The West Nile virus, which first appeared in the U.S. ten years ago, has already infected 20,000 Americans — and according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, global warming is helping to drive the spike in case numbers.
Scientists at the CDC examined the 16,298 cases that occurred from 2001 to 2005 and found that warmer, wetter weeks boosted West Nile infections by up to 83 percent. This confirms worries that global warming stands to sharply increase rates of West Nile all around the globe and add substantially to the U.S. death toll, which so far stands at 1,130.
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