Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

West Nile Outbreak Now Second-Worst Year Ever

Also: Meningitis death toll hits 19

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 17, 2012 6:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – Two developments of note on the West Nile and meningitis outbreaks:

  • West Nile: Nearly 300 new cases surfaced last week, bringing this year's total to 4,531 and making it the second-worst year ever. The death toll rose by 15 to 183. It's the highest number of cases since the total of 9,862 in 2003, reports Reuters. Texas remains the hardest-hit state.
  • Meningitis: Four more people died—two in Tennessee and one each in Florida and Virginia—bringing the death toll to 19, reports AP. That makes 247 cases in 15 states, all from an apparently contaminated steroid drug. The feds raided the Massachusetts company linked to the outbreak.

Dead mosquitos are lined up waiting to be sorted at the Dallas County mosquito lab in August.
Dead mosquitos are lined up waiting to be sorted at the Dallas County mosquito lab in August.   (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
0%
0%
7%
4%
85%
4%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
lonewolf17
Oct 17, 2012 8:19 PM CDT
Both stories are essentially sensationalistic, unless there is some chance that this is the beginning of some sort of "Spanish-flu" pandemic. More people have died from being kicked by cows in the same period of time as these "outbreaks", but you don't see that making the news.
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne