West Nile Death Toll Rises

Across the nation, the West Nile virus continues to claim more lives. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported two more deaths Tuesday linked to West Nile virus, along with 44 new cases of the illness in humans. Also, three elderly Tennesseans have died of West Nile virus.

So far this year, there have been over 600 confirmed cases of West Nile disease in the U.S., including 31 deaths. WCBS-New York Reporter Paul Moniz quotes epidemiologists as saying that for each confirmed case, there could be as many as 200 people who are infected and show no symptoms. That means that theoretically, there could be thousands of people carrying the active virus.

A 71-year-old man from Effingham County, Illinois died Sunday and a 79-year-old woman from Moultrie County died Aug. 29, health officials said.

A total nine Illinoisans have now died of the disease.

The new confirmed cases of West Nile include 13 from Chicago, 21 from suburban Cook County, two from Effingham County and one each from Clinton, DeKalb, DuPage, LaSalle, Macoupin, Madison, Moultrie and St. Clair counties.

Illinois has reported 165 cases of the mosquito-borne virus this year.

The West Nile deaths are the first ever in Tennessee, state epidemiologist Dr. Tim Jones said. If confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they would bring the national toll to 34 deaths.

All of the victims lived in West Tennessee — a 91-year-old from Weakley County and an 85-year-old and 72-year-old both from Shelby County.

The state could provide only sketchy details, saying one of the Shelby deaths occurred in the last couple of days while the other two victims died in August. Jones said each patient had been bitten by a mosquito.

Health officials have identified another eight probable human cases, he said. If confirmed, that would bring the total of human infections in the state to 20, all in West Tennessee.

Most people infected with West Nile virus have no clinical symptoms of illness, but some may feel flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and body aches three to 14 days after a bite from an infected mosquito.

But especially in older people or those with weakened immune systems, the virus can lead to stupor, convulsions, paralysis and even death.