West Nile virus kills 16 in Texas, sickens hundreds

[FarCenter]

The US state of Texas is battling an outbreak of the West Nile virus, with at least 16 deaths being blamed on the mosquito-borne disease, authorities said.

Throughout the state, 381 people have been sickened since the start of the year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

"Texas is on track to have the most cases of West Nile illness since the disease first emerged in the state in 2002," it said in a statement.

The county incorporating Dallas, the ninth-largest city in the United States, has been the hardest hit with a total of 128 cases and 9 deaths, prompting the mayor to declare a local state of disaster.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120815-west-nile-virus-kills-16-texas-sickens-hundreds

[phantom power]

1. another thing we can expect more of as the climate changes

[FarCenter]

2. West Nile Virus was introduced first in New York; it is also a temperate zone disease

Temperate zone bird, such as robins and crows harbor the disease, and temperate zone mosquitos carry the infection from birds to humans.

[tammywammy]

3. Cities are starting to use mosquito spray from planes this week.

Dallas just approved aerial spraying, they've been doing spray from trucks. Ft Worth announced they're going to start truck spraying.

After last year's drought and a mild winter there's just a lot of mosquitoes this year.

[justabob]

4. the good rain yesterday isn't going to help

The mosquito situation (and fleas!) sucks this year. I hate it that the lovely rain storm we had last night is just going to make the situation worse. I hope they can get the mosquitoes under control.

[tammywammy]

5. But that rain was soooo lovely!

And they're saying more rain is possibly...this weekend I think.

[justabob]

6. It was!!

I am happy about the lovely cloud cover today too. I hope the temps drop a few degrees for us too.