Illinois man, Louisiana man latest victims of West Nile virus

Epidemic still growing, says CDC scientist

The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Louisiana state health officials Friday reported the death of a 78-year-old man from the West Nile virus, the 11th person to die of the mosquito-borne disease in the nation and the eighth fatality in Louisiana.

The Livingston Parish man apparently died July 4, but the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals first reported his death from the disease Friday.

The total of human cases in the U.S. now stands at 251, according to the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Also Friday, Illinois health authorities said a 67-year-old man from DuPage County, just west of Chicago, died of the virus, and that three other people in and around Chicago have become infected with the disease.

The man apparently died August 10, the Illinois Department of Public Health said. He first reported symptoms of fever, stiff neck, and change in consciousness August 4 and was admitted to the hospital the same day.

Dr. John Lumpkin, the state public health director, said the man slipped into a coma after being admitted to the hospital.

MORE STORIES • Time.com: West Nile: On the move  • Time.com: Person (ahem) of the Week  • A West Nile survivor's story  • Infectious diseases: A problem the world over    EXTRA INFORMATION • Interactive: Understanding West Nile virus  • Map: Outbreaks in the U.S.  • Map: West Nile activity in the U.S. from 2000 through 2002    CDC West Nile hot lines English 888-246-2675 Spanish 888-246-2875 Hearing-impaired 866-874-2646

A 42-year-old woman from Will County, southwest of Chicago, is hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; an 80-year-old man from Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago, is hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; and a 39-year-old woman from Chicago is hospitalized with a West Nile virus illness.

Earlier Friday, health authorities in Michigan reported that two men appear to have been infected with West Nile virus, a finding that -- if confirmed by the CDC -- would mean people have become infected with the disease in 11 states plus the District of Columbia.

Both Michigan cases involved men in the southeastern part of the state who became sick with symptoms of encephalitis after spending much time outdoors, said Dr. David Johnson, chief medical officer for the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Neither man had recently left the state, he added.

In the first case, an 82-year-old man hospitalized for approximately 10 days has been released and appears to have recovered, Johnson said.

A 63-year-old man remains hospitalized but also is improving, the doctor added.

The reports did not surprise health authorities. Birds have tested positive in 43 Michigan counties, and horses are suspected of having contracted the virus in three counties, he said.

Encephalitis and meningitis are rare, but potentially fatal, symptoms of the infection. People in states where the virus is present are urged to wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants, and to use insect repellent containing the chemical DEET.

According to the CDC, there have been confirmed cases of the disease in: Alabama (three), the District of Columbia (one), Florida (one), Illinois (nine including one death), Indiana (one), Louisiana (147, including eight deaths), Massachusetts (one), Mississippi (55, including two deaths), Missouri (five), New York (two), Ohio (two) and Texas (25).

"We're still on the upslope of the epidemic curve," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, an infectious disease expert at the agency.

Before cool weather stops this year's epidemic, about 1,000 people could become sick with the disease, and about 100 of them are likely to die from it, he said.

West Nile virus was first reported in New York in 1999. Since then, the virus has been found in animals in 37 states and the District of Columbia.