The number of reported West Nile Virus cases in humans jumped 40 percent in one week, according to The Washington Post.
Officials told the newspaper that they expect the mosquito-borne illness' numbers to rival levels of another West Nile Virus outbreak a decade ago.
Also, the Centers For Disease Control posted this on its website today:
As of August 28, 2012, 48 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 1,590 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 66 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 889 (56%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 701 (44%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease.
The 1,590 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the last week in August since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999. Over 70 percent of the cases have been reported from six states (Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Michigan) and over 45 percent of all cases have been reported from Texas.
So far in Washington, there have been no reported cases in humans this year, although there has been one case of West Nile Virus found in a horse, and another four cases were reported in mosquito samples.
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