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Northeast South Dakota Leads State in West Nile Cases

Posted on: Thursday, 11 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

Aug. 11--Northeast South Dakota has established itself as the worst place in the state for human cases of the West Nile virus so far this year.

South Dakota is also in the running toward being the worst place nationwide for the virus.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Health announced five new human cases of the mosquito-borne disease in Brown County and two each in Edmunds and Roberts counties.

For this year so far, Brown has a state-leading seven human cases, Edmunds three, Roberts two, and Campbell one. Elsewhere in northeast South Dakota, Spink and Clark counties have had horses infected by West Nile.

Also Wednesday, the health department reported one human case each in Aurora, Davison, Hanson, Hughes, Mellette and Union counties.

The state has 35 human West Nile cases so far this year, with the second-leading region being southeast South Dakota and its 10 cases. The Centers for Disease Control reports that the state ranks second nationwide for human West Nile infections, behind California's 84 cases. Arizona ranks third with 16. North Dakota and Minnesota have reported six cases each.

South Dakota's 35 cases are about double 2004's number for this time of year, but four times lower that 2003's number through Aug. 10. No South Dakotans have died this year from the virus. One person died last year and 14 in 2003, when South Dakota led the nation in cases per capita.

State epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger said it's hard to tell why the northeast part of the state has the most human West Nile virus cases, but it could have something to do with the large amount of rain that's fallen there this spring and summer.

"More rain means more mosquitoes," he said. "But is (the rain) the real culprit? It's hard to say. In previous years we've had places with a bad drought, and they had the most cases."

Kightlinger said those in northeast South Dakota and the rest of the state need to be prepared because the West Nile situation will likely get worse before it gets better.

"Now is when people really need to watch themselves," he said. "The last three weeks of August are the height of the West Nile season."

The health department recommends the following WNV prevention measures:

--Use mosquito repellents containing DEET or picaridin.

--Wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to limit mosquito exposure.

--Limit time outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

--Eliminate standing water that gives mosquitoes a place to breed.

--Support local mosquito control efforts.

The health department reported that of this year's human cases, the median age of victims is 43, with the age range being from 14 to 80. The department says 52 percent of victims are female and 48 percent male.

Of the cases fully investigated, 17 percent have the neuroinvasive West Nile, which can cause a sometimes fatal brain swelling. The rest have the flu-like West Nile fever.

Nationally, 40 of the 48 continental states have detected the virus, with 22 states reporting a total of 187 human cases and three deaths.

At this time last year, there were 495 human West Nile cases nationally.

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Copyright (c) 2005, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: American News (Aberdeen, S.D.)

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