HOUSTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Health Department of Houston said on Monday that Houston has recorded the 10th case of the West Nile virus, which was first identified in Uganda in 1937.
According to local TV channel ABC13's report, the latest case of the West Nile virus is an old man living in northwest Houston, the largest city in the U.S. state of Texas.
In Texas, the Dallas county has reported over 200 such cases and at least 10 deaths. To effectively deal with the virus, officials of the county have declared a public health emergency and have given a green light to the aerial mosquito spraying.
Commonly seen in temperate and tropical regions, the West Nile virus mainly infects birds, but is also known to infect human bodies mainly through mosquito biting. Scientists say about 80 percent of infections are symptomless.
The World Health Organization said that treatment of this virus often involves hospitalization, intravenous fluids, respiratory support and prevention of secondary infections.
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