Q:
Dear ER Doc,
I keep reading reports about West Nile virus – should I be concerned?
Jenn
Sacramento, CA
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A:
Okay, the media has made it seem like West Nile is the next black plague, but let’s put it into perspective. Can this virus kill people? Yes. How likely is it? Not very.
In 2007, West Nile caused 124 deaths in the United States. Most people who contract the virus don’t get sick at all, and only about 1 percent become seriously ill. If you are a healthy person, you are unlikely to be significantly affected by this germ.
West Nile virus is now permanently living in the Western Hemisphere, so we should get used to it. We should try to avoid mosquito bites, drain standing water, use repellent, all that good stuff. But on the list of things to worry about in this time of economic crisis, political instability, and the romantic status of Jessica Simpson, it ranks pretty low.
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