West Nile virus found in
three Bay Area Houston cities

The Citizen -online
Published - 08/04/04
by DENISE DAVIS , Citizen Staff

Mosquitoes collected in League City tested positive Thursday for the virus, said Kurt Koopmann, public information officer for the Galveston County Health District.

Two dead birds found in Seabrook and Taylor Lake Village each tested positive for West Nile virus, said Sandy Kachur, spokesperson for the Harris County Heath District. A dead Blue Jay found in Seabrook was turned into the Harris County Mosquito Control District for testing on July 10, Kachur said. An American crow found dead in Taylor Lake Village was turned in for testing on July 13, she said. Kachur explained that it usually takes 10 days to get results back after the birds are dropped off.

League City is the second city in Galveston County where the disease has been detected, Koopmann said. It was discovered in Galveston the day before the League City finding, he said. There have been no reports of human cases in the Bay Area. Residents should not panic over this news, Koopmann said. Koopmann pointed out that, last year, there was only one human case in Galveston County and that person recovered fully. Kachur pointed out that most of the instances of West Nile virus in Harris County are in the northern portion of the county.

West Nile probably originated in the Middle East or Africa in the mid-1930s, health officials said. In 1999, the first case in the United States was reported in New York. It has spread rapidly since that time.

West Nile is usually detected first in dead birds in the area, Koopmann said. The mosquitoes become infected when they bite infected birds, he said.

Harris County tests all types of birds turned in by residents, Kachur said. However, once West Nile is found in an area, there is no need to continue testing birds in that area, she said.

Galveston County limits their testing to Cardinals, Blue Jays and Hawks, Koopmann said. Koopmann said the birds need to be freshly dead. Anyone picking up a dead bird in order to have it tested, should place a plastic bag on his or her hand before picking up the bird, he said. Then, the bird should be placed in another plastic bag, Koopmann said. The bird should then be kept on ice, or in a refrigerator, he said. Residents can then call the respective mosquito control districts. Galveston County residents can call 281-534-2726 and Harris County residents can call 713-440-3036.

Only about one percent of people bitten by an infected mosquito ever show any symptoms, and those will probably be mild, health officials said. West Nile can cause brain inflammation, headaches, loss of balance and this can lead to encephalitis, officials said.

Koopmann said that state health officials encourage residents to use insect repellent with Deet and to spray clothing, not only exposed skin. Residents are also advised to limit their activity from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus are most active, Koopmann said. Everyone is urged to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants, though Koopmann said that can be difficult in the Texas heat. People are also advised to drain any standing water on their property, he said. Koopmann said it is recommended that anyone with birdbaths drain and refill them frequently. Koopmann referred anyone wanting additional information to a state Internet Web site, www.texaswestnile.org. Koopmann said that there is a vaccine for horses but not for dogs and cats. Dogs and cats can get West Nile, but they rarely get sick from it, he said.

Read the press release