Welcome

The West Nile Virus Survivors Foundation™ is a non-profit organization advising, supporting and educating the world on the endemic viral infection of West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus Survivors Foundation was started by a survivor and his family dedicated to helping those individuals and families battle and recover from the virus, encephalitis, meningitis, poliomyelitis and the associated sequella of the virus.Join our new forums and share your experience with West Nile Virus with others.

We must include survivors and victims in the discussion to battle the West Nile Virus. Please help us support those who cannot fight the bite alone.West Nile Virus Survivors Foundation
email
POB 61581 Lafayette LA USA 70596-1581

Please Support The Non-Profit Survivors' Foundation-DONATE TODAY!!

_________________NEW MAPS ONLINE-
CDC Case Count & USGS Incidence Data

2007 Human Case Count2006 Case Count2006 MapsUSGS Disease Maps 2007USGS National Data

_________

Doctors Seeking
West Nile Survivors For Study

Utah, Colorado doctors seek West Nile virus survivors for studySurvivors and Families of Victims of West Nile Virus interested in participating in the Genetics of West Nile study can contact Ann Rutherford, 801-585-9495 or ann.rutherford(at)genetics.utah.edu.SALT LAKE CITY —Doctors in Utah and Colorado are looking for people who have survived West Nile virus infection for a study to find what genes make people susceptible to severe diseases caused by the virus.

Doctors from the University of Utah and the Regional Center of Excellence in Bioterrorism program at Colorado State University are looking for 200 to 300 people who survived severe cases of the virus and 500 to 600 who had mild cases, the University of Utah said in a news release.The five-year study hopes to distinguish the genes that cause people to contract the more severe neurological diseases caused by the virus.

A majority of those infected with West Nile virus notice no symptoms. Those who get sick often experience mild symptoms, such as fever or body aches. A small percentage develop more severe neurological illnesses.Participants submit a blood sample.

The universities will pay for the blood to be taken and shipped to Salt Lake City.West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The most recent numbers posted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show 1,299 cases of West Nile virus have been reported in humans this year and 29 people have died from the virus.Survivors and Families of Victims of West Nile Virus interested in participating in the Genetics of West Nile study can contact Ann Rutherford, 801-585-9495 or ann.rutherford(at)genetics.utah.edu.

_______Please help us help survivors of west nile virus, encephalitis, meningitis and poliomyelitis in the battle against the mosquito borne virus. The West Nile Virus Survivors Foundation is a non-profit advocacy and research group for family and friends helping to keep them informed on symptoms of west nile, doctors who treat west nile virus and ways to cope with west nile sequealla and rehabilitation. Thank you

._________WEST NILE VIRUS: Plaintiffs to Seek Leave to Appeal Dismissal of Suit Against Province
12/12/06 12:41PM
(Toronto, ON, December 12, 2006) The Plaintiffs in a group action brought by over 40 families against the Province for negligence with respect to the 2002 West Nile Virus (WNV) outbreak announced today that they will be seeking leave to appeal a recent dismissal of their cases to the Supreme Court of Canada.On November 3, 2006, the Ontario Court of Appeal released a unanimous decision dismissing the plaintiffs’claims.

The Court of Appeal’s decision overturned two lower court decisions that upheld the plaintiffs’ability to sue the Province for their operational failures in the implementation of the 2002 West Nile Virus Surveillance and Prevention Plan. The lawsuits allege that Ontario’s public health officials failed to take reasonable steps to curtail the outbreak, and failed to warn persons in areas of elevated risk of the outbreak.

“My life was turned upside down by West Nile Virus,”Said Nicole Noble, a 22 year old West Nile survivor. “We just want our day in court. We want to know the truth, and we want justice.”According to the lawsuit, it was well known by 2002 that WNV would affect Ontario. The Ontario government had established a plan to protect Ontario’s citizens from the threat of the deadly disease, but then failed to ensure the plan was carried out.

One of the central allegations is that the province failed to ensure an adequate testing capacity was available in Ontario to provide timely test results for WNV in animals and humans, resulting in inadequate surveillance and public education.In 2002, many people waited weeks and even months for test results. Instead of beefing up provincial laboratory capacity to deal with the threat of WNV as recommended by the CDC in Atlanta (Georgia), Ontario laid off scientific staff, including the scientists assigned to WNV.

