Second West Nile death in Iowa is confirmed
In addition to the two deaths, there have been 12 human cases of West Nile virus and five presumptive viremic blood donors have been identified. During the 2016 surveillance season, 37 human cases of WNV were reported in 19 Iowa counties.
The State Hygienic Laboratory works in collaboration with IDPH, Iowa State University, and local public environmental health partners to conduct ecological surveillance in 25 counties across the state by monitoring mosquitoes and testing for the virus in infected populations.
Mosquitoes continue to breed until the first hard freeze, typically marking the end of the West Nile virus season. Low temperatures earlier this month caused the first hard freeze in many parts of Iowa.
