WEST NILE VIRUS IS OUT THERE!   STAY INFORMED!

Monday April 9 11:26 AM ET

More Widespread West Nile in 2001, Experts Warn

By Anne Harding WHITE PLAINS, NY (Reuters Health) - West Nile virus (news - web sites) will return to the easternn US this spring, and is likely to threaten a much larger geographic area, experts on the disease said on Saturday. ``I don't think we've seen the worst by any means,'' said Dr. James Hadler of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (news - web sites)'s Infectious Disease Division, who also predicted ``sizable outbreaks of neurological disease'' caused by the virus. Hadler spoke at the International Conference on the West Nile Virus, held in White Plains, New York, last week.

West Nile virus appeared in New York in 1999. This was the first time the virus--which has long been found in Eastern Europe, West Asia, Africa and the Middle East--is known to have crossed the Atlantic. In 1999, 62 people were severely infected with West Nile, and seven died.

In 2000, there were 17 cases and one death. There is no treatment for West Nile infection in humans, which can spread to the brain (a condition known as encephalitis) or the tissues surrounding the brain (a condition known as meningitis). Efforts are under way to develop a vaccine against the disease, but are not expected to bear fruit for years.

The risk of being infected with West Nile virus by a bite from an infected mosquito is less than 1%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Fatality from the disease is 3% to 15% in infected people, with the greatest risk of death in elderly people. Birds are the main carriers of the infection, which is spread by mosquitoes. Humans are only believed to catch the disease from mosquitoes, and are not thought to be able to catch it from other infected animals or from one another. Public health experts sample birds, especially crows, and mosquito populations in order to identify the geographic spread of the virus.

In 2000, according to the CDC, West Nile was found in birds in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, but human cases were limited to New York and New Jersey. Hadler and fellow panelists in the session ``Guidance for 2001'' said they expected West Nile to appear in New England and the mid-Atlantic states this spring, as far south as Washington, DC. ``The virus seems to have really moved right down the I-95 corridor,'' said Dr. Stephen M. Ostroff, an epidemiology expert at the CDC, referring to the highway that runs down the East Coast from Maine to Florida. Ostroff said he did not expect West Nile to appear in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, if it indeed does, until late August and into the fall. ``The time to start planning for all that is now,'' he added.

All panelists agreed that public education efforts and attempts to wipe out larvae of the mosquitoes that carry the disease would be crucial in 2001. The insects breed in pools of still water, and using larvicide in pools where the insects breed--and requesting homeowners to clear their property of such pools--is a crucial part of prevention efforts. The risks of human outbreak depend on the success of larvicide efforts and the weather, said Dr. Marcelle Layton of the New York City Department of Health.

Another factor will be the effectiveness of public health education efforts on personal protection, particularly among older people. ``It's going to be a never-ending struggle for us to really have the New York City population take this seriously and do their part,'' she added. ``I'm concerned that as it becomes an old story it will be harder and harder to get the message out.'' New York City public health officials sprayed parts of the city to destroy adult mosquitoes in 2000, but these efforts were controversial. The risks of the spray for humans and the environment are unclear, and many public health officials are also reluctant to spray because of the risk that the insects will become resistant to it.

----------------------------

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 15, 2001 1:39 p.m. EDT)

By JOEL STASHENKO, Associated Press

Northeast regroups for West Nile disease

It is spring, and an epidemiologist's thoughts turn to the germ that arrived in this country two years ago, imperiling lives and causing alarm along the East Coast - the West Nile virus.

This year, say public health officials, they are prepared to deal with the mosquito-borne virus. Their plans include less pesticide spraying and more education. More efforts to eradicate larvae, and to deprive mosquitoes of places to breed; less testing of dead birds in some places.

But regardless of what they do, they expect the virus - already detected in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia - to spread southward and westward.

"It will get into places like Florida, Georgia, Texas and Mississippi," said John Roehrig, chief of the arbovirus diseases branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC will spend $16 million to track the virus, and will test as far west as California.

The tracking of the disease is much more sophisticated than it was in the first two years of its spread, and authorities say this gives them an advantage as they face the summer of 2001.

"We have good surveillance data now which we didn't have before," said Ralph Timperi, director of the Massachusetts State Laboratory Institute. "With New York and New Jersey as well as Massachusetts, we have gotten better at targeting human risk, and knowing when it is significant."

In 1999, there were 62 confirmed cases of encephalitis traced to the West Nile virus and seven deaths. Last year, there were 14 confirmed cases and one death.

