West nile virus cases popping up all over...all these were just one day!

West Nile virus found in East San Jose, spraying to begin Friday San Jose Mercury News SAN JOSE - For the first time, a neighborhood in East San Jose has mosquitoes that tested positive for the West Nile virus and Santa Clara County plans to treat ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile virus found in Cass County Jamestown Sun Three pools of mosquitoes in Cass County tested positive for West Nile virus Tuesday, Vector Control reported. In response, the cities of Fargo, Moorhead, Minn., ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile Virus Confirmed in Twin Falls County Twin Falls Times-News TWIN FALLS- South Central Public Health District (SCPHD) officials and the Twin Falls County Pest Abatement District (TFCPAD) have confirmed West Nile ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile kills first Hoosier of 2013 Southeast Indiana Journal and Courier INDIANAPOLIS — The state's first human case of West Nile virus this year has been reported in southeastern Indiana while mosquitoes in nine counties have ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile Virus confirmed in Winnebago County The Oshkosh Northwestern The majority of people who are exposed to West Nile Virus do not get sick. Those who do usually experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, or rash. See all stories on this topic »
West Nile mosquitoes found in two Naperville parks Chicago Daily Herald Tests of mosquito traps at Seager Park, 1163 Plank Road, and Springhill Park, 703 Springhill Circle, found one instance of West Nile virus at each location, ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile Virus detected in Addison County mosquito pool Mountaintimes LEICESTER - The Vermont Department of Health announced July 22 that West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes collected on July 10 from a trap in ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile virus found in mosquitos, birds from Riverside County abc7.com RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- The West Nile virus has been found in mosquitos collected from the Nuevo area and San Jacinto, according to the Riverside ... See all stories on this topic »
West Nile virus found in Cass mosquitoes; spraying tonight in FM area In-Forum FARGO – Three pools of mosquitoes that test positive for West Nile virus were found Tuesday in Cass County, the county vector control office reported. See all stories on this topic »
West Nile virus found in Douglas County test pool Nevada Appeal “All horse owners should update their animal's West Nile virus vaccination,” said Dr. Annette Rink, acting state veterinarian and supervisor of the Animal Disease ... See all stories on this topic »

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10 new results for west nile

First human case of West Nile virus reported in Ripley Co. | Fox 59 ... mattadamsfox59 INDIANAPOLIS — Health officials say the first human case of West Nile virus in Indiana has been reported in Ripley County. State health officials are urging ... Fox 59 News - fox59.com
First case of neuroinvasive West Nile Virus reported - WAFB 9 News ... Michael Oliver The first case of West Nile Virus in Louisiana this year has been diagnosed in Caldwell Parish. WAFB - Local News
FIRST HUMAN CASE OF WEST NILE VIRUS REPORTED FOR ... Kathy Bottorff  07/25/13 The first human case of West Nile virus in Indiana has been reported in Ripley County, State health officials announced today.Â... WTCA AM1050 The Chief
First Reported Case Of West Nile For Season In Ripley County ... Network Indiana A person in Ripley County has West Nile Virus, a disease contracted through contact with mosquitos. WFIU Local News Podcast
Person In Ripley County Has West Nile Virus | Indy's News Center ... by Ray Steele - rsteele@wibc.com | @WIBC_RaySteele For the first time in 2013, a person in Indiana has West Nile Virus. An epidemiologist says it isn't time to panic, but says we should do what we can to avoid ... WIBC News
1st human case of West Nile virus reported in ND - Bradenton.com State health officials have confirmed the first human case of West Nile in North Dakota. Bradenton Herald -- Health
West Nile Virus Found in Twin Falls County - News Radio 1310 KLIX Benito Baeza TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)- Health officials in Southern Idaho say mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile Virus in Twin Falls County. According to the. 95.7 KEZJ - Southern Idaho's New Country
1st human West Nile infection of 2013 in N.D. confirmed | WDAZ ... BISMARCK, ND -- The first human case of West Nile Virus in North Dakota this year has been confirmed. State health officials are urging people to protect ... Homepage | WDAZ | Grand Forks, ND
Toronto mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus | Metro Staff Mosquitoes in Toronto have tested positive for West Nile Virus for the first time this year. Toronto Public Health keeps 43 mosquito traps around the city and ... Metro News

