KDHE Announces Additional West Nile Cases in 2005

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced the state's fourth and fifth human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) in 2005. Both of these cases occurred in Douglas County. Both the 61-year-old resident (a probable case) and 82-year-old (a confirmed case) had onset of symptoms in the latter half of August. Lab testing on both cases was just recently completed. Additional identifying information regarding these individuals will not be released due to patient confidentiality issues.

Also, positive mosquito pools have been confirmed in Crawford, Ellis, and Stafford Counties as well as WNV positive horses in Decatur and Reno counties. KDHE had previously identified human cases in Johnson , Douglas , and Rice counties and WNV-positive mosquito pools in Barton, Mitchell, Trego and Wallace counties, as well as a horse in Anderson County.

In 2005, the virus has been found in Anderson, Barton, Crawford, Decatur, Douglas, Ellis, Johnson, Mitchell, Reno, Rice, Stafford, Trego and Wallace counties. Although these are the counties where the virus has been detected and reported, it is considered to be present throughout Kansas. Human cases in Kansas typically appear in mid summer, then increase through the late summer months and early fall months.

"August and September are the peak months of infection in Kansas, so we must all take precautions to reduce our risk of becoming infected with West Nile Virus," said Gail Hansen, KDHE State Epidemiologist. "This includes wearing insect repellent when outdoors, limiting outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, and draining standing water where possible or using a larvicide."

"All Kansans should take precautions no matter which part of the state they live in," said KDHE Director of Health, Howard Rodenberg, M.D., M.P.H. "West Nile Virus can be present in an area well before it's confirmed in test results and reported."

West Nile Virus is primarily a disease of birds, spread by infected mosquitoes to people, but it is not contagious from person to person.

Symptoms range from mild (slight headache and low grade fever) to extreme (neurological disease - swelling of the brain or brain tissue) and in rare cases, death. Most people have no symptoms. Once a person contracts WNV, they are immune to it.

Most healthy people infected with WNV show either no symptoms of illness or only mild symptoms. About 20 percent of those infected show any symptoms, typically seen 3-15 days after the mosquito bite. Since the symptoms are not specific to WNV, only special laboratory tests can confirm a diagnosis of WNV.

To be prepared against WNV, take personal precautions including use of an approved insect repellant, and reducing mosquito breeding grounds.

KDHE recommends the following to reduce the risk of WNV:

• Use an insect repellent on the skin. In addition to those that contain DEET, repellants containing Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are effective in repelling mosquitoes. The label directions for all repellants should be closely followed.
• Wear protective clothing when practical
• Remove standing water - where mosquitoes breed (i.e. clogged gutters or unused tires)
• Use larvicide in water that cannot be drained or removed
• Change water every three days in bird baths, pet bowls, and wading pools
• Limit outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active

Birds are not being collected or tested for WNV by KDHE. If a dead bird is found, KDHE recommends you wear gloves, place it in a plastic bag, and dispose of it in the garbage.

2004 WNV Cases:
In 2004, there were nine confirmed WNV cases of neuroinvasive disease and 37 probable cases of WNV (including both neuroinvasive and non-neuroinvasive cases) reported to KDHE. There were two deaths in Kansas due to WNV in 2004. Researchers are trying to determine how often WNV, an emerging infectious disease, results in prolonged illness or death.

For more information on West Nile Virus, go to www.kdheks.gov/westnile/, or call KDHE's toll-free automated West Nile Virus Information Hotline, (877) 228-2287.

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