A Southeast Valley man in his 60s was discharged Wednesday from a local hospital after being diagnosed with the nation's first case of West Nile Virus for 2008.

State health officials attribute to Arizona's warmer winters and earlier mosquito season for the West Nile Virus' premature occurrence

For the first time ever, scientists have released a detailed map highlighting the world's hotspots for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). Using data from past 65 years, the map pinpoints the locations where majority of these new diseases come from wildlife.

EID's such as HIV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus and Ebola are indeed on the rise. The study has determined that zoonoses, diseases that originate in animals, are the current and most important threat in causing new diseases to emerge. The study analysed 335 incidents of previous disease emergence beginning in 1940 and concluded that most of these EID's originated in wildlife

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said that three more Illinois counties reported West Nile virus-positive mosquito samples, but fortunately none translated into new human cases.

So far this year, there have been 11 cases of humans suffering from mosquito-borne West Nile virus in Illinois, with one 77-year-old, Ogle County man dying as a result of the illness on August 8th. The first known human case reported in the state this year was in DuPage County on June 15

Mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been found in Toronto.

The insects, which were collected from a single location, are the first cases of West Nile to appear in Toronto

Mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been found in Toronto. The insects, which were collected from a single location, are the first cases of West Nile to appear in Toronto.

So far, no humans have been infected, but health officials are warning residents to take extra pre-cautions, among those, wearing long-sleeves and insect repellent