West Nile Virus a Risk to Diabetes Patients

The very idea of a West Nile Virus seems like something out of a Dustin Hoffman movie. But the CDC has already revved up for a troubling announcement about the existence of the West Nile Virus in almost every state of the union.

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“Thus far in 2012, 47 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 1118 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 41 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 629 (56%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 489 (44%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease.

The 1118 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the third week in August since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999. Approximately 75 percent of the cases have been reported from 5 states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Oklahoma) and almost half of all cases have been reported from Texas.”

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Some of the serious symptoms include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, comas, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis. Milder symptoms include nausea and vomiting. Troubling as it may be, 80 percent of those who acquire the West Nile Virus will never show symptoms until the disease is full blown. You cannot contract the disease through touching or casual contact with an infected patient, but for patients who already struggle with Diabetes, Cancer, Hypertension, or Kidney Disease, the vulnerabilities go up.

Experts have said that the best way to protect yourself from the virus is wear long sleeves and pants outside around dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are in their most active state.

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