WASHINGTON – It may be sticky and smell not-so-great, but use that mosquito spray because West Nile Virus is on the rise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the disease killed 167 people last year.
More than 2,600 cases were reported, that’s 550 more people than contacted it in 2017.
The CDC is also reporting an uptick in the number of people getting the most severe form of West Nile, which causes brain inflammation.
Although most people who contract the disease never show symptoms, about 10 percent of those who develop serious symptoms die.
The virus occurs throughout the United States and is spread primarily by mosquitoes.
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