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05 November 2012 09:41
The US outbreak of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus is slowing, though the numbers of people infected continue to grow
There's mixed news on the West Nile virus outbreak in the United States. While the number of people infected by the mosquito-carrying disease is growing, the expansion of the 2012 outbreak is losing steam, according to US health officials.
A total of 4,891 people have now been infected with the illness, compared to the 4,725 infections last week, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. However, the CDC data shows a slowing down of the outbreak as the 166 new cases in the last week are below the 199 cases reported the previous week. Also down was the week's death toll, which was four, compared to the 36 of the previous week.
The CDC reports that slightly more than 50 percent of this year's cases have been the severe neuroinvasive type of the virus, which can lead to meningitis and encephalitis. The less dramatic variety of the West Nile Fever is seldom deadly and causes symptoms similar to those of the flu. Ten states have borne the brunt of 70 per cent of the cases: California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas. A spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, Chris Van Deusen, said, "We're still seeing new cases, but we're seeing the pace slow down quite a bit." Travellers to the US and these states in particular should consider taking out medical travel insurance before departing.
15 December 2018
Older people are 50% more likely to take themselves to A&E if they live alone, a new study has revealed.
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14 December 2018
Over 4.3 million older people in the UK are at risk of not getting the care they need just because of their postcode, new research has revealed.
13 December 2018
Space tourism could move one giant leap closer this week as Virgin Galactic expects to reach "space altitudes" for the first time.
12 December 2018
If you're worried about piling on the pounds this Christmas, regular home weighing could prevent you from excessive festive eating and drinking.
11 December 2018
Airlines that automatically cancel return flights when passengers fail to show for their outbound journeys are being warned they risk breaking consumer law.
08 December 2018
Providing better conditions for disabled passengers is one of the main aims of a proposed new charter for airlines and airports.
07 December 2018
Women who don't attend cervical screenings should be offered testing kits they can use at home, new research suggests.
06 December 2018
Ryanair could be slapped with enforcement action from the airline regulator after it refused compensation for passengers hit by flight disruption caused by staff taking strike action.
05 December 2018
Protein supplements and muscle training could be the most effective ways to delay or reverse the effects of frailty, a new study suggests.
04 December 2018
Mumford and Sons bassist Ted Dwane has helped create a new exhibition to raise awareness of the loneliness felt by people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
01 December 2018
A leading charity has praised the actions of Lloyd Russell-Moyle, saying the Labour MP had "done everybody a service" by disclosing his HIV status.
30 November 2018
Sweating out the daily stresses in a sauna could be linked to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in people aged 50 and over, according to a new study.