This Year’s Appearance in Commonwealth Is Earliest On Record
Mild Winter and Wet Spring Leaves State Vulnerable to Potentially Deadly Disease
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help Pennsylvania as it battles an early surge in reports of West Nile Virus.
This year’s mild winter and wet spring is likely the cause of a dramatic increase in West Nile Virus cases early this year. The virus is transmitted through mosquitos, and the warm weather Pennsylvania experienced this spring has led to an increase in the mosquito population. West Nile Virus is a potentially serious illness that can cause lasting neurological damage in a small number of people affected.
“With West Nile Virus already appearing around the state, the CDC and its partners in the federal government need to do all they can to protect Pennsylvanians,” Senator Casey said. “Officials at the state and local level are doing all they can to prepare for West Nile season, but federal attention is needed to ensure that this year’s early outbreak doesn’t become a serious public health issue.”
Experts believe West Nile Virus is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. About one in 150 people infected with West Nile Virus will develop severe illness, with severe symptoms that can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with West Nile Virus will not show any symptoms at all.
A county-by-county look at West Nile cases in Pennsylvania is available here:
http://www.westnile.state.pa.us/surv.htm
Education materials directed at individuals and communities are available here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/education.htm#materials.
Education materials for medical professionals are available here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/clinicians/index.htm.
The full text of Casey’s letter can be seen below:
Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dear Director Frieden:
I write today to express my concerns about recent reports of West Nile Virus in seventeen counties in Pennsylvania. The mild winter and warm spring has led to concerns about a longer mosquito season this year, concerns that appear warranted given that West Nile Virus has appeared much sooner than is typical.
In May 2011, only one case of West Nile Virus was reported in Pennsylvania; this year, there were 27 cases reported in May (including both humans and animals that tested positive). West Nile Virus is endemic in the state, so further cases are expected over the summer. While most people who contract West Nile Virus recover fully, and many are asymptomatic, a small percentage of people are severely affected and may even suffer permanent neurological damage.
Therefore, I respectfully request that CDC offer its assistance to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and local health departments in the State to wage an aggressive and robust campaign to continue educating Pennsylvanians about how to prevent mosquito bites, reduce mosquito breeding grounds, and learn the signs of West Nile Virus so that individuals who may be infected can seek prompt medical attention from doctors who have been trained to recognize West Nile Virus. I would ask that you report back to me your efforts in this regard, and identify how my office can assist you with such efforts.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
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