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Human Galveston County
West Nile Case Confirmed
September 9, 2003
Texas City Sun
Guidry Gulf Coast E-News 09/09/03
La
Marque – On Friday, September 5, the Texas Department
of Health reported to the Galveston County Health District
that a human case of West Nile virus (WNV) had been identified
in a county resident. The person, a 35-year-old Texas City
resident, was hospitalized in Louisiana but exposure to mosquitoes
may have occurred in Texas City during mid-August. The resident
was successfully treated for WNV in Louisiana and has returned
to the county.
“While the risk of a healthy person becoming
sick with West Nile Virus from a mosquito bite is very low,
people should always take steps to protect themselves,”
says Mark Guidry, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Director of the
Galveston County Health District. He reminds people to remember
the four D’s to reduce the chance of becoming infected:
- Dusk to Dawn –
Stay indoors from dusk to dawn when
those mosquitoes likely to carry the infection are most
active.
- Dress – Dress
in long pants and long sleeves when
you are outside, especially in mosquito-infested areas.
- DEET- Apply
insect repellant that contains DEET. Read and follow
label instructions. Spray both exposed skin and clothing
with repellant
- Drain – Get
rid of standing water in your yard and neighborhood. Old
tires, flower pots, clogged rain gutters, leaky pipes and
faucets, birdbaths and wading pools can be breeding sites
for mosquitoes.
The virus is not contagious from person to
person, only from the bite of an infected mosquito. Common
symptoms of human infection include fever, headache, sore
throat, body aches and fatigue, occasionally with skin rash
and swollen lymph glands. Individuals with any of these symptoms
are advised to consult with their healthcare provider.
John Marshall, Director of the Galveston County
Mosquito Control District, notes that mosquitoes are numerous
in the area due to the rains associated with tropical storm
Grace, but most of the mosquitoes affecting us now are salt
marsh mosquitoes that do not carry WNV. Culex mosquitoes,
the local carriers of WNV, prefer drier conditions and were
probably flushed out relatively well by the recent heavy rains.
Galveston County Mosquito Control is continuing efforts to
control mosquito populations in the county. Any resident with
questions concerning mosquito control efforts in Galveston
County should call (800) 842-5622.
For more information on human West Nile
virus, contact the Health District’s Epidemiology Department
at (409) 765-2514. Additional west Nile virus information
can be found at www.texaswestnile.org.
For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
(409) 938-2211
kkoopman@gchd.org
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