Dunklin County woman tests positive for virus

JEFFERSONCITY, Mo. -- An 83-year-old Dunklin County woman has preliminarily tested positive for West Nile virus, according to information released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The woman, from Gibson, was admitted to Three Rivers Healthcare in Poplar Bluff Aug. 21 with severe malaise, headache and fever, said Chris Reddick, a DHSS epidemiology specialist for the Southeast District.

"She's improving," Reddick said. "They've moved her to a skilled nursing facility up there."

This is the first human case of mosquito-borne West Nile virus reported in the area adjoining Butler County. According to information on the DHSS Web site, New Madrid and Cape Girardeau counties have each reported a single case of the disease.

DHSS figures released Friday indicate that 108 preliminary or confirmed human cases of West Nile have been identified statewide.

According to Brian Quinn, a spokesman for DHSS, a positive preliminary test for West Nile indicates that labwork run on blood or certain body fluids "narrows it down to a family of types of encephalitis. When that pops up, it means it's preliminary for West Nile."

The samples are then forwarded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Anything that we report, we have to report as preliminary," Quinn said, noting that the CDC has only confirmed four cases statewide so far.

"I think it's more a backlog issue with them. They're just overwhelmed, I'm sure," Quinn said.

DHSS officials recommend that Missourians continue to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites by wearing mosquito repellent containing DEET, long sleeves and pants when outside. They also urge Missourians to eliminate sources of standing water ómosquito-breeding environments ó in their yards, including tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, used tires, wading pools and wheelbarrows.

No human cases of West Nile have been identified at this point in Butler County, although it has been detected in mosquitoes trapped here.