Web	6 new results for west nile

Human West Nile case confirmed in Indiana - WTHI TV 10 Terre Haute In a report sent to News 10, the Indiana State Department of Health has confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in Indiana. This case has been ... www.wthitv.com/dpp/.../human-west-nile-case-confirmed-in-i...
West Nile found in mosquito sample; Pittsfield will spray - Berkshire ... The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus in a sample of mosquitoes collected in the Pittsfield. www.berkshireeagle.com/.../west-nile-found-mosquito-sample...
First human case of West Nile reported in Indiana - WANE.com INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WANE) - Indiana health officials announced Wednesday that the first human case of West Nile virus has been reported in Ripley County, ... www.wane.com/.../first-human-case-of-west-nile-reported-in-i...
Dead birds test positive for West Nile in Neenah - WLUK Fox 11 Two dead crows have tested positive for West Nile virus in Winnebago County. www.fox11online.com/.../dead-birds-test-positive-for-west-nil...
Mosquito with West Nile virus first for Lehigh County in 2013 ... - WFMZ Lehigh County has recorded its first case of West Nile virus this year. www.wfmz.com/news/news...with.../-/index.html
First human case of West Nile virus reported in Ripley Co. | Fox 59 ... INDIANAPOLIS — Health officials say the first human case of West Nile virus in Indiana has been reported in Ripley County. State health officials are urging ... fox59.com/.../first-human-case-of-west-nile-virus-reported-in-...

It’s not the hordes of mosquitoes biting you in the spring that you have to worry about. It’s that old, scraggly mosquito that’s still around in August

 

This summer’s multiple heavy rains have contributed to the number of mosquitoes, but only marginally, McLean said. Each storm typically results in another brood of bugs showing up within a week or two. But, so far at least, we’re within the normal range for hatches.

 

“In a typical summer, we’ll have six to eight broods,” he said. “This year, we’re on our sixth brood. Last year, the rain stopped in late July and everything dried out in August. We don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

 

Because the backlog of hatches has caught up, the worst of the bug baby boom is likely behind us. But those bugs aren’t going away. We’ll merely return to the normal levels.
 

And, as we head into August, we’re in the prime season for the spread of the West Nile virus. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” McLean warned.

 

Mosquitoes that have spent the first part of the summer biting birds — where West Nile originates — spend the last half of the summer biting humans, which is how the disease is passed on.

 

“The typical thinking is that the more bugs that are biting you, the higher your chances are of getting a disease, but that’s not true,” McLean said. “It’s not the hordes of mosquitoes biting you in the spring that you have to worry about. It’s that old, scraggly mosquito that’s still around in August.”

 

That’s why McLean urges people to stay diligent about repelling mosquitoes.

 

“People tend to put on lots of repellent early in the year when the bugs are heavy but then cut back in August,” he said. “Don’t do that.”

 

Last year saw a startling surge in the West Nile virus, with 70 confirmed cases in the state, compared with only two in 2011.

 

With so many variables, experts aren’t predicting how bad the disease might be this year, but they’re thinking that one reason for last year’s surge was the ultra-early spring that resulted in a much longer-than-normal bug season.

 

If that’s the case, there actually might be a silver lining to our long wait for summer this year.

 

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West Nile Virus Threat Looms in Cook County

Officials at the Cook County Department of Public Health say weather over the last week has provided an ideal breeding ground for West Niles Virus-carrying mosquitos, and residents need to take precautions right now.                 

        

Mosquito pools in nine suburban Cook County communities, including Wheeling, have already tested positive for West Nile Virus-carrying Culex mosquitos. Photo credit: Cook County Department of Public Health.              

 

The threat of contracting West Nile Virus is likely imminent, as mosquito pools in nine suburban Cook County communities, including Wheeling, have already tested positive for the disease.   

Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) officials say now is the time to take simple, but effective precautions to help protect you and your family against contracting West Nile Virus from the Culex mosquito, which carries the disease.

