Additional Human Case of West Nile Virus Brings Kansas Total to 18
Presence of WNV in 69 Kansas Counties

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has confirmed one additional human case of West Nile Virus encephalitis or meningitis in the state this year. This cases involves a 63 year old in Osborne County with West Nile Virus encephalitis. The individual had the first signs of illness on August 21 and remains hospitalized. This is the 18th case of human West Nile Virus in the state in 2003. One death from WNV has been reported to date.

“We are not surprised by the number of cases this year in Kansas and expected this year to be a more difficult one based on trends seen in other states where the virus has been for a few years,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino. “We urge all Kansans to take the necessary precautions against being bitten by mosquitos and to take steps to reduce breeding grounds for mosquitos.”

West Nile virus case report numbers published by KDHE are based upon the results of confirmatory testing performed by the state Division of Health and Environmental Laboratories (DHEL). Such testing may be performed only at the request of a physician who is treating a patient with specific signs and symptoms of meningitis or encephalitis.

WNV is now confirmed in the following 69 counties:

Positive Human : Barton, Butler, Cloud, Decatur, Ford, Gray (2), Hodgeman, Osborne, Pratt (2), Sedgwick, Seward (2), Shawnee, Sherman (2) and Thomas Counties. (1 death: Butler County)

Barton Co. - WNV encephalitis - onset 7/30

Positive Equine: Allen, Cheyenne, Cowley, Decatur, Dickinson, Greenwood, Haskell, Jackson, Johnson, Kearny, Labette, Marion, McPherson, Miami, Nemaha, Rooks, Saline, Scott, Wichita and Woodson counties

Positive Mosquito Pools: Crawford, Ford, Riley and Seward

Positive Birds: Anderson, Barton, Clay, Comanche, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Graham, Grant, Gray, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Lane, Leavenworth, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morton, McPherson, Nemaha, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Reno, Republic, Riley, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Smith, Stafford, Stevens, Wumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Washington, and Wilson.

Public health officials recommend the following precautions to minimize contact with mosquitos and exposure to West Nile Virus:

• Use insect repellent containing DEET (according to label directions);
• Limit outdoor activities during dawn/dusk when mosquitos are most active;
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors whenever practical;
• Eliminate any stagnant pools of water on your property. (Standing, stagnant water is a common habitat for mosquitos).
• Repair screens or other areas of your home where mosquitos might enter.

West Nile Virus is primarily a disease of birds that is transmitted by mosquitos on to other birds, horses and humans. Last year Kansas had 22 human WNV cases with no fatalities, and 794 cases involving horses and mules. More than 300 birds were tested. One hundred three of the 105 Kansas counties reported having WNV in either humans, horses, birds, or mosquitos.

West Nile Virus can cause severe illness, even death in rare cases, most people who become infected will never know they were infected, because the disease usually produces no symptoms or health complications in humans.

Symptoms of West Nile Virus are usually mild and include fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands. The symptoms of severe infection (West Nile encephalitis or meningitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

Human testing for the disease is generally recommended only for hospitalized patients with severe symptoms, and medical treatment does not change for those who test positive. People more than 50 years old are most susceptible to serious illness as the result of West Nile Virus. This year testing for West Nile Virus for people with signs of encephalitis or meningitis is being conducted at the KDHE laboratory in Topeka.

For questions about West Nile Virus in humans, call KDHE at 1-877-427-7317.9 Physicians, hospitals, and local health departments should report any suspicious cases of encephalitis to KDHE.

A toll-free hotline has been set up for Kansans to report dead birds at 1-866-452-7810. The Dead Bird Hotline number has changed and an updated number will be provided soon. (Individuals who submit birds for WNV testing will not be given the results by KSU or KDHE.)

Additional information on West Nile Virus may be found at http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=711.

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