5 new cases of West Nile in Oklahoma, no new deaths

Published: October 4, 2012 Comment on this article

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma State Department of Health is reporting five new cases of West Nile virus — but no additional deaths.

The department said Thursday in its bi-weekly report that there have been 160 cases and nine deaths in the state this year. The previous record of 107 cases and seven deaths set in 2007 was broken in early September.

photo - FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2012 file photo, mosquitos are sorted at the Dallas County mosquito lab in Dallas. Hantavirus, West Nile, Lyme disease and now, bubonic plague. The bugs of late summer are biting, although the risk of getting many of these scary-sounding diseases is very small. West Nile is spread through mosquitoes. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) ORG XMIT: NY114

FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2012 file photo, mosquitos are sorted at the Dallas County mosquito lab in Dallas. Hantavirus, West Nile, Lyme disease and now, bubonic plague. The bugs of late summer are biting, although the risk of getting many of these scary-sounding diseases is very small. West Nile is spread through mosquitoes. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) ORG XMIT: NY114

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Officials say the virus will remain a threat until the first freeze neutralizes the mosquitoes that carry the disease. The first freeze generally occurs around the first of November.

Oklahoma County has the most cases with 54 and has had two deaths. Tulsa County is second in total cases with 31 and has had the most deaths with 3. Deaths were also reported in Seminole, Muskogee and Choctaw counties.