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CNN Live Today

Possible West Nile Case in Georgia

Aired August 22, 2002 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A deadly threat appears to extend its reach, but only hints at its potential. Georgia is now the latest state reporting a preliminary diagnosis of West Nile virus, a potentially lethal disease carried by infected mosquitoes. Federal health officials are expected to confirm the case within the next day or two. The nationwide total now hovers above 250, but it remains only a fraction of what some experts are predicting.
For on the details, we are going to check in with our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is here to tell us more. Good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning. Yes, the numbers just keep increasing. It was 160 last Friday, it was 253 yesterday, 270 is what they are saying now with 13 deaths. And the case in Georgia has not been confirmed yet, Daryn, as you said, but West Nile virus has been in Georgia before. There were dead birds, certainly, at the beginning of the season last year. And you may remember, as well Daryn, a 70-year-old woman died of West Nile virus last year, so we certainly do have to confirm that case before we do that.

Let's take a look at the map again. As you remember, we have seen this so many times now. This West Nile virus actually started off in the Northeast corner of the country, in New York City back in '99, and now over the last three seasons, you can see how far it has progressed West. Experts say there is no question it will probably go all the way to the Western seaboard, and now Georgia, as you see there, is actually going to probably change. Unconfirmed at this point, but likely that it is actually a case of West Nile. Let me say as well, Daryn, that the gentleman we are talking about, 53 years old, he actually had some symptoms earlier this month, but is actually at home now. So he recovered from this and is apparently doing well.

KAGAN: Can we focus on age for a second, because when this first came out a few years ago, and even recently, we were hearing it affects the elderly, but it seems like these cases are getting a little bit younger and younger. Fifty-three is not exactly what I would qualify as elderly.

GUPTA: That's right. And it is -- actually the average age of people who are developing symptoms now is at 54, so that is quite a bit lower than the 70s and 80s number that we heard about before. Having said that, the people who are likely to get seriously ill, develop the encephalitis, the inflammation of the brain, or even die are people who are elderly, people who have weakened immune systems for one reason of another, or have some other diseases, diabetes is one in particular.

KAGAN: Speaking of elderly -- this is my first segue of the day -- just back -- you are going to come back later and talk about aging, or how not to, rather.

GUPTA: That is right. That's right. Fountain of youth-type stuff. We will give you some tips on what people need to do.

KAGAN: OK. Very good. Look forward to that. Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

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