West Nile virus death toll jumps by a THIRD in one week as U.S. health officials fear 2012 will be worst year yet for disease
- 118 people have now died from the disease, compared with 87 reported one week ago
- 2,636 cases have been reported to federal health officials, up from 1,993 reported the week before
- About 40 per cent of all human cases are in Texas
The number of U.S. cases of West Nile virus has climbed by nearly a third in the last week, it emerged last night.
The spread of the mosquito-borne disease accelerated and threatened to make the 2012 outbreak among the most severe on record, government figures show.
So far this year, 2,636 cases have been reported to federal health officials, up from 1,993 reported the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its weekly update of outbreak data.
A total of 118 people have now died from the disease, compared with 87 reported one week ago.
The disease has been reported in people, birds or mosquitoes in 48 U.S. states, so far absent only in Alaska and Hawaii.
“I brought some. Here I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.”
Bill Gates said while opening a jar onstage at the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference — a gathering known to attract technology kings, politicians, and Hollywood stars.
Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Released in Australian Towns
Do you remember how some scientists, researchers, and individuals like Bill Gates were trying to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the environment? Well, that endeavor is not quite over. Australian research scientists have developed a strategy for fighting Dengue fever, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes that affects more than 50 million people annually and causes fever and crippling joint and muscle pain—and in some cases even death. Two towns in Northern Australia have recently been gifted with 10-20 thousand genetically engineered mosquitoes – almost completely replacing mosquitoes naturally occurring in the outdoors.
Dengue kills FAR more people worldwide than influenza, yet it is rarely even mentioned by Western media.
