• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Fears of West Nile Virus Hit Much Closer to Home in California

Posted on: Thursday, 18 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

Aug. 18--Lynne Miley, pregnant with her first child, has watched the West Nile virus snake its way into the East Bay, killing birds and infecting swarms of blood-thirsty mosquitoes. She worries for her baby and for herself, and finds she is afraid of bug bites for the first time in her life.

"I don't want to put insect repellent on because I'm worried it'll affect the baby," said Miley, a 36-year-old Discovery Bay woman who owns the Orwood water resort off Byron Highway with her family.

"But I also don't want to get bitten by infected mosquitoes. You know? I see a mosquito and I think, 'I wonder if that's the one carrying the virus.' I hate them anyway, but this is the first time I've thought of a bug bite as a life-or-death situation."

She said that Discovery Bay, a town of 10,000 surrounded by lakes and other bug-breeding grounds, has been abuzz with news of an Oakley horse that had to be euthanized last week after contracting the virus. People became even more concerned, she said, when reports surfaced that a middle-aged East County woman, whose identity is still not known, was hospitalized with the virus days ago.

"We're all talking about it," Miley said. "You tend to talk about it more when it touches close to your town. It's just disgusting, the idea of it."

The virus has killed two elderly men in neighboring San Joaquin County, 25 birds in Contra Costa County and two birds in Alameda County as of Wednesday afternoon. In Brentwood alone, six birds have died from the virus -- more than any other Contra Costa city -- and countywide, three mosquito pools have tested positive. Infected birds have also been found in Concord, Danville, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Pleasanton and Livermore.

The virus kills less than 1 percent of people bitten by infected mosquitoes, but up to 20 percent can experience mild or even severe flu-like symptoms. Eighty percent will never feel a thing.

Deborah Bass of the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District said the good news is that birds, horses and people are "dead-end hosts," meaning the virus is not contagious once the mosquito passes it.

Since human and animal deaths hit the local news, there have been runs on OFF! insect repellent and people checking their swimming pools for the greenish hue that indicates mosquitoes living inside. Though local water resort owners have not reported a dip in attendance, they are passing out brochures and mosquito wipes like crazy.

In an attempt to stop the virus in its tracks, mosquito abatement officials have sprayed insecticide in area cities -- Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay and Bethel Island -- and continue trapping and testing mosquitoes at a frantic pace. News of the horse's death has local ranchers calling their vets, asking for early West Nile vaccinations. And people such as Miley are opting to stay inside, especially during the dawn and dusk hours, when mosquitoes are particularly bad.

That said, the virus has not hit here as bad as other areas; Sacramento County, for example, has the highest number of human cases at almost 40. Statewide, the number of infected people rose from 118 to 174 just last week, and John Rusmisel, district manager of the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District, says he thinks that number will be more than 200 by the end of this week.

"Still, it was much worse a year ago," he said.

Last year, West Nile virus killed 28 people throughout California, as opposed to five so far this year.

"It's still a scary thing; it really is," said Bass, whose job has become so overwhelming that she canceled a camping trip she and her husband had planned for this weekend.

"These mosquitoes can breed in a capful of water -- that's all it takes," she said. "So we really need people to get rid of standing water in flower pots, plastic tarps, abandoned tires, anything that can trap water. The biggest problem, by far, comes from mosquitoes breeding in back yards."

She said her district is trying to communicate to the public how important it for individuals to do their part.

"We need each and every homeowner to walk the parameters of their property," she said. "Any water that's been there for more than five days should be dumped."

She also said if people are sensible, they can avoid the virus. Insect repellent -- something with DEET, Picaridin or lemon-eucalyptus lotion -- is key. People should also wear long sleeves at dawn and dusk and drain all unfiltered swimming pools.

"Drain them to the point where they're bone dry; even a little water is bad," Bass said.

Horse owners should be getting their animals vaccinated and replacing drinking water every few days. Mosquito fish, available at both county mosquito abatement districts, can be placed in troughs to eat mosquitoes. The horses will not eat them, Bass said.

Though many people will not feel symptoms, Bass said people should remember there is no vaccination for humans.

The horse vaccination, however, has been available for some time now, and East County veterinarian Renee Golenz says her clients have been calling on her the past few days. Most of them have had their horses vaccinated regularly over the past three years but are worried nonetheless.

"Most were slated to get a booster shot, say, in September and October," she said. "What I'm seeing is they're moving those up to now, just to be safe."

The East County horse that died last week, she said, was paralyzed by the time Golenz got to her.

"That was my first West Nile diagnosis," said Golenz. "It was a really tough experience. Poor thing. I don't want to go through it again."

TIPS: Less than 1 percent of people bitten by an infected mosquito die from the West Nile virus. About 20 percent will feel mild to severe flu-like symptoms, and about 80 percent will not even know they have been bitten.

Here are some tips on how to protect yourself:

--Wear insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin; it lasts about three hours.

--Dawn and dusk are the worst times for mosquitoes. Limit your exposure during these times.

--If you are worried about chemicals on your skin, lemon eucalyptus lotions work, too, but they will not keep mosquitoes away for more than about 45 minutes.

--ear long sleeves and long pants outdoors.

--Make sure window screens fit tightly and are in good repair.

--Dump water in bird baths or any standing water more than five days old.

--Maintain swimming pools through use of chlorine and filtering systems.

--If you have a Koi pond, put some mosquito fish in it. They will eat mosquitoes and will not harm other fish. They are available at Alameda and Contra Costa mosquito abatement districts.

--Vaccinate horses.

Source: Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District and the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District.

FOR INFORMATION:

--www.westnile.ca.gov.: state Web site provides twice-weekly updates on the West Nile situation.

--If you find dead birds, call the bird hotline at 877-968-2473.

--Contra Costa County will try to notify people via telephone or the Internet regarding areas where they plan to spray insecticide. However, officials say sometimes there is not enough time to notify.

Residents do not need to do anything to prepare for a neighborhood spraying. Leave your air conditioning on, and do not worry about covering your yard with tarps.

Source: Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District and the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District.

-----

To see more of the Contra Costa Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bayarea.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

More News in this Category