KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County said that King County should expect to see cases of West Nile virus this summer, but that the public can protect itself by removing artificial mosquito habitat and taking steps to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
"West Nile virus is highly preventable, if people take sensible precautions," said Dr. Plough. "We all need to be on the alert for mosquitoes, and avoid being bitten."
Dr. Plough offered the following suggestions:
Not all mosquito species that live in King County are capable of carrying the West Nile virus, and not all capable carriers are infected. Dr. Sharon Hopkins, Public Health - Seattle & King County's veterinarian, said that the mosquito of biggest concern was Culex pipiens, or the northern house mosquito.
Culex pipiens prefers to lay eggs in small amounts of standing water commonly found around houses in buckets, wheelbarrows, clogged drains and discarded tires. Removing this habitat will reduce the number of mosquitoes near people's homes.
Dr. Plough and Dr. Hopkins also discussed how people can report dead crows and other birds to Public Health. A small percentage of reported crows will be tested for West Nile virus, but Public Health's emphasis is on recording where the dead birds were found. A spike in bird deaths may indicate that West Nile virus has arrived, and possibly the areas of the county where the virus is circulating.
In 2003 West Nile virus killed over 250 people in the United States, and nearly 10,000 illnesses were confirmed by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) CDC. Many more people were likely sickened by the virus, but did not seek medical care.
Experts believe that 20% of people bitten by an infected mosquito come down with West Nile fever, which may result in illness that ranges from mild to severe, flu-like symptoms. One-in-150 infected people have more serious neurological illnesses such encephalitis or meningitis. The majority of people bitten by infected mosquitoes do not experience any symptoms.
West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus that is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. A mosquito becomes infected by biting an infected bird that carries the virus. West Nile virus is not spread by person-to-person contact, nor is it transmitted directly from birds or other animals to people. Mosquito season, when West Nile virus is of most concern, runs from spring through late fall.
Tips for reducing habitat and preparing the home:
