The 2012 outbreak of West Nile Virus is only 20 cases away from topping 2006, the second worst year on record.

The Centers for Disease Control has officially confirmed 4,249 cases of West Nile virus this year. The number of deaths from the virus has risen to 168.

The record is 9,862 CDC confirmed cases in 2003.

The CDC reported that the number of cases is slowing down compared to the summer months.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has been the epicenter for the 2012 outbreak and the Dallas Morning News is reporting that officials in the area may have underreported cases of the more deadly version of the disease. The newspaper reported that the number of detections of the virus in blood bank screenings differs significantly from the total number of cases reported.

Nationwide, half the reported cases confirmed by the CDC were the more dangerous and deadly forms of the virus.