Dogs, Squirrels Falling Prey To West Nile
One more person in Illinois has died of West Nile virus, bringing to 22 the number of people in the state who have died this year after contracting the mosquito-borne virus, health officials announced Wednesday.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 16,640 cases nationwide, including 80 deaths. That did not include the updated Illinois figures.
The state Department of Public Health also announced 25 new cases of the virus, bringing the state's total to 424. Illinois apparently leads the nation in both the number of cases and deaths, although some states do not update their numbers regularly.
West Nile illness in Illinois has been reported in people ranging in age from 3 months to 92 years.
Health officials say most people infected with the virus have either no symptoms or mild symptoms, but a few people — especially the elderly — can develop a more severe form of the disease.
Researchers also documented this week the first known cases of a dog and gray squirrels dying from West Nile.
The College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana announced the animal deaths Tuesday. Two of the gray squirrels that tested positive for the disease were found in Chicago, researchers said. A third was found in Champaign.
For the first time officials confirm West Nile has killed a family's pet dog.The dog, an 8-year-old Irish setter-golden retriever mix, died in the Bloomington-Normal area.
John Andrews at the University of Illinois Veterinary Lab told CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers, "It was really a bit surprising when we found out it was infected with West Nile and it had caused both heart and brain problems."
As Bowers reports, scientists aren't sure why the virus seems to flare up in certain areas, like Chicago this year, but they do think that weather may play a role. The summer here was hot and dry, almost identical to one back in 1975.
That was when a nationwide outbreak of the deadly St. Louis encephalitis was centered there.
According to Dr. Lumpkin, the state's public health chief, "St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile are essentially cousins, very similar viruses. Then we had almost 600 cases and 47 deaths--the most in the nation."
That epidemic ended when cold weather killed the mosquitoes. But until that happens, every precaution is being taken. Some cemeteries have even banned flowers, because their containers can catch rainwater and any standing water means more mosquitoes.
Lumpkin reminded people to avoid being outdoors at dusk and dawn. If people do go outside when mosquitoes are most active, the health department said they should wear long-sleeved shirts, along with mosquito repellent with the ingredient DEET.
Lumpkin also said that it is not clear how much longer the outbreak will last. "But we do know that as temperatures and daylight decrease, mosquitoes sense it is time to switch form blood meals to feeding on plants for sugar to help them survive the winter."
He said as temperatures dip below 60 degrees at night and during the early morning hours, "there is less chance of transmission of the virus to humans."