FOXNEWS 10
AZ - West Nile Cases Nearly Double
Fri Jun 25, 2004 13:08
64.140.158.46

West Nile Cases Nearly Double
http://www.fox10.com/news/index.shtml

(06.24.04) — The number of people infected with West Nile virus in Arizona has nearly doubled since last week, health officials said Thursday. There were 37 cases as of Thursday, up from 20 a week earlier, said Arizona Department of Health spokesman Michael Murphy. West Nile made its first appearance in Arizona last year. Fifteen cases were reported and one person died of the disease then. The virus is normally transmitted to humans and animals by mosquitos, which become infected when they feed on infected birds. Twenty-three horses in the state tested positive this year for West Nile. In humans, the virus can cause flulike symptoms such as fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. In some cases, it progresses to life-threatening encephalitis or meningitis. In a small number of cases, the disease is fatal. Murphy said the severity of the cases is troubling. Of the 37, 13 had encephalitis, 16 meningitis, five had West Nile fever and three were undetermined. All the human cases were reported in the greater Phoenix area, and all but one is believed to have been contracted in Maricopa County, Murphy said. "It's starting to become crunch time," he said. "Because of increasing humidity that comes with monsoon season, pools of mosquitos can breed more easily." The Arizona State University Health Lab has tested 625 mosquito pools for West Nile this year. Of those, 69 tested positive. Infected mosquitos have been found in Yuma, Cochise and Maricopa counties. Murphy warned: "Do everything you can do to eliminate standing water."
House Fire Kills Mesa Man
(06.24.04) — A house fire in Mesa has claimed the life of an 87-year-old man and injured his wife. After Rosemary Hanson was rescued by firefighters from the burning home about 11 p-m last night, she said her husband was still inside. Niles Hanson suffered severe burns and died after being airlifted to Maricopa Medical Center. Fire investigators blame the fire on improper disposal of smoking materials. In addition, they say the batteries were bad in the home's smoke alarm. Rosemary Hanson was treated for smoke inhalation. The Hanson home is the area of Gilbert and Broadway.
Supreme Court Upholds AZ Death Sentences
(06.24.04) — Attorney General Terry Goddard commended today's U-S Supreme Court ruling that refused to overturn the death sentences of 85 Arizona death-row inmates. The ruling also applies to about 25 other convicted murderers in Idaho, Montana and Nebraska. Attorneys for the inmates argued their fates were improperly determined by judges, not jurors. The Supreme Court decision spares the four states from having to decide whether to spend millions for new sentencing hearings or consent to prison sentences. Goddard says the decision spares victims and their families from having to relive cases that have already been decided.
Deadly Day in Iraq
(06.24.04) — Coalition officials in Iraq say the latest insurgent attacks are the most extensive since early April. They say the offensive could signal an escalated rebel campaign in the coming days. Today's battles have killed about 100 people and injured about 320 others.

http://www.aztrib.com/index.php?sty=23697
====================================

Battling the bugs - Arizona Republic