2 West Nile cases in NW Ga.

Public health officials are reporting at least 20 West Nile virus cases in Georgia this year, three of which have been linked to deaths.

Floyd County has one of at least 20 West Nile virus cases reported in Georgia this year, as health officials have noted a spike from last year in the number of people affected by the mosquito-borne disease that also has been connected to at least three deaths in 2017, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District.

According to a news release from the department:

The local case is nonfatal, but in Catoosa County one death is related to the disease. The names, ages and genders of these individuals can’t be released due to HIPAA protections, said Logan Boss, spokesman for the Northwest Health District, in an email. Last year only saw seven West Nile cases without any deaths reported in the state. All victims were elderly and had underlying conditions that contributed to their deaths.

“Protecting yourself from mosquito bites, eliminating mosquito breeding grounds, and using larvicides to kill mosquito larva before they can grow into biting adults are the best ways to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile,” said Dr. Unini Odama, health director for the Northwest District, which covers 10 counties including Floyd. Dr. Unini Odama

There hasn’t been any indication as to why there has been a spike in cases, “but weather complexities, especially rainfall, temperature, and humidity, affect mosquito populations and their interaction with humans, and likely drive annual fluctuations in numbers of WNV cases reported,” Boss said.

“West Nile virus may be found and is a risk throughout Georgia and the other lower 48 states,” Odama emphasized.

WNV cases occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall, typically until the first hard freeze. July, August and September are Georgia’s months of highest risk for WNV transmission.

Most people become infected with WNV by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV.

“Over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to reduce fever and relieve some symptoms,” Boss said. “In severe cases, patients often need to be hospitalized to receive supportive treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain medication and nursing care.”

Symptoms of WNV include headache, fever, neck discomfort, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that usually develop three to 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The elderly, those with compromised immune systems, or those with other underlying medical conditions, are at greater risk for complications from the disease.

Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not have symptoms. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.

Georgia Health News reported Thursday that there have been 215 symptomatic Zika virus disease cases reported as of Aug. 23 this year in the U.S., down from 5,102 cases in all of 2016. The number of cases also is way down in tropical U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, where Zika was prevalent last year.

Zika is a tropical, mosquito-borne virus that has occasionally ranged into the southernmost parts of the U.S. but more often has affected Americans traveling to tropical regions, the GHN report states. A pregnant woman who is infected with Zika may have a baby with serious birth defects, the GHN report continues.