West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., with the highest concentration in the Midwest. Here’s how to tell if you’re infected.

Most people infected with the virus suffer few, if any symptoms. But some develop high fevers and deadly brain swelling. The disease spiked here last year, killing nine Iowans and seriously sickening another 95. That was the highest death toll since the virus first appeared in Iowa in 2001. In 2017, Iowa saw just 12 cases, including two deaths.

The disease tends to increase in late summer and early fall, when the type of mosquito that carries the virus is most prevalent.
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In this episode of Virus Watch, I’ll show you how mosquitoes spread viruses. We’ll look at how a mosquito finds a host, how it finds a blood vessel, and how it delivers viruses to a new host. Don’t blame mosquitoes for viral diseases: it’s not their fault!
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