KDHE Home - News 2002 - News Release
Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 7, 2002
Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-5795
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has confirmed two more human case of West Nile Virus in the state, bringing the total to eight this year. Confirmation tests were done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The CDC notified KDHE this week of a positive case involving a 26 year old individual in Pratt County
and a 36 year old individual in Smith County. The onset of symptoms came in mid-September.
Both people have recovered. CDC has confirmed three other Kansas cases as negative, while nine other
cases are still pending CDC testing.
Previously there were three positive cases in Rice County: a 29 year old with onset of symptoms August 16th, a 58 year old with onset of symptoms on August 15th, and a 72 year old with onset of symptoms on August 28th; a positive case in Wyandotte County involving a 52 year old with onset of symptoms on August 12th, and a positive case in Shawnee County involving a 28 year old with onset of symptoms on August 30th. All of the patients survived.
The Centers for Disease Control is testing human specimens at its laboratory in Fort Collins, Colorado. It receives samples from all across the Unites States and because of the tremendous number of cases to be tested, CDC takes several weeks to get the results back to the states.
West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans when a mosquito bites an infected bird and then bites a human. It cannot be transmitted from person to person, except in rare cases involving organ transplants and blood transfusions. The illness may cause flu-like symptoms in humans, such as headache, swollen glands, and muscle aches, as well as a rash. Usually West Nile Virus only causes mild disease in humans, but in rare cases the virus may cause swelling of the brain (encephalitis) and even death. People more than 50 years old are most susceptible to serious illness as the result of West Nile Virus.
Mosquito control and protection is the best defense against West Nile Virus. Since it is late in the mosquito season and the temperatures are dropping, mosquito populations are declining, which is reducing the risk to humans for West Nile Virus.