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After recent heavy rains, Amy Poore, director of public relations for the Cook County Department of Public Health, says residents should empty any items in and around their homes that have collected water, such as old tires, bird baths, baby pools, buckets and other objects.

Poore said these areas provide the most ideal breeding ground for Culex mosquito.
“This is really the time to pay attention, you can reduce your risk by making sure there are no tears in your screens at home, wear repellant with DEET, oil of lemon Eucalyptus or Picaridin between dusk and dawn and keep your gutters clean,” Poore said.

Residents also are advised to keep yard grass cut short, because tall grass also is an ideal area where the Culex mosquito can breed.

Poore said surveillance to identify Culex mosquitos already has been conducted by the CCDPH, in addition to Mosquito Abatement districts in Cook County. Mosquito traps are set in suburban Cook County communities to determine if the insects are carrying West Nile Virus.
Though there are no reported human cases yet in Cook County, Poore said more than 2,000 mosquito pools already have tested positive in Wheeling, Evanston, Skokie, Alsip, Evergreen Park, Forest Park, Hillside, Hodgkins and Oak Park.

Because of the lapse time between trapping the mosquitos and determining if they are indeed carrying West Nile, Poore said it is possible that mosquitos carrying the virus are spreading to neighboring communities - so taking precautions now is even more important.

Cook County residents can also help to curb the spread of the Culex mosquito by reporting any dead birds they observe. Poore said many times, mosquitos feed on dead birds that are carrying West Nile.
If you observe a dead bird near you, you are urged to report it to the CCDPH online or call 708-633-8025 immediately.

For more information on West Nile Virus and how to protect you and your family, visit the Cook County Department of Public Health website.

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Who Gets More Mosquito Bites Why some people are itching and scratching while others seem unaffected

Why do some people attract mosquito bites more than others? Heidi Mitchell explains on Lunch Break.

It is peak mosquito season, and while some lucky outdoor venturers seem unperturbed by the tiny insects, others appear to be relentlessly assaulted. Scientists are trying to understand what makes certain humans more attractive to the bugs. One expert, molecular vector biologist L.J. Zwiebel, a professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, weighs in.

Sweet Smell of Success

Mosquitoes find their mammalian prey through sensing the heat and carbon dioxide mammals emit. Pregnant women and larger people are sometimes the victim of multiple attacks, since they exert more energy than the average person.

Mosquitoes are also guided by their sense of smell. "Despite what my grandmother told me, I don't have sweet blood," says Dr. Zwiebel, since mosquitoes cannot distinguish blood quality. "Mosquitoes are attracted to our human odor, and that is largely a consequence of the bacteria on our skin," says Dr. Zwiebel. The "flora and fauna on our skin" also smell appetizing to mosquitoes, says Dr. Zweibel, and these can increase when we sweat or spend a lot of time outdoors.

As far as Dr. Zwiebel knows, there is no scientific basis to prove that having high cholesterol or diabetes, despite what some websites claim, will keep bugs away. Nor will taking vitamin B supplements, eating garlic or taking specific medications.

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A culex quinquefasciatus mosquito.

After 20 years in labs with the biting bugs, Dr. Zwiebel says he can stick his arm into a container of mozzies and be bit hundreds of times, yet "not have a hair out of place." Children, who have been bitten far fewer times than adults, may have stronger reactions to bites, since their immune systems haven't matured fully. But adults who are convinced they are being victimized by the bloodsuckers usually are not. "There are some people who have strong allergic responses to the bites which may make it seem like they're being bit more often, but they're probably not," Dr. Zwiebel notes.

Fighting Back

For people covered in welts and itchy wounds, Dr. Zwiebel says to stop scratching: When the mosquito bites, it leaves behind some of its saliva, a substance that contains anticoagulants and a local anesthetic, among other things. The body recognizes it as a foreign invader and sends histamines in to counterattack. Scratching just spreads the saliva and encourages the release of more antibodies, and more itching—a vicious cycle.

Those who swell up and itch a lot when bitten "should speak with their doctor about taking an over-the-counter antihistamine daily as a precaution," says Dr. Zwiebel. The bugs will still bite, but you may not notice, since the drug prevents the allergic response that turns a painless bite into an itchy nuisance.

