Officials revealed that five cases of the West Nile virus have been reported at the Los Angeles County, which was reportedly lower than last year. A warning was issued by officials recently to residents of the Santa Monica area after two dead birds that were found had tested positive for the deadly disease.
The total of dead birds found to have been infected with the deadly West Nile virus in the Los Angeles County has reached 56. The West Nile virus can be transmitted to humans if they are bitten by mosquitoes that have contracted it from biting birds infected with the virus.
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Officials have indicated that around twenty percent of people will contract minor symptoms due the virus while majority will not feel these effects. The symptoms include aches, chills and fever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that severe sickness only affects less than 1-on150 people while cases that lead to death are rare.
The Los Angeles County reported 63 cases of the West Nile virus last year. Four deaths were also reported to have been linked to the virus in the county last year. For this year, the first case of human infection in the Los Angeles County was reported last month at the San Gabriel Valley area.
According to the public health director for the Los Angeles County, Jonathan Fielding, the reported cases of the West Nile virus is light for this year. In comparison official s indicated that 63 cases were reported in the same period last year
Precautionary measures were recommended by health officials include the elimination of stagnant water sources that may become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Wearing long sleeve shirts and pants as well as the use of insect repellant were also advised.
However it was a different story in other parts of the country as Dr. Lyle Peterson of the CDC indicated that the country is currently in the middle of the biggest outbreaks of the West Nile virus. Out of all the states only Hawaii, Vermont and Alaska are the only states that did not report any West Nile cases.
