The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging people to take steps to prevent West Nile Virus infections. Outbreaks of West Nile Virus occur each summer in the United States.
There has been one reported case of West Nile Virus in North Carolina which resulted in death. According to the CDC, so far in 2012, over 40 states have reported West Nile Virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of over 1,000 cases of West Nile Virus, including more than 40 deaths, have been reported by CDC. This is the highest number of cases reported since the virus was first detected in the United States in 1999. Over 80 percent of the cases have been reported from six states, Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Dakota, and California.