West Nile Virus Strikes Again

West Nile virus is on a disease spreading spree again. This time it has been traced twice near Route 9 and Cypress Street in Brookline. The state Department of Public Health found that the mosquitoes in a catch basin near these areas were carrying the West Nile virus.

The virus is transmitted in the mosquitoes who feed on infected birds. This is then passed on to the human beings if they get bitten by the infected mosquitoes. So the state health department has asked the people to inform the concerned personnel if they find any dead bird.

West Nile virus has been detected in Brookline for the past eight summers consecutively. For this very reason the town Health Department has been advising the residents from time to time to take precautionary measures. People have been advised to dispose off stagnant water from their homes and use mosquito repellents whenever they venture out of their homes. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for the mosquitoes.

West Nile virus can cause fatal inflammation of the brain (encephalitisdefine) or the membranes covering the brain or spinal cord (meningitis) in more than 100 species of birds and 9 species of mammals including humans, horses and gorillas. The most dangerous part is that there is still no vaccine available for the disease.

The virus has already created havoc in various parts of US. There were 10 human cases of West Nile virus in Orange County last year. In 2007, California had 380 cases of West Nile and 21 people died.