West Nile virus cases were overstated across the U.S.

[Guest guest]

Our trusted CDC at work:

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090123/UPDATES01/90123010

January 23, 2009

West Nile virus cases were overstated across the U.S.

By CHRIS JOYNER

USA TODAY

State health departments across the nation are learning this month the number of

West Nile virus cases they thought they had in 2008 was overstated -- in one

case by more than 35 percent -- due to faulty testing kits.

The problem test kits, from Inverness Medical Innovations of Waltham, Mass.,

resulted in incorrect diagnoses of West Nile virus in at least 42 states,

according to Janusz, an epidemic intelligence service officer with the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mosquito-borne illness, first

identified in the U.S. in 1999, produces mild flu-like symptoms and can cause

death.

Before the errors were discovered, CDC figures showed there were 1,370 West Nile

cases in 2008. That number will go down when the CDC releases corrected figures

next month to exclude hundreds of misdiagnosed cases nationwide, spokeswoman

Zielinski-Gutierrez said.

In 2007, the CDC reported 3,360 cases of West Nile virus. While the number of

reported cases has been declining over the past few years because of natural

cycles in weather and mosquito population, the CDC raised concerns about the

faulty kits.

" If a person had a false-positive test result for West Nile virus disease, this

may have resulted in the incorrect diagnosis and failure to consider other

possible causes of their illness, " the CDC stated on its Web site. A false

notion that cases are up also could lead states to alter their prevention plans.

Zielinski-Gutierrez said some states may want to adjust their prevention

planning once they get the new results.

According to the CDC, the faulty test kits were sent to labs in Minnesota, North

Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas between July and September.

Inverness spokesman Doug Guarino said a component failed in the problem test

kits. He added that the problem has been corrected, and the company is working

with the Food and Drug Administration to get the kits back on the market by this

spring.

" There shouldn't be any further issues, " he said.

Inverness produces one of four FDA-approved kits for West Nile virus, according

to the CDC.

Mississippi had one of the largest number of incorrect diagnoses, with

false-positive readings in one of three cases. Janusz said. The Mississippi

Department of Health got the new numbers last week -- 65, down from 101,

according to state epidemiologist Currier. New York may have been the first

to notice the problem in late summer, when public health officials in the state

noticed six positive tests turned out not to be West Nile, state Department of

Health spokeswoman Pospisil said.

Pospisil said the health department notified the CDC and it sent out an alert in

October warning of the bad kits.

Among other states affected:

-- Colorado: 24 of the state's 71 West Nile cases turned out to be bogus, said

Pape an epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and

Environment.

-- Pennsylvania: Department of Health epidemiologist Ostroff said the

bad kits generated 19 false diagnoses.

-- Minnesota: 10 of the state's 21 cases were found not to be West Nile, said

Doug Schultz, of the Health Department.

Joyner reports for The Clarion-Ledger in , Miss.

[Guest guest]

Not sure if this is important or not, but I know for a fact those

statistics are actually on the low side. My dh and I had West Nile

back when it started in NYC, we lived in the few square blocks it

started and we contracted it but never went to the hospital (they were

killing people there!). I know a bunch of people who, like us, had ALL

the symptoms but didn't get tested, we all just fought it and got

better on our own.

[Guest guest]

I think that's quite important. Same with other diseases--people stay home when

they're sick. Not everyone runs out the door to find out what they already know!

Winnie

Re:West Nile virus cases were overstated across the U.S.

Vaccinations

> Not sure if this is important or not, but I know for a fact

> those

> statistics are actually on the low side. My dh and I had West

> Nile

> back when it started in NYC, we lived in the few square blocks

> it

> started and we contracted it but never went to the hospital

> (they were

> killing people there!). I know a bunch of people who, like us,

> had ALL

> the symptoms but didn't get tested, we all just fought it and

> got

> better on our own.

>