Cases of West Nile Virus is on the Rise in San Diego County

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published September 26, 2007 at 10:01 AM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Local cases of West Nile virus increased in recent months. What kind of public health threat does this virus present? San Diego Countys public health officer explains how the county educates the pub

Tom Fudge: West Nile virus is a mosquito-born, potentially deadly, virus that has swept the USA. It now has a foothold in California, where at least 13 people have died from it. There are just under 300 confirmed cases of the disease in our state.

Now the San Diego County Health Department says five residents of the county have come down with the illness in the past month. All of those people acquired the disease locally, which is a new development. Up until this year, only one local resident with West Nile actually got it in San Diego County.

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For more information about West Nile virus, call (888) 551-4636 or visit www.sdfightthebite.com .

For California updates about West Nile virus, visit to www.westnile.ca.gov .

For more information on West Nile virus or other vectors, call (858) 694-2888 or e-mail vector@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Guest

Dr. Wilma Wooten, public health officer for San Diego County.

Cases of West Nile Virus is on the Rise in San Diego County

Local cases of West Nile virus increased in recent months. What kind of public health threat does this virus present? San Diego Countys public health officer explains how the county educates the pub

Local cases of West Nile virus increased in recent months. What kind of public health threat does this virus present? San Diego Countys public health officer explains how the county educates the pub