West Nile virus found in county

Cape Girardeau has become one of eight Missouri counties to confirm the virus this year.

Keep on the guard against mosquitoes, Cape Girardeau County officials warned Tuesday after learning that insects infected with the West Nile virus were discovered here.

Samples collected in the southwest part of Cape Girardeau included mosquitoes carrying the virus, Dr. Christine Frazier of Southeast Missouri State University said.

Frazier tests mosquitoes collected across the state. The bugs show the virus, which causes severe illness in about 1 in 150 people infected. Approximately 20 percent of those infected develop symptoms such as fever, headache or nausea, the county public health center reported.

Frazier, a virologist and epidemiologist, said the discovery should re-enforce steps taken to prevent mosquito bites and keep mosquitoes from breeding.

"Just because we found it now doesn't mean it hasn't been here all along," she said. "Just because we found it in one place doesn't mean it isn't in other places."

Cape Girardeau County is only the eighth county in Missouri where infected mosquitoes have been found this year, said Karen Yates, coordinator of the vector-borne disease program at the state Department of Health and Senior Services.

Missouri has had only two confirmed human cases this year, Yates said. Samples from three other ill people are being tested to determine if they were infected with West Nile virus, she said.

West Nile virus typically is spread from birds to humans and other animals, Yates said. The mosquitoes absorb the virus when feeding on the blood of birds, then pass it on, she said.

The biggest years for human infection in Missouri were 2002 and 2003. In 2002, a Cape Girardeau man was confirmed with the disease. In 2003, a horse from a Sikeston farm died of the virus.

The keys to protection against West Nile virus are using bug repellent with DEET, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors and avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are busiest at dawn and dusk, said health officials.

To keep mosquitoes from breeding, drain sources of standing water. Clean out bird baths, animal water dishes and buckets frequently, and discard old tires that can collect water.

Crows and blue jays are the most common bird carriers, Yates said. Approximately 60 percent of the dead crows and blue jays tested show positive for the virus, she said.

People who see birds that have died recently should report them to local health officials for testing, she said.

"That should be reported and in addition it should make a light in your head go off that you may want to be a little more careful in the morning or evening," Yates said.

Both Yates and Frazier said they are uncertain whether recent hot, dry weather has made mosquito infestations worse this year. The dry weather would tend to evaporate pools of standing water, Yates said, while slow-running creeks can provide excellent areas for mosquitoes.

"In general there has been less activity, but there may be localized areas where there is more," she said.

The other Missouri counties where infected mosquitoes have been found are Butler, Cole, Lewis, Jefferson, Clay, Taney and St. Louis. Infected mosquitoes have also been found in the city of St. Louis.

Vigilance is the best way to prevent infection, Frazier said. "Whatever the risk is, it is something people have a great deal of control over."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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