West Nile encephalitis had never been documented in the Western Hemisphere before the late summer of 1999, when an outbreak occurred in the New York City metropolitan area. In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 62 human cases of encephalitis, including seven deaths, although the actual human infection rate was much higher. Most people who are infected with the West Nile virus have no symptoms or may experience mild illness such as fever, headache, body aches, mild skin rash, or swollen lymph glands.
Infected mosquitoes transmit the West Nile virus.
In October 2000, the first cases of West Nile virus were confirmed from birds, mosquitoes, and a horse in Pennsylvania. The issue has been gaining a great deal of media attention, and the public became alarmed in states neighboring New York as the disease continued to spread. Little published information existed that would provide the public with the facts about the virus or how they might protect themselves from infection. The funds will provide necessary staffing and an improved epidemiological infrastructure to detect the virus should it find its way into Pennsylvania. The PA Departments of Health , Environmental Protection , Agriculture , Aging , Conservation and Natural Resources , the PA Fish and Boat Commission , and the PA Game Commission have developed a comprehensive, statewide plan to detect and respond to a virus outbreak in Pennsylvania.