Forty Percent Increase of West Nile Virus in a Week

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that cases of West Nile Virus are up forty percent from last week.

An increase was expected, due to the time of year, but this year has already seen very large numbers of cases.

So far there have been nearly 1,600 reported cases, sixty-six of which have been fatal.

Almost half of those have been in the state of Texas.

With this weekend being one of the biggest outdoor holidays for the US, people are being warned to be extra cautious about being near mosquito infested areas.

It can take up to two weeks for people with the virus to even get sick, and there are a whole slew of symptoms, including: headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

Some cities, especially Dallas, Texas, have begun aerial spraying in attempts to kill off the infected mosquito population.