West Nile Virus

There Are Many Outdoor Risks In Colorado. West Nile Is One We Don’t Take Seriously Enough

By editor • Sep 4, 2019

“West Nile disease is brutal,” said Betsy Marston, the shock of the loss of her husband still in her voice. “You suffer. He suffered.”

Her husband, Ed, the 78-year-old former publisher of High Country News, had recovered well from a heart bypass operation and was back to hiking through the Paonia wilderness. Within a span of a few days, however, his body went dramatically downhill to where “he could barely walk, and that’s when we went to the ER,” Marston said.

In Texas, Where Mosquitoes Thrive, Tick-Borne Diseases Are Often Overlooked

By Margaret Nicklas • Jun 27, 2019

From Texas Standard:

For some Texans, a mosquito bite can cause more than just an itch. From yellow fever to West Nile virus, there's a long history of mosquito-borne diseases in Texas, some of them causing serious harm or even death.

Kansas State Awarded Nearly $3 Million To Unravel Immune System Of Mosquitoes

By Ray Strunk • Oct 22, 2018

A research team at Kansas State University was awarded $2.9 million from the National Institute of Health to conduct research on the immune systems of mosquitoes.

Multiple Cases Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Kansas Horses

By Angie Haflich • Sep 20, 2018

Courtesy - Centers For Disease Control and Prevention

Multiple cases of West Nile virus (WNV) have been confirmed in horses across Kansas over the past few weeks.

According to the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health, 10 confirmed cases have been reported in Lyon, Marion, Neosho, Seward and Wichita counties.

KDA Spokeswoman Heather Lansdowne said there may be other infected horses that haven’t yet been tested.

This Bug Spreads A Disease That Might Not Show Symptoms For Years

By editor • Jul 24, 2018

From Texas Standard:

In July of 2013, 49-year-old Candace Stark donated blood in honor of her mother who had leukemia. Seven weeks later – she received a letter from the Blood Centers of Central Texas diagnosing her with Chagas disease.

"It came with a letter that stated I needed to see a healthcare provider and that I couldn’t donate blood any longer," Stark says.

Southwest, Central Kansas At High Risk For West Nile Virus

By Tom Shine • Jul 23, 2018

Southwest, north-central and south-central Kansas is under a high-risk warning for West Nile virus.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, portions of northwest, northeast and southeast Kansas are under a moderate-risk warning for the virus. That is based on historical data involving previous cases.

First Case Of Equine West Nile Virus For 2017 Reported In Colorado

By Angie Haflich • Aug 15, 2017

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is reporting the state’s first confirmed case of equine West Nile Virus this year.

As The Prowers Journal reports, a horse in Larimer County was diagnosed with the virus earlier this month.

Amarillo Launches "Mission Mosquito" to Fight Spread of Zika and West Nile

By Jonathan Baker • Jul 4, 2016

As summer descends, concerns continue to mount that the Zika virus will spread in Texas over the coming months. In response, the City of Amarillo’s Public Health and Environmental Health departments have launched campaign called Mission Mosquito. The goal is to educate the public on how to prevent mosquito bites and reduce breeding areas in the city, reports MyHighPlains.com.

The bite side of the rain

By Cindee Talley • May 24, 2015

The past couple weeks have brought rain, rain, sorely needed rain. It’s also saturated the ground and left some standing water. That’s the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. This report from KGOU.