WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas, like the rest of the country, has
seen less than half the number of people getting sick from West
Nile virus so far this year as normal.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says it's seen
13 cases reported in the state, compared with 32 at this point in
2007. Nationally, health officials say they've recorded 712 West
Nile cases, compared with 1,982 last year.
But they can't figure out why.
West Nile is carried by mosquitoes. Health officials say there
may have been environmental conditions this year that prevented the
disease from spreading as rapidly.
But Emily Zielinski-Gutierrez of the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention says residents should still take precautions
to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Information from: The Wichita Eagle, http://www.kansas.com
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)