On August 1^st, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released information regarding cases of West Nile virus reported in 2012. As of the release date, 42 states had reported cases of West Nile virus infection. Of the 241 reported cases that took place from the beginning of the year through the end of July, four have resulted in death. 80% of the reported cases occurred in Texas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The CDC warns that this is the highest number of cases of West Nile infection reported since 2004, the reason for which is unclear at this time.

Early in August, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Iowa. Later the same week, two additional human cases were confirmed. The three cases occurred in Lyon, Grundy, and Plymouth counties. Regardless of geographic location, pharmacists in Iowa should take steps to protect public health by educating patients on proper measures to avoid West Nile virus infection.

·    Encourage patients to use insect repellant when they are outdoors, especially from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most likely to bite.

·    Additional measures to protect from mosquito bites include wearing long-sleeved shirts or pants, and shoes and socks when outdoors.

·    Finally, encourage patients to remove sources of standing water from outdoor areas as these are sites where mosquitoes prefer to breed.

To access the press release from the CDC, visit http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0801_west_nile.html.

For more information about West Nile virus disease from the CDC, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm.

For more information on West Nile virus disease, insect repellants, and current surveillance reports from IDPH, visit http://www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/DiseaseIndex.aspx?disease=West%20Nile%20Virus.