US West Nile deaths, infections rise at slower pace

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The number of West Nile virus deaths and infections continued to rise in the United States (US) last week, but at a slower pace, health authorities said on Wednesday.

As of Tuesday, 3,545 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were reported this year, including 147 fatalities, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

This compares to 3,142 reported the previous week, a 13 per cent increase compared to a 30 per cent rise earlier in September.

It is "the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported... through the last week in September since 2003", the CDC said.