West Nile virus found in mosquitoes

Galveston Daily News
July 29, 2004
By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons
Correspondent

Galveston Island mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus, marking the disease’s first appearance in the county this year, local officials reported Wednesday.

“People should be cautious, but they shouldn’t be alarmed,” said John Marshall, director of the Galveston County Mosquito Control District. “We sprayed the area the last two nights, and we’re watching it really closely.”

The infected pests, found in the central part of the island near 61st Street, are Culex mosquitoes, which typically breed in cool, dark places such as storm sewers, Marshall said.

Although no one in Galveston County has contracted the disease in 2004, Texas has had two confirmed cases — one causing the July 13 death of a Beaumont resident. Last year, the county had one human case, but the person fully recovered.

The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have fed on birds carrying the virus. It is not transmitted from person to person.

Less than 1 percent of those bitten by infected mosquitoes becomes severely ill.

Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, body aches and fatigue, occasionally with skin rash and swollen lymph glands.

Health officials recommend that people stay indoors when mosquitoes are out at night, wear long pants and long sleeves, apply insect repellent and get rid of standing water in neighborhoods. Mosquito season lasts from May to December, Marshall said.

About 95 percent of the county’s mosquitoes are of the salt marsh or floodwater variety and do not carry the virus. The less prevalent disease-carrying breeds, called Culex or Asian tiger mosquitoes, can be found in damp leaves, flower pots and bird baths.

More than 500 Americans have died from West Nile Virus since it first appeared in New York City in the summer of 1999. There are currently 256 human cases in the country, mostly in California, Arizona and Colorado.

Tips To Avoid West Nile Virus

Follow the “Four Ds” to reduce your chance of becoming infected.

• Dusk to Dawn: Stay indoors from dusk to dawn, when 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, spraying both exposed skin and clothing.
• Drain: Get rid of standing water in your yard. Old tires, clogged rain gutters, leaky pipes and faucets and wading pools can be breeding sites for mosquitoes.

West Nile Virus in 2003

• Galveston County: 1 human case, 0 deaths.
• Texas: 720 human cases, 37 deaths.
• United States: 9,862 human cases, 264 deaths.

— Source: Centers for Disease Control

For information, contact the Galveston County Health District at (409) 938-2345 or visit www.texaswestnile.org.

Read the press release