Most of those infected with the virus suffer from flulike conditions; authorities believe most cases are so mild that those infected never imagine that they have had the disease that led some people to shut themselves inside their homes during the summer.

The disease can be fatal for some older people or those with weakened immune systems. But it appears that contrary to what was originally believed, the very young are not at high risk.

"We are not about to say that West Nile is something that we can ignore or that people should dismiss it," said New York State Health Department spokeswoman Kristine Smith.

"It can be a serious health concern. It is something that we have to stay on top of. But it is not something that people have to lose sleep over. It is not something that people should lock their windows and doors and stay inside all summer over."

New York has put together a master plan to combat West Nile. It includes:

-Determining where mosquitoes are most apt to breed through geographic "mapping" of stagnant water and low-lying areas. This should be accompanied by the trapping of mosquitoes as they appear to monitor the presence and activity of the insects.

-Extensive and early applications of laarvicide to those areas. There are plans to use Bti, a bacteria that feeds on developing mosquitoes.

-Running a public education campaign too caution people about the need to eliminate areas where mosquitoes might breed - spare tires, clogged gutters, stagnant bird feeders and the like - and how they can use insect repellants and proper clothing to avoid infection.

-Sending only a fraction of the dead crrows found locally to the state laboratory for verification that the birds were killed by the virus. While crows remain an excellent indicator of the virus' presence, the 7,000 birds sent to Albany last year for diagnosis overwhelmed the capacity of state laboratories to test them. Better to get limited test results back in a week than to wait for a month, said Dr. Lloyd Novick, health commissioner in Onondaga County.

Other states have similar plans. New Hampshire, expecting a heavy mosquito season after a record amount of snow this winter, plans more education for elderly residents through senior citizens centers and Meals on Wheels programs. New Jersey is targeting tire dumps and other likely breeding grounds for clean up, and is adding staff for testing and reporting outbreaks.

Rhode Island will provide larvicide to all its cities and towns. In Connecticut, officials plan to put out mosquito traps in 91 places around the state. The state also plans to get the word out in dozens of ways, from refrigerator magnets with a mosquito hot line number to grass-roots meetings with health experts and community leaders.

In Maryland, officials say they are undecided about whether to spray pesticides in areas where infected birds are found. That was the practice last year, and some communities feared that the poisons presented more health risks than did the disease.

The same debate is under way elsewhere. In New York, officials have decided to go ahead with wide-scale spraying only in cases where an outbreak of West Nile virus is under way or is likely. Connecticut also recommends less spraying this year.

All of these measures are costly. New Jersey plans to spend $4.5 million, including a $2 million federal grant; Pennsylvania has distributed $3.3 million in grants to county West Nile coordinators to cover the costs of equipment, supplies and training.

New York, the state with the highest number of West Nile cases, also has the costliest plans to combat the disease. It has applied to the CDC for a $10 million grant to use for surveillance and a public education program. The administration of Gov. George Pataki also intends to offer $22 million in matching grants to the state's 62 counties and New York City.

But the money is caught up in the state's yearly battle over its budget. The new budget was supposed to be approved by April 1, but it is late again this year; in 1999, no budget was approved until Aug. 4. Public health officials worry that unless they get an emergency appropriation to deal with West Nile, they will lag in their efforts to control the disease.

"Mosquitoes don't wait until the budget process is over to begin to breed," Novick said.

-----------------------------

Tuesday May 8 12:45 AM ET

Crows Test Positive for West Nile

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Dead crows found in two New Jersey communities have tested positive for West Nile virus authorities said Monday.

The virus, which killed two people last year, has also been detected this year in several other Eastern states. The disease usually causes only flu-like symptoms but can be fatal for some older people or those with weakened immune systems.

The counties where the crows were found - Bergen and Middlesex - are both increasing their surveillance for mosquitoes. The state plans to spend about $7 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1 to fight the virus.

State health officials said people should use insect repellent, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors and try to stay inside at dawn and in the evening, when mosquitoes are most active.

---------------------------------

Friday June 8 5:11 PM ET

Mass Shots Against Meningitis Given

By PAUL SINGER, Associated Press Writer SALEM, Ohio (AP) - With grimaces and brave looks, the first of up to 5,800 Ohio high school students and teachers rolled up their sleeves and got their shots Friday in a mass inoculation against a meningitis-related outbreak that has killed two teen-agers.