This ensured that the province was not in any way ready to deal with the surge in demand for test results when the epidemic reached this province, despite clear warnings from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta to be ready to meet the increased demand.It is also alleged that provincial public health officials played down the threat to Ontarians in the face of skyrocketing infection rates in birds that made a human outbreak very likely.

Over 70% of the 150 WNV (2002) victims discharged from hospital are permanently disabled and require ongoing care. A number of persons died, including one woman who contracted West Nile from a blood transfusion.The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned two lower court decisions and allowed the Province’s motion to strike the claim, finding that the Province could not owe a duty of care to the plaintiffs.

Justice Sharpe, writing for a unanimous court, stated, “Public health authorities should be left to decide where to focus their attention and resources without the fear or threat of lawsuits.”“Future victims of disasters like Walkerton will be denied their day in court if this ruling is allowed to stand, as it grants public health officials sweeping immunity,”said Douglas Elliott, of Roy Elliott Kim O’Connor LLP, the lead counsel for the families. “This ruling puts the peace of mind of bureaucrats ahead of accountability for carelessness and incompetence.”An initial ruling in favour of the plaintiffs’right to sue was made by Superior Court Judge Justice Gertrude Speigel in July of 2004.

The initial ruling had allowed more than 40 families (concentrated in Toronto, Quinte, Kitchener-Waterloo and Windsor/Essex) to proceed with their “group action.”Justice Speigel noted in the original July 2004 decision that the government had laid out a plan for dealing with the WNV epidemic in 2001.

The Court said, “The government had the statutory power to make policy and operational decisions regarding WNV; it chose to do so and set out a very detailed operating manual on how to proceed at the operational level. Once the defendant did decide to take action, it had duty of care to act without negligence.”In a unanimous ruling issued on May 3, 2005, Justices Matlow, Jennings and Reilly of the Divisional Court upheld Justice Speigel’s ruling.

The province pursued a further appeal to the province’s highest court that resulted in today’s ruling overturning the original ruling in favour of the plaintiffs’right to sue.The forty cases have been stalled as a result of this series of appeals pursed by the province.Elliott concluded, “We should all be grateful for the courage of these families. They are all coping with the terrible burden of this disease, and are still willing to shoulder the further burden of continuing to fight for justice.”-30-For more information or to schedule interviews, contact:Brent Kulba, Environmental Communication Options (ECO) 416-972-7401, kulbab (at) huffstrategy.comAdditional detail can be found at: www.reko.ca/html/specialkids. & www.reko.ca/html/westnileRELATED--
West Nile Virus case argues gov't has a duty to protect--Family of Ontario victim says province negligent for prevention plan failure; gov't counters it cannot be sued for policy....
( Read More... )

________________ Check out the West Nile Virus Survivor Forums--Survivors and Family members share their experiences and recommendations for surviving and coping with the symptoms of West Nile Virus...MORE  Help us get rid of the annoying popus and pay for hosting of the forums...contribute to our members forum through a donation to our,
"Community Chest"

Oregon Health & Science University awarded a $12.6 million grant
to study West NilePORTLAND (AP) - Oregon Health & Science University has received a $12.6 million federal grant to study ways to protect against the West Nile virus and related diseases.The disease is transmitted from animals to humans by mosquitoes. Only about 20 percent of those who are infected may show symptoms, and fewer than 1 percent will become seriously ill, researchers say.But serious cases can be life-threatening, with symptoms that include high fever, coma, tremors and paralysis. In some cases, the disease can cause permanent neurological damage and death.”What's particularly concerning about this disease is the fact that serious illness is much more common in those older than 50,“said Janko Nikolich-Zugich, senior scientist at OHSU's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. ”We have little understanding as to why this is the case.“He said research on West Nile likely will help in the battle against related viruses such as dengue fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and yellow fever virus.The grant is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, part of the National Institutes of Health. Read the

November 2005 CDC
Report on the study of
Two-Year Death Rates,
West Nile Virus Epidemic, Israel,2000

_________________________________

Thanks for visiting the West Nile Virus Survivors Foundation™ at www.westnilesurvivor.com. Survivors of the virus, encephalitis and meningitis as well as family of victims and friends of survivors are gathering here to continue the battle against West Nile Virus.  Our mission is to help others survive.