A month after peter came in and was diagnosed with wnv, the physician at the urgent care facility noticed the presentation of similar symptoms in other patients at other urgent care facilities within a 50-mile radius of one another. the physician contacted his local public health agency and the cdc. upon their recommendation, samples were taken from patients and sent in to the lab to be analyzed. what are some possible factors that could account for wnv spread within this 50-mile radius?

West Nile virus is mostly spread through infected mosquitoes, which is likely how these other patients were infected. Other possible but unlikely ways include blood transfusions and organ transplants, so the physician would likely be able to track down whether Peter donated any blood during his recent hospital visits.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a virus most commonly spread to people thru mosquito bites. In most cases, it occurs during mosquito season, which starts in the summer months and continues through fall. When Peter came in and was diagnosed with wnv, it must be summer and mosquitoes are abundant. Patients from other locations within the 50 miles radius come in and out of the hospitals with different requests (blood transfusions, organ transplants, laboratories and others) which cause the virus to spread also.