Is West Nile Virus Coming?

Patch offers mosquito prevention tips 

By Patrick Luce in the Narragansett-South Kingstown Patch

Narragansett, South Kingstown — and all of Rhode Island, actually — was spared a significant outbreak of West Nile Virus last summer. But with the start of mosquito season, the possibility of the disease taking hold is always present.

There were just four cases of West Nile Virus in humans recorded in Rhode Island last year, according to Dara Chadwick, with the state Department of Health. Bristol, Washington, Newport and Providence Counties each found one case. Just across the border in Massachusetts, there was a more significant outbreak in 2012, something health officials are on the lookout for this year.

While there is always a risk of mosquito-borne illness whenever the pesky insects are buzzing around, there is no way to predict the West Nile Virus risk this season yet, Chadwick said. The Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Management have set mosquito traps around the state to test the insects and determine the rate of West Nile, EEE and other diseases in the mosquito population. The state has not yet returned to the traps. Results are expected later in June.

To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in Narragansett and South Kingstown, Patch has pulled together county-level 2012 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The Cases and Incidence Rates

West Nile – named after the district in Uganda where the virus was first discovered – spread to New York City in 1999, and has been migrating across the United States ever since.  Last year was the deadliest year so far for West Nile in the United States, with more than 5,600 "confirmed and probable" cases, and at least 286 related deaths.

Local predictions for 2012 are very difficult to make. But nationally, "the number of humans with West Nile virus disease continues to rise in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. 

No Vaccine, Little Reporting, But a High Cost

While there is a West Nile vaccine for horses, there isn't one for humans, according to Purdue University Professor Richard Kuhn. Furthering the problem is the fact that cases of West Nile often go unreported.

“It's always underreported because if someone has a mild case they might not report it; they might think it’s a cold,” said Judith M. Lavelle, Health Communications Specialist at the CDC.

There is currently no comprehensive treatment for someone infected by West Nile, which makes severe diagnoses all the more frightening. Patch spoke to one Texas man who survived a West Nile infection in 2006, and has dedicated himself to educating the public about the potentially debilitating disease.

“I was told point blank that I would never walk again - to forget it,” said Donnie Manry, of the Bryan County Police Department in Texas. “It was devastating.”

Manry, who was 43 at the time, said that within five days of being stung, encephalitis and meningitis left him paralyzed. Through rehabilitation, Manry was able to regain control of his body again, and now uses a cane to walk.

From Birds to Bugs to Humans

West Nile has also been detected in bird populations, notably in Central Michigan. “Certain types of birds serve as a reservoir for West Nile Virus,” Kuhn said. An infected bird can pass the virus along to an uninfected mosquito when bitten. That’s why Wisconsin has launched a hotline for people to report dead birds in the area.

Many states have begun testing mosquitoes for West Nile, withPennsylvania, Illinois and California all reporting positive detection in certain counties. After the virus was detected in California, LA County began overnight aerial spraying to stop the spread. Residents are cautioned to remain indoors during the spraying.

Prevention and Symptoms

The CDC recommends using an EPA-certified mosquito repellant if you’re going to be outdoors, and lists some additional prevention tips on their website, including:

• When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors.
• Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors.
• At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels, and cans.

With the 2012 mosquito season was the highest on record, health officials are cautioning people to take immediate action if you believe you’ve been infected. The CDC website lists varying degrees of symptoms, including: 

• Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness, including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, and paralysis.
• Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.
• No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people  infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.