Los Angeles County too is also on the verge of being gripped by the West Nile virus, which has already caused a lot of panic in USA’s tropical and temperate regions., and California. Lack of adequate information about the preventive measures, related to this mosquito-transmitted disease, is a further reason for concern. – there is a greater chance of contraction of the virus and development of the disease.

Generally, the West Nile virus infects birds, but dogs, cbats, horses, rabbits and humans can also be infected. It is the bite of an infected mosquito that triggers the virus infection in humans. Putting it differently, the virus is transmitted through mosquito vectors, which bite and infect birds; these birds are merely hosts of the virus. In fact, one of the ways public health officials track the movement of the virus is by counting dead birds.

The problematic West Nile virus made its first ‘appearance’ in the United States in 1999 and in California in 2003. In 2004, in California alone, 29 people died due to the virus and 779 were infected. However, the next two years showed a decline in the number of the infections, which alarmingly rose again last year.

The current year is shaping up to be the worst in Southern California since 2004. According to Dr. Jonathan Fielding, County Director of public health, in Los Angeles County, infections due to West Nile virus have increased by 50% from last year.  

Talking to the Los Angeles Times, the manager of Sacramento-Yolo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, David Brown said that they were near ‘the end of this mosquito control season’ and that in the coming year the virus will have a much greater impact.

It is a single strand of RNA, with 11,000 and 12,000 nucleotides, that is the genetic material of the West Nile Virus. Medically speaking, the virus has three specific, yet differing, effects on humans - an asymptomatic infection, a mild febrile syndrome and a neuroinvasive disease. About 20% of the infected people get the most serious, neuroinvasive form of the disease, which can cause encephalitis, meningitis and death. It is the chronically ill people and those above 50 years of age that are most at risk.

As a part of preventive measures to combat the imposing threat of West Nile virus, the officials advise people to use insect repellent, put screens on their windows and get rid of standing water.