The first North American case of West Nile virus surfaced in New York City last summer. While there have been no reported human infections of West Nile virus this year, infected crows have already been discovered in New York City and Boston. Media hype and last year's encephalitis deaths have raised a lot of concern about whether or not West Nile virus has the potential to become an epidemic. At this point, experts don't consider the spread of West Nile virus an immediate health threat, but many are supportive of the preventative measures that have been taken in these cities. McGuire is Project Director for NetMark, a five-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development that seeks to reduce the incidence of malaria in Africa.
Malaria is a leading cause of death among African children under the age of five.
Since both malaria and West Nile virus are transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, McGuire said, there are many misconceptions that the two diseases are similar. Many people worry that West Nile virus could become the malaria of this century. Even though both malaria and West Nile virus are mosquito-borne, there are few similarities, said McGuire. West Nile virus is a viral infection, while malaria is parasitic , meaning that it is kept alive while it is in the body. In New York and several other cities, public health officials have mandated insecticide spraying in affected areas.