Last year, Bergen County reported four human cases of West Nile, or about .04 cases per 10,000 people — slightly less than the state incidence rate of .05.
Across New Jersey, the number of West Nile cases were at an all-time high in 2012.Year West Nile Cases West Nile-related Fatalities 2012 48 6 2011 7 0 2010 30 2 2009 3 0 2008 10 2 2007 1 0
"The whole country experienced the worst year on record for West Nile Virus," said Dr. Shereen Semple, epidemiologist at the New Jersey Department of Health. "We don't know exactly why yet, but most of the experts agree that it has to do with the weather conditions. When the conditions are very hot and dry, we tend to see bad years."
To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence across the state, Patch has pulled together 2012 county-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Cases and Incidence Rates
You can see how counties across the state and country compare by using the interactive map above, which shows the number of West Nile cases in humans and the infection rate. West Nile – named after the district in Uganda where the virus was first discovered – spread to New York City in 1999, and has been migrating across the United States ever since. Last year was the deadliest year so far for West Nile in the United States, with more than 5,600 "confirmed and probable" cases, and at least 286 related deaths.
Local predictions for 2013 are very difficult to make. But nationally, "the number of humans with West Nile virus disease continues to rise in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases.
No Vaccine, Little Reporting, But a High Cost
While there is a West Nile vaccine for horses, there isn't one for humans, according to Purdue University Professor Richard Kuhn. Furthering the problem is the fact that cases of West Nile often go unreported.
“It's always underreported because if someone has a mild case they might not report it; they might think it’s a cold,” said Judith M. Lavelle, Health Communications Specialist at the CDC.
While the CDC has made some estimations for the number of unreported cases nationwide, New Jersey's Department of Health does not calculate those statistics for the state.
There is currently no comprehensive treatment for someone infected by West Nile, which makes severe diagnoses all the more frightening. Patch spoke to one Texas man who survived a West Nile infection in 2006, and has dedicated himself to educating the public about the potentially debilitating disease.
“I was told point blank that I would never walk again - to forget it,” said Donnie Manry, of the Bryan County Police Department in Texas. “It was devastating.”
Manry, who was 43 at the time, said that within five days of being stung, encephalitis and meningitis left him paralyzed. Through rehabilitation, Manry was able to regain control of his body again, and now uses a cane to walk.
From Birds to Bugs to Humans
West Nile has also been detected in bird populations, notably in Central Michigan. “Certain types of birds serve as a reservoir for West Nile Virus,” Kuhn said. An infected bird can pass the virus along to an uninfected mosquito when bitten. That’s why Wisconsin has launched a hotline for people to report dead birds in the area.
Many states have begun testing mosquitoes for West Nile, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and California all reporting positive detection in certain counties. After the virus was detected in California, LA County began overnight aerial spraying to stop the spread. Residents are cautioned to remain indoors during the spraying.
Prevention and Symptoms
The CDC recommends using an EPA-certified mosquito repellant if you’re going to be outdoors, and lists some additional prevention tips on their website, including:
- When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors.
- Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors.
- At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels, and cans.
With the 2012 mosquito season was the highest on record, health officials are cautioning people to take immediate action if you believe you’ve been infected. The CDC website lists varying degrees of symptoms, including:
- Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness, including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, and paralysis.
- Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.
- No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.
New Jersey residents can contact their local mosquito control agency by calling 1-888-NO NJ WNV (1-888-666-5968), a toll-free hotline with a complete listing of county mosquito control phone numbers from across the state.
James Kleimann and Zak Koeske contributed to this report