The outbreak has spread fear and confusion through this blue-collar area about 40 miles from Cleveland. Classes and graduations were canceled Friday, and thousands of students and parents stood in line at vaccination centers set up at schools.

``It's basically a relief to get the shot,'' said Carey Rogers, 17, who was vaccinated at Salem. ``A couple of my friends had a couple of parties but my mom wouldn't let me go to their house. You got to think about it with everything you do.''

The mass vaccinations were recommended by the state Health Department for students and staff at six schools.

The state is paying for the $55-per-dose vaccine. Surrounding counties donated nurses and needles.

Two 15-year-old students at West Branch High in Beloit died two weeks ago of meningococcemia, a blood infection caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. The same bacteria also cause meningitis, a disease of the brain. School officials have said the two may have passed the infection by sharing a water bottle at a picnic.

A third student, Christin VanCamp, a senior at Marlington High, also developed a blood infection from the bacteria. The 18-year-old student, who had been in a coma, was upgraded to satisfactory condition Friday.

The bacteria are spread through saliva.

On Friday, an early morning rush led to long lines at the schools. At West Branch High, officials said they vaccinated 450 students in the first hour. By 2 p.m., about 2,000 people had received the shots at all four high schools where inoculations took place.

Over the weekend, thousands of residents lined up at hospitals for hours to receive antibiotics, which are effective for a day or two. The vaccine protects for three to five years.

The vaccine is up to 90 percent effective against the bacteria, said Dr. Nancy Rosenstein of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

--------------------------

Wednesday June 13 5:01 PM ET

West Nile Virus Precautions Urged

By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer The dangerous West Nile virus (news - web sites) will probably spread beyond the Northeast, so doctors should consider that when diagnosing patients stricken with encephalitis or meningitis during mosquito season, researchers warn.

In a report on the Western Hemisphere's first known outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus, researchers urged physicians to aggressively test patients and report suspected cases to public health officials so new outbreaks can be controlled.

In the first outbreak, in the New York City area in the summer of 1999, at least 59 patients were hospitalized with West Nile infections. Seven died, and hundreds more had less serious infections. People with diabetes or those 75 or older were more than five times more likely to die than others.

Healthy people generally have mild flu-like symptoms, or none at all, when bitten by an infected mosquito. The researchers estimate only one in 100 West Nile infections causes symptoms.

The report, written by Dr. Denis Nash of the New York City Health Department and researchers from other health agencies, was published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine (news - web sites).

In an editorial, Dr. Kenneth L. Tyler of University of Colorado Health Sciences Center wrote that doctors must stay alert for clusters of unusual cases of illness, including outbreaks of disease in animals.

Last year, 21 human West Nile cases were reported in the Northeast, two of them fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites). By then, there were reports of birds killed by the virus from Vermont and New Hampshire south to North Carolina.

-----------------------------------

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

West Nile virus strikes Florida horses

By Environmental News Network The first equine case of West Nile virus (WNV) in the United States this year has been confirmed in a Florida horse by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. The positive horse was located in Jefferson County, Florida. In addition, two other ill horses on two separate premises in the same county have been classified as probable cases of West Nile virus infection.

This is the first report of West Nile virus infection of any animal species anywhere in the United States this year.

West Nile virus activity has recently been reported in this area of Florida, including the finding of WNV-positive crows in June in Jefferson County and later in adjacent Madison County. Although mosquitoes have been collected in the area, no WNV-positive pools have been detected.

The confirmed case was in an adult male horse that was euthanized on or about July 12. Serum and brain samples were collected prior to death and sent to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' laboratory in Kissimmee where a positive test result was obtained. The diagnosis was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The Florida Department of Agriculture says this is the first ever case of West Nile virus infection in a U.S. horse residing south of Delaware and the earliest in a year that onset of clinical illness in a horse has ever been known in the United States. Previous earliest onset of clinical West Nile virus illness in a U.S. horse was August 17, 2000 in Staten Island, New York. This case comes at the beginning of Florida's mosquito season.

"We are being faced with a challenge of controlling the mosquitoes that carry this new virus," said Commissioner of Agriculture, Charles Bronson. Bronson explained that WNV is maintained in the wild bird population, and normal bird migration routes likely brought the disease to Florida from the New York area where it was first discovered in 1999.

Bronson promised vigilence in disease surveillance and mosquito control efforts for all Florida.

A vaccine for West Nile virus in equines is expected to be available in the second week in August for conditional licensure in field trials in Florida. The vaccine is being developed at Ft. Dodge Animal Health in Ames, Iowa.

