About 2,000 people have died of West Nile virus in the United States since it was first detected in New York City in 1999, reports the CDC. 2017 – 2,002 cases of WNV were reported in 47 states and the District of Columbia, with 121 deaths.  2016 – 2,149 cases of WNV were reported in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with 106 deaths. 2015 – 2,175 cases of WNV were reported in 44 states and the District of Columbia, with 146 deaths. 2014 – 2,205 cases of WNV were reported in 44 states and the District of Columbia, with 97 deaths. 2013 – 2,469 cases of WNV were reported in 47 states and the District of Columbia, with 119 deaths. 2012 – 5,674 cases of WNV were reported in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, with 286 deaths. 2011 –...

  Since West Nile fever first appeared in the United States in 1999, more than 45,000 people have been infected, and nearly 2000 of them are known to have died, for a roughly 4% fatality rate. But a new study, reported today here at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggests that the fatality rate may be much higher. That’s because people infected with the virus may still die years after recovery, because it leaves them more vulnerable to other infectious diseases and kidney problems like renal failure. “This is exciting work,” says Gregory Ebel, a virologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, who was not involved in the study. “It’s really strong support for a case that has been building for almost 10 years now.” West Nile fever w...