San Juan County boy is first human West Nile virus case in New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Health announced today that a 13-year-old boy from San Juan County has been diagnosed with West Nile Virus (WNV) infection, he is the first human case of the mosquito borne viral disease in New Mexico in 2013.
The child was hospitalized for a short time and is now at home recovering.
“Serious illness can occur in people of all ages. However, it’s important to remember that older adults, especially those over 60 years of age, are more susceptible to developing serious complications from West Nile Virus, and they need to be especially careful to avoid mosquito bites,” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Retta Ward, MPH.
Common West Nile Virus symptoms are fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. If someone has these symptoms, they should see their health care provider. In rare cases, West Nile Virus can infect the brain and cause meningitis or encephalitis that can have lasting effects.
In 2012, all 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 5,674 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 286 deaths, were reported to CDC.
Of these, 2,873 (51%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 2,801 (49%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. The numbers of neuroinvasive, non-neuroinvasive, and total West Nile virus disease cases reported in 2012 are the highest since 2003.
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