West Nile Virus

Headlines carried the news of the first West Nile Virus outbreaks in the United States in the summer of 1999. The fear of the disease prompted people to stay indoors after sunset. Cities and towns in the northeast regularly sprayed to control mosquito populations. Where did it come from? How did it get here? Though it was first seen in Uganda in 1937, it is new to the United States. Spread mainly by mosquitoes, human illness from the virus is rare, even in the areas where the virus has been reported. This book looks at the origins of the disease, and how it spread to the United States. Finally, it provides vital information on how to avoid contracting it.