Western NC threatened by rare mosquito-borne disease

Western NC threatened by rare mosquito-borne disease

The La Crosse virus is a mosquito-borne disease first identified in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1960. But three counties in western North Carolina — Swain, Transylvania and Jackson — have the highest incidence rates in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Western North Carolina is particularly affected by this neglected virus,” said Dr. Ross Boyce, an expert on epidemiology and vector-borne disease at the UNC Scho…