last updated 14 Feb 2025
By the Winter 2024-2024 season SARS-CoV-2 was at its lowest level for the Winter illness season and the Influenza virus was at one of it's highest levels.
So we started concentrating on viruses' in general.
Davis
Wastewater Results for United States:
Davis California:
Testing for viruses in wastewater has become a standard for measuring the level of infections. We see fewer hospitalizations and deaths as the the effects of the virus have become less severe because of vaccinations, built up immunity, and other factors.
Wastewater testing results are more correlated with infection rates than other measures.
Influenza Epidemics/Pandemics - Type A flu virus
| Date | Strain | Deaths |
| US | World |
| 1918-20 | H1N1 - Spanish Flu | 17-50 million
0.9% - 2.8% of population | 21-50 M |
| 1957-58 | H2N2 - Asian Flu | 60,000 | 1 M |
| 1968-69 | H3N2 - Hong Kong | 40,000 | 750 K |
| 1997- | H5N1 - Avian influenza (Bird Flu)
(Other Avian flu virus' H9N2, H7N7, H7N2, H7N3) | 68 | 1,368 |
| 2009 | H1N1 - Swine Flu (deaths in 1st 3 weeks) | 275 | ? |
| 2020-2023 | SARS-CoV-2 | 1.2 million
0.34% of the population | 7 million * |
* The official count of SARS-CoV-2 is a significant undercount the actual rate could be 2 to 4 times that.
Cold Viruses:
Rhinovirus 30-50%
Coronavirus 10-15%
Respiratory Syncytial Virus 10%
Adenovirus <5%
Parainfluenza 5%
Influenza 5-15%
Enteroviruses <5%
Metapneumovirus unknown
Unknown 20-30%
Source: Heikkinen T, Jarvinen A. The common cold. Lancet 2003; 361:51-9.
Mosquito-borne Viruses
- Dengue: Causes fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and rash.
- Zika: Can cause fever, rash, joint pain, and eye inflammation. In pregnant women, it can cause birth defects.
- West Nile Virus: Can cause fever, headache, body aches, muscle nerve damage and in some cases, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
In 2023, Yolo County reported 45 human cases of WNV, three of which were fatal.
In 2024, Yolo County, California confirmed two human cases of West Nile virus in Woodland. Both patients required hospitalization.
As far as I know the location where the patient was bitten was undetermined.
- Malaria: A parasitic disease that causes fever, chills, and sweating.
- Yellow Fever: Causes fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and liver damage.
- Chikungunya: Causes fever, joint pain, and rash.
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE): A rare but serious virus that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
- St. Louis Encephalitis: Similar to EEE, but less severe.
Ticks cary both
Bacterial agents (Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever) , viruses (Bourbon virus, Heartland virus and
Powassan virus), and parasites (Babesiosis, Ehrlichia,
Rickettsia parkeri).
See more at About Ticks and Tickborne Disease | CDC
Links:
Viruses
SARS-CoV-2
Flu
Pandemics and Epidemics
Avian influenza (Bird Flu)
Health