Record numbers of West Nile virus cases reported in parts of US
Warming temperatures and flooding driven by climate change is heightening the risk of contracting the disease, experts warn
Oliver Milman
Wed 24 Oct 2018 12.06 EDT
Parts of the US have reported record numbers of West Nile virus infections, with experts warning that warming temperatures and flooding driven by climate change is heightening the risk of Americans contracting the debilitating disease.
Cases of West Nile virus have been reported in every US state except Hawaii so far this year, leading to deaths in Georgia, surging numbers of patients in Pennsylvania and record numbers of infections in Massachusetts.
Texas is also set for an unusually large number of cases of the mosquito-borne virus this year, with Kristy Murray, a vice-chair of research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, reporting “a really big year†in terms of the number of patients presenting with the disease.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/24/record-numbers-of-west-nile-virus-cases-reported-in-parts-of-us
