West Nile Virus Blamed In Death Of St. Louis Man

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.