The first cases of West Nile in the United States were confirmed in 1999. Since then there has been concern over the number of cases increasing through 2006. Yet the panicking feelings over it haven’t always been justified. In many instances people weren’t getting the treatment they needed for West Nile early on. Many individuals felt they only had the flu or that their symptoms were the result of other medical problems they had. Therefore they didn’t go to the doctor for treatment at all.
Even in those cases where patients did seek medical attention, the West Nile was often misdiagnosed. Yet once people in the medical profession and individuals became more familiar with West Nile the reported cases were higher. People were seeking treatment for it and doctors knew what to look for. Chances are there weren’t very many more cases in subsequent years but the fact that they were being reported correctly did increase substantially.
The climate is often to blame for changes in the number of cases of West Nile out there. In areas where there is more rain than usual there will be more mosquitoes. They lay their eggs in puddles of water and can lay hundreds of them at a time. In areas where there is a drought there will be fewer mosquitoes and less cases of West Nile reported.
In order for the number of West Nile cases to be accurately counted, they have to be reported. Physicians, clinics, and hospitals have to report all confirmed cases. This allows the community to take action against it. There can be more aggressive sprayings to get rid of their numbers. Education is also key to helping people protect themselves against contracting West Nile. All of these efforts will help to ensure the number of confirmed cases drops.
If you are interested in finding out the statistics for West Nile cases in your area, you can look online for them. You can also contact your local health department to get those figures released to you. While you may not be very concerned about West Nile, cases have been confirmed all over so you just never know where it may surface at.