqoes. Hope this answers your question!
You absolutely can NOT get HIV from a mostuiqo. HIV is a very fragile virus, meaning it dies upon contact with air, alcohol, bleach, heat, etc. Mosquitoes have enzymes in their digestive track that immediately break down the components of HIV. Furthermore, when a mostuiqo bites you it does not inject you with another person's blood. It injects you with mostuiqo saliva. Even in the rare chance that there is a small amount of an infected person's blood on the mostuiqo mouth bits, the amount of virus in that bit of blood would be a very very very small amount, AND it would die upon contact with air. There have been numerous scientific studies to prove this because it was a concern in places like Sub-Saharan Africa where there are large populations of HIV+ people and lots of mostuiqoes. Hope this answers your question!