Mostly gone from East Coast cities, potentially deadly West Nile virus thrives in rural West

The West Nile virus was big news when it struck in major cities on the East Coast a few years ago. West Nile has almost disappeared from the news and the East Coast, but now it has a strong presence in the rural West, reports The Boston Globe.

"Specifically, specialists blame the complex interplay between the types of mosquitoes and birds that predominate in the West, the way people make a living in the region, and how water and land are used," writes Stephen Smith. "And, as much as anything, the story of West Nile in the United States may be the quintessential tale of an urban ill that ultimately invaded -- and prospered -- in rural swaths of the nation."

Smith reports that 85 percent of the 3,195 human cases of West Nile reported this year were west of the Mississippi River. Colorado had the most cases, with 544 people becoming ill. Along with presence of certain birds and mosquitoes, the agricultural lifestyle of many in the West helps explain the number of cases. Working outside brings many into contact with mosquitoes, especially farmers or others who work in fields irrigated by flood water, which are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. (Read more)

The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City continued its series, "Faces of West Nile," on Sunday with a profile of one of the seven Oklahomans to die from the virus this year. (Read more)