Man in Colorado hospitalized with West Nile virus as more cases reported
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
.jpeg%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
What is West Nile virus? Symptoms and advice after deaths in Italy
Following the deaths of two people in Italy from West Nile virus earlier this year, holidaymakers may have concerns about the safety of their summer travel plans. The Italian Health Ministry announced on Thursday (24 July) that, alongside the two deaths, 32 other cases of the virus, mainly in the Lazio Region, have been confirmed in 2025 so far. West Nile virus (WNV) is typically found in birds. It is commonly transmitted to humans through the bites of bird-biting mosquitoes. In May, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) detected signs of the West Nile virus in mosquitoes within the UK for the first time, prompting increased disease surveillance. Although the risk to the UK remains 'very low', here's everything travellers need to know to protect against West Nile virus. What is West Nile virus? West Nile virus is a virus that can be transmitted to humans via bites from infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get WNV by feeding on infected birds, but people and animals can also get the virus if they come into contact with infected animal blood or tissues. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that around 1 in 150 people who are infected will develop a severe illness that 'can be life threatening' such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis. Where is West Nile Virus found? The virus – from the same family as dengue and yellow fever – was first detected in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. Since then, various regions across the globe, such as Europe, Africa, the Middle East, West and Central Asia, and North America, as well as South America, the USA and Australia, have reported cases. Since a 1996 outbreak in Romania, cases have been identified in European countries including France, Italy and Portugal, says UKHSA. Transmission levels of West Nile virus are at their highest in summer when mosquito activity is high. Is West Nile virus in the UK? In May, fragments of West Nile virus genetic material were collected in mosquitoes in Britain for the first time. However, there have been no locally acquired human cases of WNV reported in the UK aside from seven travel-associated reports since 2000, says UKHSA advice. The health agency added that the probability of a human outbreak in the UK is considered 'very low'. Dr Arran Folly, arbovirologist at APHA and lead of the Vector-Borne RADAR project, said: 'The detection of West Nile virus in the UK is part of a wider changing landscape, where, in the wake of climate change, mosquito-borne diseases are expanding to new areas.' What are the symptoms of West Nile virus? Most people who are infected with the West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. However, the WHO says that 20 per cent of people will develop a fever with other symptoms, including: Headache High fever Neck stiffness Disorientation Nausea and vomiting Muscle weakness Advice from UKHSA says: 'Those aged over 50 years old, or with underlying medical conditions (such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease) are at greatest risk of severe disease.' Is there a vaccine? There is currently no vaccine or specific medicine available for human use against the West Nile virus. According to the WHO, any treatment 'focuses on relieving symptoms and supportive care'. If infected, the health organisation recommends: In severe cases, patients are hospitalised to receive IV fluids and pain medication. How can I protect myself from West Nile virus? Taking the usual package of precautions against mosquito bites will lower the risk of WNV for travellers. WHO advice says this includes wearing light, long clothing, using window screens and mosquito repellents, alongside sleeping in an air-conditioned room. Further preventative steps to prevent mosquitoes breeding around your home include the removal of stagnant water and regularly cleaning water storage containers.
