Above-Average Rain, Temperatures Increase West Nile Virus Risks

[Orstio]

http://www.everything-science.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=131&Itemid=1

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2005--Wetter-than-normal conditions combined with warmer weather have experts worrying about an increase in mosquito populations, which could lead to a greater incidence of the West Nile virus this year.

Increased rain and warmer temperatures mean more mosquitoes and an increased chance of contracting the West Nile virus this summer. (Illustration credit: David Joffe)

Overall, temperature and precipitation were above average across the contiguous United States, according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center. NOAA reported the start of 2005 was one of the wettest and warmest . . .