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Monday, September 15, 2003

Native Americans in South Dakota make up 19 percent of West Nile Virus cases but are only 9 percent of the population, The Yankton Press and Dakotan reports.

One of the hardest hit is the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. There are 21 cases on the reservation so far.

The Pine Ridge Reservation has 13 cases and one death while the two counties that make up the Rosebud Sioux Reservation have a total of 21 cases. The Yankton Sioux Reservation has 17 cases.

Officials are trying to determine why Natives are affected disproportionately. Some say the problem could be geographic because the reservations are near rivers where mosquitoes that carry the virus live and breed.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe foresaw the virus and has engaged on a public awareness campaign but tribal officials say it is not enough.

Get the Story:
Reservation Hit Hard By West Nile Virus (The Yankton Press and Dakotan 9/15)

Relevant Links:
West Nile Virus, CDC - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

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