KDHE Home - News 2002 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 6, 2002

Contact: Mike Heideman, 785-296-5795

Officials Watch for West Nile as Mosquito and Tick Season Approaches

Spring is here, and Kansans are once more beginning to plant gardens, invite guests over for barbeque, and plan outdoor vacation getaways. Before long, mosquitos and ticks will also become more active. With West Nile virus making its way into the Midwest, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is reminding everyone to take sensible precautions.

KDHE is partnering with the University of Kansas and the Kansas State University to monitor for West Nile virus in Kansas. Dead birds are being monitored through the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History and Kansas State University. Selected birds will be tested for West Nile Virus and the Kansas State University Research and Extension Office will continue to collect and test mosquitos for West Nile virus. So far, the virus has not been found anywhere in the state. Updates on West Nile virus in Kansas can be found at: www.oznet.ksu.edu/westnilevirus/ .

"The prospect of West Nile entering Kansas this season or the next is a realistic one. However, Kansas has always been home to other serious diseases which can be carried by mosquitos, namely several forms of encephalitis. And, tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis have always been present in Kansas," said Dr. Gail Hansen, assistant state epidemiologist and state public health veterinarian. "With the proper knowledge, it is relatively easy for people to minimize their risk of any mosquito or tick-borne disease."

Steps which property owners can take to reduce the possibility of insect- and tick-borne disease include:

• Properly maintain window and door screens.
• Routinely mow lawns and cut brush. Shady areas and tall grass are habitats for mosquitos and ticks.
• Eliminate pools of stagnant water on your property. This includes water that may have accumulated in tarps, old tires (waste tires should be properly disposed), and swimming pool covers. Pet water bowls and livestock feeding troughs should be changed every few days; water in bird baths and wading pools should be changed every week. Keep swimming pools treated and gutters unclogged.

Hansen recommends that people not enter wooded or grassy areas without taking proper precautions, including:

• Avoid outdoor activity between sunset and dawn. This is when mosquitos most likely to carry diseases are most active.
• Use insect repellants, especially those with DEET, according to label directions.
• Walk in the middle of trails, away from tall grass and bushes. Avoid stagnant ponds.
• Wear a cap, long pants tucked into high socks, over-the-ankle shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt tucked into pants to prevent ticks from getting to your skin. Clothing should be light colored to make ticks more visible.
• Do not wear perfume, cologne, or scented antiperspirants. These artificial scents attract mosquitoes and ticks.
• Check yourself for ticks every three hours for ticks when outdoors for extended periods.
• Promptly remove ticks if they are found. Grasp an embedded tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out with a steady pressure. Do not crush or puncture the tick. Avoid handling the tick with your bare hands. Thoroughly disinfect the area of the bite and wash hands immediately after removal. Note on a calendar the date a tick was removed

The West Nile virus is a form of encephalitis that affects people and animals. One bird positive for the virus was reported in Missouri in 2001. Kansas mosquitoes are known as carriers of other forms of encephalitis. About one out of 100 to 1,000 people who are bitten by an encephalitis-carrying mosquito becomes sick, depending on the strain of encephalitis. There are no symptoms that are specific to encephalitis, but high fever, headaches, fatigue, neck aches, and sensitivity to light are cause for concern. West Nile virus can also produce severe muscle weakness. The only way to tell if someone has encephalitis is to have a blood or spinal fluid test.

People with encephalitis may become uncoordinated or confused, find it hard to speak, and act and talk differently. Because of this, older people's symptoms are sometimes mistaken for other illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. Nausea and vomiting are common. These symptoms can be followed, sometimes rapidly, by extreme disorientation, convulsions, or coma. Complications include pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, and lung problems. There is no cure for encephalitis and no vaccine. People who show symptoms should see a physician.

Lyme disease is spread by ticks. Symptoms include a large, reddish rash around the bite area or elsewhere. The rash is often ring-shaped, expands from the original site, and is usually not itchy. Multiple rash sites may occur. During the rash stage, other symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle or joint pain may be present.

Antibiotic treatment is available and usually successful for Lyme disease. If untreated, complications such as meningitis (inflamation around the brain), facial palsy, or heart abnormalities may occur. Swelling and pain in the large joints may recur over many years, but the disease is almost never fatal. The ticks that carry Lyme disease are very small, about the size of a sesame seed.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is another tick borne illness with symptoms appearing within two weeks of the bite. The disease is characterized by sudden onset of moderate to high fever (which can last for two or three weeks), severe headache, fatigue, deep muscle pain, chills and rash, and can be fatal if not treated. The rash typically begins on the legs, arms, soles of feet, or palms and may spread rapidly to the rest of the body. Ticks commonly that carry RMSF are larger ticks than those that transmit Lyme disease and are often referred to as "wood ticks" or "dog ticks."

Ehrlichiosis symptoms can mimic those of many diseases. If not properly treated, this recently discovered disease can be fatal. It is spread by many different types of ticks, including the same ticks that carry Lyme disease and RMSF.

Tularemia, or rabbit fever, can be transmitted by ticks or biting flies. If tularemia is acquired from a tick or insect bite, there is often an ulcerated area where the bite occurred or swelling in the nearby lymph nodes. Fever, chills, and headache often follow and the disease can be fatal if not treated.

During 2001, Kansas received two confirmed reports of Lyme disease, seven of tularemia, and five of ehrlichiosis.

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