Health officials in St. Louis believe West Nile virus probably contributed to the death of a man in his 90s. The elderly man is the first person with the disease to die this year in Missouri. Lab testing found West Nile virus antibodies were present in the man’s blood and spinal fluid. Officials with the St. Louis Department of Health say the man had West Nile encephalitis, a swelling of the brain and had also been diagnosed with pneumonia. They can’t say for sure that the West Nile virus killed the man, but they say it’s likely it played a role in the man’s death.
Missouri River Levels Lowest Since 1950s
August 23, 2003 By
A combination of drought, hot weather, and the slowing of water releases from upstream dams has brought the Missouri River to its lowest recorded summer levels since the 1950s. That’s the word from offcials at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. And, the National Weather Service projects the river will continue to fall to levels that haven’t been seen since the drought of the 1930s. Earlier this month, on August 12th, the Army Corps of Engineers complied with a federal judge’s order and slowed water releases from upstream dams. The reduced flows lasted for three days and are just now being noticed in parts of Missouri. Those lower water levels have brought barge traffic along the river to a halt.
