| August
13, 2002
Little Rock —
The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is providing
epidemiologic assistance to the Arkansas Department
of Health. Two epidemiologic investigative officers
arrived in Little Rock today and will be spending several
days with the agency. They have knowledge of the disease
eradication programs in other states and will assist
the health department with this and other issues.
Dr.
Fay Boozman, director, said, “The presence of the CDC
in Arkansas should be reassuring to the citizens of
our state that on a national scale, folks are concerned
about virus activity in Arkansas and are doing everything
possible to control the spread of the disease.”
In
other developments, the department learned today that
an additional 12 birds tested positive for West Nile
Virus, for a total of 109 birds in 24 counties. The
affected counties and the number of infected birds per
county are Arkansas (2), Ashley (2), Chicot (7), Craighead
(3), Crawford (3), Crittenden (19), Cross (6), Faulkner
(1), Franklin (1), Greene (2), Independence (1), Jefferson
(7), Lee (6), Lonoke (2), Mississippi (8), Phillips
(6), Poinsett (3), Pulaski (12), Sebastian (6), St.
Francis (3), Union (3), Van Buren (1), Washington (3)
and Woodruff (2).
The
Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) said again today
that there are no confirmed cases of West Nile virus
in humans in Arkansas. “Until we receive results of
CDC testing in roughly three weeks, all we have are
two suspected human cases of West Nile virus in Arkansas,
which occurred in Arkansas County,” Boozman said.
In
response to public queries, the department prefers
to accept dead Blue Jays and crows. These birds
are the most susceptible for contracting the disease
and are the best indicators of viral activity in an
area. If an Arkansan is worried about a particular bird
that is not a Blue Jay or crow, the department will
accept this bird as a precautionary measure.
The
agency recommends the following guidelines for handling
dead crows or Blue Jays suspected of carrying the West
Nile virus.
“People should use a glove or a plastic bag to pick
up the bird,” Boozman said. “You can turn a plastic
bag inside-out and pick up the bird with the hands protected
by the bag if you don’t have a glove. Then turn the
bag right side out and tie or seal it, placing it in
a second plastic bag. In ideal situations, the birds
should be kept on ice until they are delivered to the
local health unit.”
The general public should avoid barehanded contact when
handling any dead animal.
A total of 479 birds have been submitted to the Arkansas
Livestock and Poultry Commission by the health department
for testing.
Boozman said, “I want to emphasize again that the risk
of West Nile virus to Arkansans is miniscule when compared
to other health problems such as tobacco, obesity and
the lack of physical activity. With proper precautions
and common sense, Arkansans should continue their summer
activities as usual.
"For
most people, a bite by an infected mosquito will lead
to no symptoms at all. For a few, they may experience
mild flu-like symptoms. Those at greatest risk are the
very old and those with compromised immune systems.
The surest way to stop the spread of these mosquito-borne
diseases is prevention, and every household can take
action.”
Mosquitoes
can breed in any body of water, from small containers
such as tires and tin cans, to large bodies of water
like lakes or marshes. These breeding places create
a variety of mosquito problems. To help stop mosquitoes
from breeding, Arkansans should:
Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots
or similar water-holding containers.- Remove
all discarded tires on your property.
- Drill
holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that
are kept outdoors.
- Make
sure roof gutters drain properly and clean clogged
gutters in the spring and fall.
- Turn
over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not
in use.
- Change
the water in birdbaths.
- Clean
vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds.
- Clean
and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and
hot tubs.
- Drain
water from pool covers.
- Use
landscaping to eliminate stagnant water that collects
on your property.
The
following protective measures are recommended:
Make sure all windows and doors have screens in good
repair. Stay indoors when mosquitoes are more active,
usually at dawn and dusk. When it is necessary to be
outdoors, wear protective clothing and use mosquito
repellent containing up to 35 percent DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide).
Use
the following precautions when using repellents containing
DEET:
- Store
out of the reach of children and read all instructions
on the label before applying.
- Do
not allow young children to apply DEET themselves.
- Do
not apply DEET directly to children. Apply to your
own hands and then put it on the child, avoiding the
child’s face and hands.
- Avoid
prolonged and excessive use of DEET.
- Do
not apply repellents in enclosed areas.
- Do
not apply directly to your face.
- Wash
all treated skin and clothing after returning indoors.
If you believe you or your child is having an adverse
reaction to a repellent containing DEET, wash the treated
area immediately and call your health care provider.
The Health Department is
continuing to monitor the state for mosquito-borne diseases.
The ADH has established
a West Nile virus hotline to respond to public inquiries.
If you have a question, please call 501.280.4817
from 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For after hours and weekends, please call 1.800.554.5738.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention West Nile
virus hotline is 1.888.246-2675; 1.888.246.2857 (Spanish).
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