(Erin Mulvaney, Houston Chronicle)
The worst outbreak of West Nile virus in Harris County in several years has caused three deaths in Houston, including two reported Tuesday, leading one expert to say more are expected with the peak of the season just about to hit.
Kristy Murray, an infectious disease specialist in Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine, said it’s early in the season for reporting West Nile infections, with 80 percent of the cases typically showing up with onset symptoms during this week, historically the peak of the season. There is a lag from the onset of the disease to when the deaths or infections are reported, she said.
Murray said three deaths is a high number before the peak even hits. “That’s a significant number. We should expect more,” Murray said. “We are about to hit our peak and we still have another month when the majority of cases are going to occur.”
Texas, particularly the Dallas area, has seen a surge of West Nile cases this year. In Dallas, officials are dealing with the worst outbreak of the virus in the U.S. this year, prompting city leaders to declare a state of emergency. The mayor approved the first aerial spray of insecticide in the city in more than 45 years. More than 200 cases of West Nile and 10 deaths linked to the virus have been reported across Dallas County, where officials authorized aerial spraying last week.
State public health officials have attributed the increased activity to the warm winter and rain. Statewide, 381 cases and 16 deaths have been linked to West Nile.
In Houston, the city posted news of the two recent deaths on its website Tuesday. No deaths have been reported in Harris County outside of the city. Thirteen cases have been reported in the city and six in Harris County. (Read more at the Houston Chronicle)
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