Tag Archives: virus infection
AND MAN SHALL FALL! West Nile cases rising; 66 dead
(CNN) — Sixty-six people have died from West Nile virus infections this year, and the number of human cases has grown to 1,590, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
That’s the highest case count through the last week of August since the virus was first detected in the United States in 1999.
Nearly half of all the infections have occurred in Texas, where officials said later Wednesday that 894 cases have been reported along with 34 deaths.
“Those numbers are going to go up,” said Dr. David Lakey, commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Lakey said it looks like 2012 will be the worst year so far when it comes to West Nile virus cases. In 2003, Texas reported 40 deaths because of the virus, and health officials believe they will surpass that number this year.
All lower 48 states are now reporting West Nile activity, and 43 states have reported at least one person infected with the virus.
More than 70% of all West Nile virus cases in the United States are found in six states: Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Michigan, according to the CDC.
While the CDC said these are the highest number of cases reported by the last week in August since the disease was first recorded in 1999, it’s not the highest number the country has seen. In 2003, the United States had 9,862 reported cases of West Nile virus, and in 2002 there were more than 4,100 cases and 284 fatalities.
In more than half the current nationwide cases, West Nile has led to neuroinvasive disease — serious illnesses like meningitis, encephalitis or virus-associated paralysis. About 10% of these cases can be fatal, according to the CDC, and a high proportion of those who survive can be left with longstanding neurological problems.
Older people are more vulnerable to severe illness from West Nile. So far, the median age among those with neuroinvasive disease this year is 58. In Texas, nearly two-thirds of all cases are in people older than 50.
Health officials do not yet know why there are more cases this year than in recent years.
Based on previous experiences with floods and hurricanes, health officials do not believe Hurricane Isaac will have a major impact on this year’s outbreak.
Mosquitoes that spread the virus breed in small nutrient-rich pools of water, such as the water found in old tires, so a large rainfall event or flooding usually washes out those small pools and eliminates breeding sites, said Dr. Lyle Petersen, who heads the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Infections.
But after the water recedes, there’s always the possibility that new small pools of water will form.
Petersen urged the public to take proper precautions to prevent getting sick regardless of whether they live in a state with high or low case counts.
To reduce your risk of exposure to mosquitoes and to prevent their breeding sites:
— Drain all standing water from flower pots, old tires, clogged rain gutters, etc., where mosquitoes breed.
— Use an insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
— Also wear long sleeves and long pants to protect your skin when you’re outside.
— Stay indoors at dusk and dawn because that’s when mosquitoes are most active.
LQP-79 The Zombie Virus
The LQP-79 virus is not like a zombie virus from the movies which you can never destroy or which progresses rapidly. The virus works very much like the common flu virus and can take as long as 48 hours for symptoms to occur. The LQP-79 mental virus can be cleaned up with common sense and household chemicals if you suspect something has been contaminated. If you have an open wound or break in the skin and a blood transfer takes place there is not know cure for the LQP-79 virus and mind disease.
One you have been infected with LQP-79 virus you must be isolated from society until a cure can be found or you must be destroyed to stop the spread of this deadly mental disorder. The LQP-79 virus can be spread by anyone within speaking distance and word of the disease taking over the minds of young victims in their early teens has occurred in North America.
Not all victims of the LQP-79 virus are susceptible to cannibal attacks or have a taste for flesh. A predisposition to aggressive mental disorders can alter the course of a LQP-79 virus infection and each victim will have their own experiences. A sustained long period of overheating and high fever are common in all LQP-79 virus victims in the 24 to 48 range as the victim comes to realize the disease is setting in. Paranoia, vomiting and nudity are common first signs of LQP-79 virus infection and anyone with a fever should seek medical attention or plan for their death. If you have sudden urge to bite someone you might have been infected with the LQP-79 virus and you should quickly subdue yourself in quarantine until authorities arrive. If you are unable to control your urges you can supplement your hunger with the bloody red meat from the grocery store for a short period of time.
Eating red meat is usually unhealthy for you but in the case the weight if the decision is on your mental state and the heart troubles from eating red meat are less important. If red meat is out of the question or you are a vegan you may have more difficulty in calming your cravings for flesh after a LQP-79 virus infection. A decision must be made swiftly before you decide to dine on humans.
The LQP-79 virus can be washed off most surfaces like counter tops and bathroom floors with bleach, alcohol and Lysol in the can. Apply a liberal amount of these or any household chemicals all over the infected surfaces in your home, car and office space to make sure you do not spread this debilitating disorder. If you keep your home as clean as a hospital you can often avoid the LQP-79 virus.
If someone is infected with the LQP-79 mental virus and decides to eat another person you must act quickly to stop the spread of this deadly mental disorder and end the life of the fleas eating cannibal. Contrary to internet myth and movie adaptations a human zombie cannot be trained or cured to a level of interaction with other humans ever again. The desire to consume humans will never leave you once you have it.
Avoid bars, restaurants and public places where the LQP-79 virus might be present and ignore internet rumors about a hoax or jokes being played ion the american people. The internet is the greatest disinformation tools in the world and you can believe everything you don’t read on the internet.