Month: July 2013

Texas is bracing for another big outbreak of West Nile virus, public health officials and experts told the New York Times News Service. In 2012, the state was the epicenter of the nation’s worst West Nile outbreak since 2003. It accounted for 1,868 cases, one-third of the nation’s total. Texas also had nearly one-third of the serious cases that affected the nervous system, and one-third of the nation’s deaths. West Nile that affects the nervous system can cause encephalitis or meningitis. The death rate for these cases is about 10%. Experts said historic patterns suggest that this will be another big year for West Nile infection. But it’s off to a slow start, the news service reported. The virus has not been detected in any dead birds. Mosquitoes trapped in 5 counties tested positive for the virus. That’s down from 10 counties at this time last year.