NBC News
4 days ago
- NBC News
After Cleveland Clinic expanded to Florida, patients say surprise fees followed
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — When the Cleveland Clinic started acquiring hospitals and medical offices in this palm tree-lined region six years ago, many Floridians were excited. The Ohio nonprofit, ranked among the top hospitals in the world, pledged to bring expert care and an infusion of cash to the state's Treasure Coast, an area north of Boca Raton brimming with 55-and-up gated communities. But in the years after the Cleveland Clinic's blue and green signs popped up outside dozens of medical offices, patients began receiving unexpected bills: an additional $95 for a consultation with a neurosurgeon. An extra $112 to see a family medicine physician. And $174 more for a neurologist appointment that previously cost only a $50 co-pay. Baffled, the patients contacted their doctors' offices and insurers and learned that the new costs were 'facility fees' — charges that hospitals have traditionally billed for inpatient stays and emergency room visits but are now increasingly charging for routine appointments in their outpatient clinics. The fees, which are often not fully covered by insurance, are meant to support the higher level of care that these doctors' offices provide, according to hospitals. For blindsided patients, that can mean paying a hospital fee — even if they never set foot in a hospital. 'My heart dropped,' said Brandy Macaluso-Owens, 43, a social worker who lives in Port St. Lucie. She received a $174 facility fee after a visit in March with a Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist. 'I probably met with the doctor maybe as little as 15 minutes.' The Cleveland Clinic defended facility fees in an email, saying they are an 'appropriate practice' that align 'with government regulations and industry guidelines.' 'These fees help support just some of the costs of maintaining outpatient facilities so that we can continue providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients,' the Cleveland Clinic said. The Cleveland Clinic is far from the only hospital charging facility fees, which amount to billions of dollars annually for patients across the country. The fees have become pervasive in recent years as major health systems have snapped up doctors' offices, making it harder for patients to find independent practices: More than half of all physicians nationally are now employed by hospitals or health systems, up from just a quarter in 2012. For more on facility fees, watch NBC's 'Nightly News with Tom Llamas' at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT and 'Top Story' on NBC News NOW at 7 p.m. ET. At the same time, facility fees have become more noticeable because of a rise in high-deductible health insurance plans, which leave patients paying a larger share of their medical bills before their insurance kicks in. A study last year found that the average deductible for employer-sponsored coverage had risen about 47% in a decade. These factors are affecting many patients who are already teetering financially. About half of adults in the U.S. say they would be unable to pay an unexpected $500 medical bill or would have to go into debt to pay it, according to the health policy group KFF. Facility fees can run into the hundreds of dollars, and even small amounts can quickly add up. 'People are getting really high bills for simple, routine care,' said Christine Monahan, an assistant research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University who has studied the issue. 'They don't expect to be paying high bills for this. And it's not realistic to expect people to be able to afford this.' Opposition to outpatient facility fees is a rare area of agreement between patient advocates and insurance companies, which argue that hospitals are unnecessarily inflating the cost of care. While efforts to restrict facility fees have drawn bipartisan support at the state and federal levels, the hospital industry has pushed back, arguing that the fees are necessary to help fund core services like 24/7 emergency departments, and that insurers should cover them. These national forces are all colliding in southeast Florida, where 11 patients told NBC News that the Cleveland Clinic had charged them unexpected facility fees in the past several years. For some, the fees were a mere annoyance, a sign of the escalating cost of health care. For others, the bills were a financial burden too big to shoulder. And some are refusing to pay them. Billie Paukune Boorman, a waitress, was recently charged a $174 facility fee for her 13-year-old daughter's ear, nose and throat appointment, along with over $200 in other unanticipated charges. 'I don't have that kind of money laying around,' she said. The Cleveland Clinic declined an interview request from NBC News and declined to comment on individual cases but said in its email that patients are charged facility fees in doctors' offices that are classified as hospital outpatient departments, which must meet stricter quality and safety standards than nonaccredited physician practices. The facility fees reflect 'the significant added costs to hospitals of complying with these standards,' the Cleveland Clinic added. The Cleveland Clinic told NBC News that it has sent more than 250,000 letters to its Florida patients informing them of the fees ahead of their appointments, and said it posts signs at its offices saying that they are hospital outpatient departments. Medicare patients receive an additional notice at check-in. The letters that the Cleveland Clinic sent say patients may see 'a change from how you were billed in the past' but do not explicitly note that patients may be charged more out of pocket. Many of the patients who spoke to NBC News did not recall receiving the letters. The health system did not answer questions about how it determines the price of a facility fee but said the costs 'vary depending on the facility and the type of medical services provided.' Several patients said they did not notice any differences in their care after the fees were implemented. Last year, Irene Rauch, 66, a semiretired human resources executive, was charged a $95 facility fee for an appointment with a neurosurgeon she said she had seen for the same type of appointment three months earlier for just a $15 co-pay. The added charge was not something she had budgeted for.
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
‘We need to stop this': U.S. nurse in Gaza warns of mass starvation
Elidalis Burgos, an American nurse volunteering in Khan Younis, told NBC News that extreme malnutrition due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza is affecting patients' chances of survival, and now also impacting the health of her fellow medics.
