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West Nile virus is a single-stranded RNA virus
of the family Flaviviridae. It is similar to other
arboviruses, such as St. Louis Encephalitis virus,
LaCrosse virus and Western Equine encephalitis
virus.
Common in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern
Europe, West Nile virus first appeared in the
United States during a 1999 outbreak in New York
that killed seven people. Since then, the virus
has swept across the US and has now been discovered
in 42 states. The virus was first detected in
Iowa in September of 2001. The recent emergence
of West Nile virus presents a threat to human
and animal health. We will study the epidemiology
of West Nile virus, particularly as it relates
to rural Iowa.
The following web sites contain detailed information
regarding West Nile virus:
CDC
West Nile Virus Page
Iowa
Department of Public Health
Medline
Plus Health Information
National
Biological Information Infrastructure
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