Cleaner Is Meaner

Female mosquitoes are driven to bite you as they need a blood meal to complete their reproductive cycle and produce fertile eggs, which takes a huge boost of protein. To reduce the chances of being bitten, wash with an antibacterial soap to reduce the volume of mosquito-attracting bacteria on your skin.

Other ways to dodge bites: Avoid the outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. Set up an outdoor fan to shoo bugs away. And wear long trousers and shirts if it's not too hot. Dr. Zwiebel also suggests spraying your clothing with repellent that contains DEET, a chemical that acts to confuse the mosquito's olfactory receptors. "It works, and until something better comes along, it's the best thing available to prevent bites," he says.

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West Nile virus outbreaks will flare up, experts say

West Nile virus outbreaks are likely to flare up in the coming years, spurred on by warmer, longer mosquito seasons coupled with cuts in disease-control funding that leave authorities unprepared, according to two new studies.

After an all-time high in 2003 with nearly 10,000 cases and 264 dead, the virus backed off gradually for the remainder of the decade — until last year. In 2012, there were 5,674 cases and 286 deaths, almost twice the 2003 mortality rate.

Graphic

Resurgence of the West Nile virus in 2012 was an unpredictable outbreak.

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West Nile virus likely to flare up in coming years, experts say

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Longer mosquito seasons and less funding to control the disease can lead to a resurgence, studies say.

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This strong resurgence is suggestive of “unpredictable local and regional outbreaks” to come, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even when the number of infections dies down, the virus remains in circulation with an ever-present danger of periodic recurrences.

“Every once in a while, you will have the right conditions to have it build up in the mosquito and bird populations, and spill over to humans,” said Stephen M. Ostroff, formerly of the CDC, who wrote an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that accompanied the studies.
“Our sense of urgency and the degree of attention paid to West Nile virus has diminished considerably and so, too, have the necessary resources to prevent another outbreak,” Ostroff said.
Two studies — a review of the West Nile virus from the CDC and an investigation of a 2012 West Nile epidemic in Dallas from Dallas County Health and Human Services — were published online Tuesday in JAMA, along with the editorial by Ostroff. The Dallas investigation studied 173 cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease, 225 cases of West Nile fever and 19 deaths in the latter half of 2012.

Transmitted mostly by mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds, the virus made its first U.S. appearance in 1999.

The Dallas study cites the combined effect of a mild winter, the early arrival of spring and summer heat, and lots of rain that caused mosquitoes to hang around for longer than usual, allowing more infection to spread.

Meanwhile, funding toward prevention and control has fallen. The CDC’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases program — which distributes money to states and large cities for use against mosquito-borne diseases — saw its funding drop from nearly $35 million in the early 2000s to less than $10 million by 2012.

Ostroff, the former deputy director of the CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases, believes it is a result of growing apathy toward the West Nile virus.

“It seemed like the problem had gone away, and it was an easy place to cut,” he said.
Complacency arises from a belief that a disease is on its way out, but that attitude can be dangerous because some diseases follow more of a boom-and-bust pattern. For instance, experts in the late 1980s thought that tuberculosis could be virtually eliminated from the United States by 2010. An unexpected resurgence of TB a few years later, largely fueled by the onset of the HIV epidemic, hit hard — particularly since funding and TB control programs had been eliminated.

While many states keep an eye out for West Nile infections in humans, the CDC study stresses that early detection in the carriers themselves is key. To wait for people to become exposed to the virus, have it manifest as an infection or illness, visit a doctor and test positive for West Nile virus could cause authorities to lose weeks in the war against an outbreak.

On the other hand, mosquito traps and tests are inexpensive and certainly cheaper than some of the last-resort measures eventually used to bandage up situations such as the Dallas outbreak. The study cited costs of $1.6 million for aerial pesticide spraying and $8 million in estimated West Nile-related health-care costs.

By cutting funding for mosquito surveillance, “we’re being penny-wise and dollar-foolish,” Ostroff said.

If an infection problem is identified early, authorities can try to prevent swarms of mosquitoes from reaching human hosts by draining blocked streams, introducing predatory fish and applying larvicides to prevent spring hatching.

