OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma State Department of Health says there have now been 170 confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Oklahoma this year and 11 deaths due to the disease.
The numbers were reported Tuesday by the department in its bi-weekly report. Oklahoma's previous yearly record of 107 West Nile cases and seven deaths set in 2007 was broken in early September.
Officials say the virus will remain a threat until the mosquitoes that carry the disease are neutralized by sub-freezing temperatures.
Oklahoma County has the most cases with 54 and has had two deaths. Tulsa County is second in total cases with 32 and has had the most deaths with 3. Two deaths were also reported in Carter County and one death in Seminole, Muskogee, Cleveland and Logan counties.