West Nile Virus Claims Four Lives in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, August 2, 2002 (ENS) - Four Louisiana citizens are dead and 54 others are sick with the mosquito borne West Nile virus which now has spread to every part of the watery state, health officials said today. The deaths were caused by encephalitis, an infection of the brain caused by West Nile virus.

These are the first deaths in the nation from West Nile this year, and bring the national total to 22 since the disease made its first appearance in this country in 1999.

Louisiana Governor Mike Foster (Photo courtesy Office of the Governor)

Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary David Hood welcomes the governor's announcement. "We hope that the federal government is able to respond quickly and effectively to the request made by Governor Foster through his declaration of a state of emergency," Hood said.

"It is becoming quite evident that the broad nature of this outbreak is going to quickly deplete both state and local funds dedicated to epidemiological efforts, laboratory testing, surveillance and mosquito control efforts," he said.

Water standing in a pail is a perfect mosquito breeding ground. (Photo courtesy CDC)

Not all people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes become ill. The virus is most harmful to elderly people - the four people who have died in Louisiana are an 83 year old female, and three men, aged 75, 72 and 59.

Dr. Anthony Marfin, a West Nile Virus expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told reporters by teleconference Thursday that the virus has appeared earlier this year than it has since it reached the United States.

"These are the earliest cases of West Nile encephalitis that we have seen since its introduction in 1999," he said. "It may have to do with weather that is more conducive to year-around transmission in the birds. It may have to do with some of the drought conditions that a lot of states have been experiencing."

The year the virus has spread farther west than ever before, and Dr. Marfin says experts "don't completely understand the reasons" for its westward movement. He would not predict whether it would reach California, but acknowledged that, "We now have animal infections identified in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and in Texas, and then we have human infections being reported out of Texas."

A Culex mosquito on a human finger. This species is associated with West Nile virus. (Photo courtesy CDC)

West Nile Virus has now been detected as far west as Russell, Manitoba, Canada and Aberdeen, South Dakota, the farthest point west in the United States, according to the Cornell University Center for the Environment. To date in 2002, West Nile Virus has been detected in birds, mosquitoes, humans, and/or horses in at least 32 states and Washington DC in the US; as well as in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.

On July 26, a dead crow discovered on the White House grounds had West Nile virus, health officials said. The crow is one of two found near a fountain on the South Lawn. An additional 45 dead birds in the nation's capital have tested positive for West Nile virus so far this year, says the city's health department.

Today, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) debuted a new website to provide the public with updated, comprehensive information on West Nile Virus 24 hours a day, seven days a week online at: www.FightTheBiteLouisiana.com. The site explains how West Nile Virus is contracted, symptoms, prevention tips, protection measures and much more.

This new information is a component of the existing DHH website, but was given its own domain name that should be easy for the public to remember.

"We decided to utilize the theme of our current public awareness campaign, Fight the Bite Louisiana!, as our informational website address," said Madeline McAndrew, assistant secretary for DHH's Office of Public Health. "Public education is one of the keys to combating an outbreak such as this. We are seeking every way possible to educate the citizens of this state as to the dangers posed by mosquitoes."

Officials continue to warn citizens that the best way to protect against a mosquito borne illness is to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and to use mosquito repellent. "Culprit mosquitos are breeding in containers of water oftentimes found in yards. These containers include old tires, bird baths, toys, potted plants, paint cans and almost any other type of container that holds water," the DHH warned again today.

Campers, like these at Louisiana's Lake Bistineau State Park, are advised to use mosquito repellent. (Photo courtesy Louisiana State Parks)

Commonly found brands include Cutters Regular, Unscented®; Deep Woods Off®; Skintastic®; Deep Woods Sportsman®; and Repel Sportsman® (spray).

The virus bears the name of Uganda's West Nile region, where it was first discovered in 1937. Cases have since been reported in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North America.