West Nile virus found in Scott County

West Nile virus, blamed for the deaths of five people in Louisiana, has been found in Scott County.

On Friday the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that mosquitoes trapped in Chaffee, Mo., had the virus.

The virus infects birds and horses as well as mosquitoes and humans, but humans can contract the virus only from mosquitoes. Finding it in mosquitoes means that people could be exposed.

"We might be a little closer to finding a human case," said Dr. Christine Frazier, an epidemiologist/arbobiroligist at Southeast Missouri State University.

But finding the virus in Scott County is no reason for residents to panic, Frazier said. "What it does say to me is, I'd clean up the breeding sites in my yard, use DEET and not go out at times when mosquitoes are most active." Scientists say DEET is the ingredient found in some insect repellents that works best against mosquitoes.

The Scott County Department of Health also has submitted the carcasses of three dead birds for testing, but those tests are meaningless now.

"Once you find it in a county in a bird or horse or mosquito, you know it's there," says Frazier.

Barry Cook, the health department's administrator, said other locations in Scott County now will be tested for the presence of the virus.

Scott County has no mosquito prevention program involving spraying, Cook said. "It's really going to come down to putting out some education on prevention," he said.