An unidentified, 44-year-old Oakland County man has Michigan’s first confirmed case of West Nile Virus this year.
The man is home recuperating, after being hospitalized earlier this month, state health departments officials said today, in a statement confirming the case.
Michigan’s unusually warm and dry spring and summer weather has spawned mosquitoes that transmit the West Nile virus, according to the state’s mosquito control districts. The disease can cause serious neurological illnesses, such as meningitis and encephalitis.
People 50 and older are more susceptible to develop severe symptoms.
Most cases occur in August and September when mosquitoes are older and more likely to carry the virus. Mosquitoes transmit the virus by biting animals or people, usually at night.
Typically there are no early indications of symptoms, which later include neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, muscle weakness, convulsions and paralysis.
About one-in-five infected persons will have mild illness with fever. About one in 150 infected people will become severely ill.
Last year, the virus was responsible for 34 serious illnesses and two deaths in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Community Healthy.
Nationally, 712 cases and 34 deaths were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Contact Patricia Anstett at panstett@freepress.com; 313-222-5021
No comments:
Post a Comment