Recently the West Nile Virus (WNV) has quickly gained attention in West Tennessee and surrounding areas.
To date the total number of reported cases of the West Nile Virus across the state is five, according to the Tennessee Department of Health; with two of those cases being confirmed as human, just two days ago in Shelby County.
Another human case has been reported in Crockett County this year. The two cases in Davidson County are not human cases, but batches of mosquitoes that have tested positive for carrying the virus, according to the Metro Public Health Department.
Fortunately for UTM students, Shannon Deal, UTM’s Director of Student Health and Counseling Services, said that no cases of the virus have been reported on campus.
“I can confirm we’ve not had any students with West Nile Virus or illnesses with similar symptoms. We would encourage students to take the recommended precautions and practice preventive measures such as using insect repellant and wearing long pants,” Deal said.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, West Nile Virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Although there is no vaccination or sure fire way to prevent being bitten by a mosquito, you can reduce your risk of being infected by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing.
Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. About one in five people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms, such as headache, joint aches, vomiting or diarrhea and less than one percent of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurological illness.
People who spend large amounts of time outside are at the greatest risk of contracting WNV.
The virus has been detected in 48 states with outbreaks being reported every summer since 1999. The CDC reports that in 2012 there were a total of 286 deaths in the United States from the diseases related to contracting the West Nile Virus.
People over 50 years of age are at highest risk of developing the most severe form of the disease, and those over the age of 70 with other health problems are at greatest risk for death. However, Shelby County Health Department Chief Medical Officer Helen Morrow told WMCTV in Memphis that they are now seeing the virus infect all ages, not just older patients.
For more information about the West Nile Virus, visit www.cdc.gov or http://health.state.tn.us.