The West Nile virus, closely related to both St. Louis encephalitis and dengue viruses, was first seen in the United States in 1999. The outbreak of the West Nile virus in New York City and nearby counties and states in the summer and fall of 1999 was an unprecedented event.

The virus has now spread to other areas of the country. The disease spreads when mosquitoes feed on infected birds, then transmit the virus to humans and animals.

So far this year, there have been wild birds, all crows, reported as positive for West Nile virus in six states. New Jersey has reported the most positive crows, 33, but the most significant finding was the positive crow detected in Jefferson County in northern Florida.

That finding marks the farthest south that any West Nile virus activity has ever been confirmed in the Western Hemisphere. The Florida crow from which West Nile virus was isolated was collected in mid-June.

Thirteen mosquito pools have been reported as West Nile virus positive in 2001. All the positive pools were in New Jersey; species included Culex pipiens, Ochlerotatus japonicus, and Aedes spp.

In New Jersey, 20 residents have been approved for West Nile virus testing and samples from 19 people have been accepted. These individuals either had symptoms or signs that met the established West Nile virus testing criteria or exhibited most of the symptoms and are from counties where dead crows and/or mosquitoes with the virus have been discovered.

Testing has shown that five individuals were not infected with West Nile virus, and results are pending for 14 others.

For the first time, West Nile virus has been confirmed in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced July 20 that the disease has been confirmed by the State Laboratory Institute in an adult dead crow found in a woodedarea near Willow Pond in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. State health authorities say the finding of West Nile virus in Massachusetts at this time is not surprising given that the virus has been found in an increasing number of birds and mosquitoes in the New York and Connecticut area.

The Connecticut State Mosquito Management Program says that for the first time this year the state has found West Nile virus in mosquitoes, The insects were collected on July 5 at Sleepy Hollow Park in the Springdale section of Stamford. All other mosquitoes tested in Connecticut to date are negative for the disease.

So far this year, New York state, has reported seven dead birds, one live wild bird, and one infected mosquito pool, in Queens.

In the year 2000, by the end of the mosquito season, all but one county in New York State had documented West Nile virus activity and the virus had been detected in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

Despite pesticide spraying for mosquito control, last year in New York state, West Nile virus infection was confirmed in 1,263 dead birds, 400 mosquito pools, 10 live wild birds, eight sentinel chickens, two bats, 28 horses, one domestic rabbit, one squirrel, one chipmunk and 14 humans in New York State.

Fourteen New York City residents - one of whom later died - and six others in New Jersey, were hospitalized due to West Nile virus infection in 2000.

Health officials are worried as far away as Texas. The Texas Department of Health is monitoring for West Nile virus. Paul Fournier, of the Texas health department's Bureau of Laboratories, Parasitology-Entomology Branch, says the primary way people can cut down on the multiplying families of mosquitoes is to eliminate breeding sites.

People are encouraged to:

* Empty or get rid of cans, buckets, bottles, old tires, empty pots, plant saucers and other containers that hold water.

* Keep gutters clear of debris and standing water. Remove standing water around structures and from flat roofs.

* Change water in pet dishes, wading pools and bird baths several times a week.

* Fill in low areas in the yard and holes in trees that catch water.

* Maintain your backyard pool or hot tub and be sure someone takes care of it if you are on vacation.

* Stock ornamental ponds with fish that eat mosquitoes.

* Cover trash containers so they will not collect water.

* Water lawns and gardens carefully so water does not stand for several days. * Repair any leaking plumbing and outside faucets.

* Screen rain barrels and opening to water tanks or cisterns. Keep drains and ditches clear of weeds and trash so water will not collect.

* To help keep mosquitoes out of the house, be sure door, porch and window screens are in good condition.

* Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

* When outdoors when mosquitoes are present, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

* Use mosquito repellent as directed by the manufacturer.

-----------------------------

ABCNews.com July 30, 2001

Ferocious Tiger Mosquito Invades the United States

For those folks who live in the far north and find some comfort in the idea that the planet is getting warmer, here's a bit of bad news: Hordes of nasty mosquitoes may be heading your way. Ever since it was accidentally introduced into the United States in the 1980s, the Asian tiger mosquito has expanded its range faster than a prairie fire and it now makes its home throughout the southeastern states.

And now researchers have shown it only takes a slight increase in temperature for these ferocious little biters to propagate like overzealous bunnies. The infestation and subsequent establishment of Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, into the Americas occured through the worldwide transport of used tires. Aedes albopictus is associated with the transmission of dengue, eastern equine encephalitis and dog heartworm, and potentially with St. Louis and LaCrosse encephalitis viruses.

