(Sept 25, 2004) -- As of Sept. 24, LB's Dept. of Health & Human Services reports that LB has had ten confirmed human cases of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV) in 2004...an increase of one case from the previous week and the first increase reported for two weeks. On September 1, LB had seven confirmed cases. LB's total includes one death, an elderly ELB woman on Aug. 9.

Statewide, as of Sept. 24, 612 cases have been confirmed with 17 deaths.

The CA Dept. of Health Services reports fifty-eight WNV cases statewide were first detected in asymptomatic individuals through screening done at blood banks - six later became symptomatic. Of the 563 WNV cases with symptoms, 209 are classified as West Nile fever cases, 180 are classified as West Nile neuroinvasive disease, and 174 are of unknown status.

WNV produces no clinical symptoms in roughly 80% of people bitten by infected mosquitoes, but causes flu-like symptoms in about 20%. It can lead to encephalitis (brain swelling) or meningitis in about 1 in 150 people bitten by WNV infected mosquitoes. There is no cure, only supportive therapies which include hospitalization in serious cases.