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2006 A Deadly Year for West Nile Virus VictimsSince West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected in the U.S. in 1999, health officials have been working to reduce the number of cases of the potentially deadly disease. Unfortunately, 2006 reversed a national trend of fewer human deaths from WNV, as reported by U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). According to a CNN.com article posted on June 7, 2007, titled, CDC: 2006 West Nile virus deaths up, the total number of people killed by the disease in 2006 was the highest since 2003. The article reported that, according to numbers from the CDC, “ At least 177 people died from West Nile in 2006 out of 4,269 reported cases. The number of deaths was the greatest since 2003, when 264 people died out of nearly 10,000 cases. The deadliest year for West Nile was 2002, when 284 people died.” The year 2006 also brought a 14 percent increase in the most deadly cases of WNV, “involving encephalitis, meningitis or paralysis, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.” Higher temperatures were cited as a possible cause for the increased number of WNV cases, since mosquito activity is more common in warmer areas of the U.S. In contrast to the cooler summers of 2004 and 2005, 2006 was much warmer, particularly in the western parts of the country, where Idaho alone reported almost 1,000 cases of human WNV infection, according to the report. The article says some health officials are concerned that reductions in federal funding for vector control efforts could also lead to more cases of WNV. “CDC funding for West Nile prevention dropped from $45 million last year to $27 million this year, although an added $8 million was set aside for Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.” Because of these funding cuts, some states are considering reductions in testing of dead birds and mosquitoes, an important part of an early detection strategy. |