Barry Alto, a doctoral candidate in entomology at the University of Florida, and Steven Juliano, a biology professor at Illinois State University, kept three groups of Asian tiger mosquitoes at different temperatures—79, 75, and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (26, 24, and 22 degrees Celsius). The goal of the research, which was done while Alto was finishing up his masters degree at Illinois State, was to see how the little pests performed at different temperatures. "We were able to show that populations at higher temperatures had extremely high rates of population increase, and that the population increased very rapidly initially," Alto says. "That's important because according to population dynamic theory, organisms are better able to get a foothold in new sites when they grow really quickly right in the beginning."

Unknown Consequences of Global Warming

In other words, critters have a lot better chance of surviving if they propagate like mad as soon as they arrive in a new territory. The research, published in the July 18 issue of the Journal of Medical Entomology, underscores a basic challenge facing scientists today. Many serious consequences of global climate change may have little to do with inundated beaches from sea-level rise—the most frequently cited result of global warming. It's likely there will be many changes, and many surprises, if the planet's weather changes as much over the coming years as many experts predict.

For example, take the Asian tiger mosquito. Please. This is a really nasty little bug that is capable of transmitting serious diseases, according to research in various labs. It hasn't happened so far in the United States, as far as we know, but the research shows the tiger can be a successful bearer, or "vector," of such diseases as LaCrosse encephalitis, yellow fever, and dengue fever.

Dinner in the Daytime

It's smaller than most mosquitoes, but its bite causes more irritation than most, and it dines throughout the day, not just at night. It's especially aggressive during its feeding frenzy. And if it lands on you, the bug is so fast it's probably going to inflict its damage and get away before you have a chance to swat it. The tiger looks so different that it's easily identified by even the casual observer. It's black with white stripes, thus its name. And it is on the move, big time.

The first wave of the invasion began in Houston in 1985 when some of the mosquitoes hatched out of eggs believed to have been transported to this country from Asia in old tires bound for recycling. In about a year it was already in Jacksonville, Florida, and "within the next eight years it had spread to every county in Florida," Alto says.

Within two decades it was firmly entrenched as far north as Pennsylvania and the upper Midwest. The tiger's lifestyle helped facilitate that rapid migration. Tigers are known as "container breeders," meaning they don't need a nice lagoon to bear their young. Instead, they prefer smaller pockets of moisture, like holes in trees that collect rainwater. In fact, any container will do, especially old tires because they are so good at retaining moisture, according to Phil Lounibos, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, who has spent several years researching the mosquito. That affinity for small containers made the tiger especially adaptable to human society, because we always seem to be leaving something around that collects a little rainfall and makes a perfect habitat for zillions of mosquito eggs.

Mosquitoes Hitch Rides With Humans

The population of tiger mosquitoes just "took off," Lounibos says, "partly because of its ability to hitch rides with human transport systems." So when some community in the South collected its old tires and sent them off somewhere else for recycling, they most likely sent along an uninvited guest.

Until the research by Alto and Juliano, it had been thought that the tiger's range would be limited, but it now appears that if current warming trends continue, that range could be expanded, possibly even into Canada, Alto says.

In areas where it has become firmly established, Lounibos says, the tiger has displaced the most common mosquitoes found in those areas. That could prove unfortunate because the tiger is likely to be far harder to get rid of than many other mosquitoes. Since it prefers some sort of a container, like an old tin can or a hole in a tree, for its birthing area you can't eradicate it by simply draining water out of a swamp. "Control is difficult because a percentage of the population still deposits its eggs in the natural containers that formed the major habitat for its ancestors," concludes a research paper from Rutgers University. It might help to get rid of tin cans and old tires "but gaining access to larvae that are developing in treeholes is an almost impossible task," the report says.

However, it doesn't look like the tiger will take over the whole country.

Additional research by Alto and Juliano, which will be published in a couple of months, shows that the tiger doesn't mind the heat, as long as it's moist. But it can't stand the heat if it's dry. That's probably why the first wave of mosquitoes to leave Texas headed east to humid Florida instead of west to arid Arizona.

But chances are more of the country will become palatable to them if it does indeed become warmer and wetter. Maybe they'll even make it up to Alaska, where the mosquito is the unofficial state bird.

Sorce URL: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/07/0730_wiretigermoz.html

----------------------------