West Nile Virus News and Research

Latest West Nile Virus News and Research

Los Angeles County Health Department confirms third West Nile virus victim

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is reporting a death from locally acquired West Nile Virus. The victim is a 62-year-old male from the eastern region of the county who passed away last week.

23 Aug 2004

More human cases of West Nile in Kansas

A 19-year old individual from Johnson County was hospitalized from probable neuroinvasive disease. A probable WNV case is one in which the symptoms are consistent with WNV, but not all of the relevant tests are performed or available.

21 Aug 2004

Manitoba's first human case of West Nile virus infection

The first human case of West Nile virus infection this year has been identified in Manitoba. The individual, a Winnipeg resident in his sixties, is currently in hospital. The individual has been reported to Health Canada as a probable case of West Nile neurological syndrome.

20 Aug 2004

First probable human case of West Nile virus infection in Indiana

Indianpolis State health officials report that a Benton County resident is the first probable human case of West Nile virus infection in Indiana this year.

20 Aug 2004

Nucleic acid-amplification testing has improved the safety of the nation's blood supply

State-of-the-art testing systems to screen donated blood have improved the safety of the nation's blood supply by preventing the transmission of potentially deadly viruses, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

18 Aug 2004

Organ transplant recipients infected with West Nile virus develop more severe neurological illness

West Nile virus is an infection which in the last three years has had a significant impact in the United States. The virus is spread from birds to humans via mosquito bites. Symptoms include headache, fever and disorientation, and the disease can cause serious illness in a small percentage of infected people.

18 Aug 2004

First human cases of West Nile virus in Mississippi

The seven human cases occurred in: Covington (1), Harrison (1), Lincoln (1), Leflore (1), Rankin (2) and Simpson (1) counties; these numbers include the five suspected cases reported last week by the Mississippi State Department of Health.

11 Aug 2004

Death from locally acquired West Nile Virus within Los Angeles County

Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of WNV antibodies in a 91-year-old San Fernando Valley resident who passed away late last week. This is the third reported death for WNV in California and the first for Los Angeles County.

11 Aug 2004

Ontario's first probable human case of West Nile virus

Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Allen Heimann, Medical Officer of Health for Windsor-Essex County confirmed Ontario's first probable human case of West Nile virus in the Windsor-Essex area.

6 Aug 2004

West Nile Virus found in Toronto

Health officials in Toronto have reported that mosquitoes found in the city have tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

31 Jul 2004

Arizona human cases of West Nile virus reach 232

Health officials have begun accepting test results for West Nile virus from private laboratories, leading to a sharp increase in the number of human West Nile virus cases in Arizona.

29 Jul 2004

California's first human death from West Nile virus (WNV)

West Nile virus (WNV) has claimed the life of a 57-year old Orange County man, making him the first to die in California from the virus, Dr. Richard Joseph Jackson, state public health officer, announced today.

26 Jul 2004

First human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania this year

The Pennsylvania Health Department today reported the first human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania this year. The individual is a 36-year-old Bucks County man.

26 Jul 2004

New book predicts a "vaccine century"

A new book published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) predicts that the 21st century will become the "century of vaccines" thanks to rapid developments in the field of immunization.

21 Jul 2004

West Nile Virus in South Dakota

West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected in the Western Hemisphere in 1999 in New York City. The virus spread west across the continent, reaching South Dakota in 2002.

19 Jul 2004

The best way to avoid infection from mosquito bites is to flick not squash

An article published in this month's New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the best way to avoid infection from mosquito bites is to actually flick them away rather than squashing them into the skin.

19 Jul 2004

Arizona human cases of West Nile virus reach 114

A sharp increase in the number of human West Nile virus cases in Arizona is prompting health officials to urge all Arizonans to take steps to protect themselves, their families, friends, and neighbors.

16 Jul 2004

Research team developing new defenses against plague and smallpox

Using a federal biodefense grant, a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center team will try to develop new approaches to immunizing people against the plague and smallpox, two of the most feared potential agents of bio-terrorism.

15 Jul 2004

Expansion of clinical trial of an experimental West Nile virus (WNV) treatment

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the National Institutes of Health, has expanded its clinical trial of an experimental West Nile virus (WNV) treatment to about 60 sites throughout the United States and Canada.

15 Jul 2004

Emerging infectious diseases will continue to confront society in unpredictable ways as long as humans and microbes co-exist

Emerging infectious diseases, which have shaped the course of humanity and caused incalculable suffering and death, will continue to confront society in unpredictable ways as long as humans and microbes co-exist

9 Jul 2004