|
Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee - April 29, 2023
Gould, CV, JE Stcaples, CYH Huang, AC Brault, RJ Nett.
New England J. Med. Perspective2023. 388: 1633-1636. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2301816
Summary [by Vector and Vector-borne Disease committee]: Article outlines the disease burden and cost of West Nile virus [WNV] in the United States. For example, between 2004 – 2017, there were 3,109 residents of California hospitalized with WNV disease with an estimated cost averaging $59,900,000/year. They argue that current public health education programs have been generally ineffective due to low public response and that intensive vector control programs have been mostly reactive and therefore reduce the size of outbreaks but not prevent them. Problems associated with effective outbreak response has been magnified in areas with low resources for surveillance and control. The status of human vaccine development was reviewed and the current candidates discussed in regards to safety and efficacy. They suggest that an age and incidence based program could improve cost-effectiveness and lead to disease reduction. In support of these suggestions, reported equine cases have almost disappeared since the advent of a commercial vaccine and perhaps natural immunization due to repeated exposure.
[also read: Snyder RE, Cooksey GS, Kramer V, Jain S, Vugia DJ. West Nile Virus-associated hospitalizations, California, 2004-2017. Clin Infect Dis 2021;73:441-7].
| 