No human vaccine or specific treatment exists. Wearing bug spray does reduce one’s risk of West Nile virus, but the CDC study said people are unlikely to put on repellant regularly, even during well-publicized outbreaks. Advice to wear long pants and sleeves is also unlikely to be followed, especially in the sweltering heat of peak mosquito season.

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Sacramento County reports first 2013 human death of West Nile virus

 

Copyright 2013 The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

 

 

Sacramento County is reporting California's first human death in 2013 from West Nile virus, a disease spread by bites from infected mosquitoes.

 

The Sacramento County man tested positive for the virus earlier this year, the state Department of Public Health said.

"His illness, as well as his laboratory test results, are potentially consistent with West Nile neuroinvasive disease," the department reported on its website, westnile.ca.gov.

No other county has reported any human cases, whether infected or deceased. The Sacramento County victim's identity is not being released because of health privacy laws.
But the agency known for its "Fight the Bite" campaign reported last week that it has detected the first signs of West Nile virus in dead birds and mosquito samples in the Sacramento region.
Two dead birds, plus two mosquito samples, were found to be carriers of the disease at the Sacramento County Public Health Laboratory, according to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Other counties – Merced, Los Angeles, Fresno, Orange, Ventura and Yuba – already had reported the presence of the virus in a total of 10 dead birds.
In Sacramento County, the birds and mosquitoes were collected over a widespread area, so there's no reason to worry that a particular neighborhood is at risk, officials said.
"Finding the first positive birds is always significant because it provides an early warning sign for the disease," said District Manager David Brown.
At this point, the district does not have plans to immediately begin targeted spraying of pesticides within neighborhood areas.

Symptoms of the virus, caused by a bite from an infected mosquito, include fever, headaches, neck stiffness and body aches.
In severe cases, the virus may lead to stupor, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. The worst cases can lead to hospitalization from encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, as was the case with the Sacramento victim.
While it has been known that the disease may contribute to long-term nerve and brain damage, researchers have begun looking into whether West Nile virus may also damage the kidneys.
Fortunately, most people infected with the virus will have no symptoms, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About one in five people with the virus develops a fever with other symptoms, the CDC said. Less than 1 percent of infected people develop serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness.
Last year, California saw 479 human West Nile virus cases, with 20 deaths. Full story

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/09/5482701/sacramento-county-reports-first.html#storylink=cpy

 

Jurasic Park for Real? Two Ancient Mosquito Species Discovered

They may contain the blood of an anchient animal and it may be a dinosaur! Holy Jurassic Park batman...

An international team of paleontologists has identified two ancient species of mosquitoes from so-called compression fossils found in the Kishenehn Basin, northwestern Montana, the United States.

Culiseta kishenehn, left, and Culiseta lemniscata (Harbach RE et al / Zootaxa)

Ancient mosquitoes are very rare and the total number of species identified is now 26.
The newly identified species, called Culiseta kishenehn and Culiseta lemniscata, lived on Earth during the Eocene epoch about 46 million years ago. They are the first compression fossils identified from the genus Culiseta. They are produced in rock that is compressed over time, often creating animal fossils that are distorted, unlike the body fossils you get with amber where the whole body is often nicely preserved.

The team was able to spot minute details that distinguish one mosquito species from another, such as wing veins from 0.5 to 1.5 mm long, to minuscule setae, the hair-like structures near the base of the wing.

But is it possible that these fossil mosquitoes from the time of the Eocene epoch could also contain blood?

“Compression fossils are generally less informative morphologically than specimens preserved in amber,” said Dr Ralph Harbach of the Natural History Museum in London, lead author of a paper reporting the new species in the journal Zootaxa. “It is probably less likely for blood to be detected in compression fossils, but it should be possible.”

Blood has already been found in fossil mosquitoes of a similar age to the new finds. A species in the genus Culex preserved in 45-15 million-year-old Dominican amber had blood that contained bird malaria parasites. Some scientists think that human malarial parasites, which are transmitted by the Anopheles mosquitoes, arose by transfer from birds to humans.

And it was in another amber fossil that the oldest fossil mosquito, Burmaculex antiquus, was found – the Burmese amber was from the mid-Cretaceous.

