West Nile Author:Thomas J. O'Brien In the summer of 1999, an epidemic of a mysterious brain disease smashed in New York City and severely affected over 60 people. Seven of its victims died. The virus at the center of this firestorm, known as the West Nile Virus, had not previously been seen in the Americas, and its trans-Atlantic leap continues to puzzle scientists. The appearan... more »ce of the West Nile Virus in New York is considered by epidemiologists to be a water-shed event. There is no cure or vaccine for the disease. This then, is a story about the appearance of the West Nile Virus in the United States.« less