So, what kind of viruses might the new ancient mosquitoes have carried?

“Although 46 million years old, they look very similar to some living species of the same genus Culiseta,” Dr Harbach said. “Culiseta kishenehn bears close resemblance to the living North American Culiseta melanura, which is a vector of Eastern and Western equine encephalitis viruses (EEE and WEE).”

“These viruses quickly infect the brains of horses and cause paralysis and very often death. EEE can infect amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including humans. And there is currently no cure for the human form which is sometimes fatal,” Dr Harbach said.

“There were no horses or humans during the Eocene epoch and many living species of Culiseta feed on birds. So these ancient mosquitoes probably fed on birds too,” he said. “However, mosquitoes are basically opportunistic and will feed on other types of animals if their preferred hosts are unavailable.”

“Since some of today’s mosquitoes also feed on reptiles, could the more ancient mosquitoes have sucked from a dinosaur?” Dr Harbach said: “it’s possible. Evidence suggests mosquitoes evolved in the Jurassic Period (200-146 million years ago). If the early ancestral mosquitoes had already evolved to feed on blood, it is conceivable that they may have fed on dinosaurs.”

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West Nile Patient Learns to Walk Again

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK-- When Clark Curry was diagnosed with West Nile Virus this summer, he lost use of his limbs, and was confined to a wheelchair. Doctors warned Curry and his family some patients never make a full recovery.

"We just thank God," said Janis Curry, his wife, "and we're just so thankful we've come this far."

After several months in occupational therapy, Curry stood up on his own for the first time two weeks ago.

"Quite frankly, I overdid it," said Curry, laughing as he recalled the moment, "I probably did it six, or eight, or ten times the first day, wore myself out, but it was a fantastic feeling."

Since then, Curry started walking again.

"You're just incredibly elated to see that progress," he said.

Curry spends several hours each week working with his occupational therapist, Teresa Hannay, at Mercy Hospitals.

"He's so motivated to get out of that wheelchair," said Hannay, "and just be himself again"

Curry says aside from grueling therapy sessions, he also exercises on his own each day.

"Even though they may seem to be very simple, minor exercises, if you're exercising the muscle you're supposed to for a particular purpose, it works out," he explained.

As he regains his strength, Curry hopes to gain the ability to drive, make repairs around the house, and go on the daily walks he enjoyed before contracting West Nile. Although he has a long road to recovery, Curry's family says each mark of progress is a blessing.

"We didn't know from one day to the next what would happen," said Janis, "but we're just so thankful."
West Nile Patient Learns to Walk Again
Posted: Monday, November 19 2012, 09:37 PM CST

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Facts of Life’ star has West Nile

FLOWER MOUND — Actress and CBS reality show “Survivor” contestant Lisa Whelchel says she’s been diagnosed with West Nile virus.

The 49-year-old former star of the “The Facts of Life” television show used Facebook and Twitter to announce her illness.

Whelchel, who lives in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound, said a doctor called her Tuesday with blood test results. She says she’s “fine, just tired” and expects to take a year to fully recover.

Whelchel is competing on this year’s “Survivor” program, which was taped in the Philippines. She has not said where or when she believes she contracted the West Nile virus...

Why you need west nile prevention full story

Hints of a more virulent, mutating West Nile virus emerge

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Reuters - West Nile virus, spread by mosquitoes, can lead to inflammation of the brain, damaging its speech, language and thinking centers.

You need the mosquitogone report to protect you from the west nile virus...

By Brian Vastag,

Nov 09, 2012 02:07 AM EST

The Washington Post Published: November 8

The West Nile virus epidemic of 2012, the worst in a decade, may be notorious for yet another reason: The virus, in some cases, is attacking the brain more aggressively than in the past, raising the specter that it may have mutated into a nastier form, say two neurologists who have extensive experience dealing with the illness.

One doctor, Art Leis in Jackson, Miss., has seen the virus damaging the speech, language and thinking centers of the brain — something he has never observed before. The other, Elizabeth Angus in Detroit, has noticed brain damage in young, previously healthy patients, not just in older, sicker ones — another change from past years.

But a scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the federal agency has not seen any evidence that the virus is causing a different type of brain damage. He said doctors may be seeing more-serious cases this year because there are more cases overall. But he acknowledged that the CDC does not collect the granular data needed to quickly determine whether the virus is causing more-severe brain damage.
 

Still, Angus, who has treated West Nile patients for a decade, and Leis, who has more experience treating severe West Nile illness than perhaps any doctor in the country, both suspect the virus has changed — a view bolstered by a Texas virologist whose laboratory has found signs of genetic ­changes in virus collected from the Houston area.
“I’ve been struck this year that I’m seeing more patients where the brain dysfunction has been very much worse,” said Angus, of Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. “It makes you wonder if something’s different, if something’s changed.”

And while the virus in the past has typically invaded the brain and spinal cord only of people who have weakened immune systems, such as the elderly and transplant or cancer patients, Angus this summer treated a severely affected woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s.

Leis said he is seeing much more severe encephalitis — inflammation of the brain — than he has in the past. “It is clearly much more neuroinvasive, neurovirulent,” he said.

Four patients Leis treated this summer had lost their ability to talk or write. Another was paralyzed on one side, as often seen in strokes, not West Nile infections. Others experienced recurring seizures.
In all, 11 of the first 12 patients Leis saw this year at the Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson had more severe brain damage than he had seen previously. The outlook for such patients varies, but most will face years or a lifetime of disability.

“For the first time, we have radiographic evidence, clinical evidence of the virus attacking the higher cortical areas,” said Leis, who has published 15 scientific papers describing previous West Nile patients.

Marc Fischer, a CDC epidemiologist who tracks the West Nile virus, said the agency has not noticed the ­changes described by Leis and Angus. “There’s just a lot more cases this year than anybody has seen in at least 10 years,” he said. “You’re just going to see more severe cases and probably a broader variety of manifestations.”

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One man’s fight against West Nile

Jerry Livermore is back on the job as janitor of Clarkfield Lutheran Church after being knocked off his feet by West Nile for a year

October 20, 2012

By Steve Browne , Marshall Independent

CLARKFIELD - Jerry Livermore and his wife ValLorice have been custodians at Clarkfield Lutheran Church together for about 35 years, and last year the church repaid their loyalty when Jerry was stricken with an unusually severe case of West Nile virus in July 2010.
"He had a cold for a few days," ValLorice Livermore said, "and one day he said, 'I feel funny, I don't know what's wrong.' By that evening he couldn't really talk, his hands were shaking, and he had a fever of 105."
An ambulance took Jerry Livermore to Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center. From there he was taken to Sioux Falls, S.D., and from there to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester where he spent 43 days in intensive care on a ventilator with a feeding tube.

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Photo by Steve Browne
Jerry Livermore was struck with West Nile more than two years ago. He’s back working as a janitor at Clarkfield Lutheran Church.

Forty-three days he cannot remember to this day.

"He had a staph infection and pneumonia, but they were on top of it," ValLorice Livermore said. "But it was some scary time before he went back to Sioux Falls."

After four-and-a-half months in the hospital and another five months in rehab at Avera Marshall, Jerry Livermore returned to work at Clarkfield Lutheran last spring. During his absence, his son and son-in-law covered for him at the church.

"I feel excellent," he said. "My main problem is with balance. My biggest fear is falling. I fell in the store once."

Jerry Livermore, who worked as a carpenter up until the day he got sick, operates vacuum cleaners and a floor buffer from his wheelchair. He can use a push broom and duster with a walker and cuts grass in the cemetery strapped into a riding mower.

To help him get around, Clarkfield Lutheran Church and the Clarkfield Lions club had a benefit to buy a handicapped accessible van. About 450 people showed up.

"It only had 3,000 miles on it," ValLorice Livermore said. "That was a big plus because he was going to Marshall five days a week. That was really important because he couldn't move much, but he's doing great now."

Though walking is still an effort, he's making progress standing on his own.
"Now I can stand balancing about 10 minutes," Jerry Livermore said. "A year ago, it was 15 seconds."

Recovery has been slow and painful, but the last scan at Rochester showed no brain damage.
"Doctors in the hospital said he'd never be 100 percent," ValLorice Livermore said, "but he's trying for 90."

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