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August 18, 2003
Little Rock --
The Arkansas Department of Health is reporting
that one additional human tested positive for the West
Nile virus in Jefferson County. This makes a total of
four human cases statewide (all in Jefferson County).
Also, birds have tested positive in Chicot, Craighead,
Dallas and Lonoke Counties.
Dr. William Mason,
Medical Leader, Office of Public Health Preparedness,
said, “We urge the community to be aware that while
the risk of West Nile Virus for healthy people is
minimal, we are never out of the woods with regard to
this disease. We advise precautionary measures,
particularly among the most susceptible - the elderly
population, the very young and those with underlying
health problems. Everyone should continue to enjoy
physical activity out-of-doors, while practicing the
three D’s: use insect repellent with DEET; take
protective action (repellent and protective clothing)
especially if you have to go outside at dusk and dawn
when mosquitoes feed; drain standing water around your
house and in your yard.”
This season, the
Department has reported birds testing positive for the
West Nile virus in Drew, Pulaski, Cleburne, Sebastian,
Mississippi, Little River, Union, Jefferson, Arkansas,
Benton, Clark, Crawford, and Hot Spring Counties. Horses
have tested positive in Logan and Sebastian Counties,
and a positive mosquito pool has been reported in Greene
County. The ADH will no longer be accepting birds for
testing in any county where a bird has tested positive
this year.
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. 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 from 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 from dusk to dawn.
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.
- Do not apply
repellents to clothing or to skin that is covered by
clothing.
- Do not apply
repellents in enclosed areas.
- Do not apply directly
to your face.
- Wash all treated skin
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.
West Nile virus is
transmitted by infected mosquitoes to humans, horses and
other animals after feeding on diseased birds, which are
the host animals. Symptoms of human West Nile virus
infections typically begin within 14 days following the
insect bite and consist of fever, muscle and joint
aches, listlessness, and in most severe cases, headaches
which may indicate encephalitis (inflammation of the
brain). There is no specific treatment for West Nile
virus infection; avoiding mosquitoes is the best
prevention.
“Very few people bitten
by West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes experience
anything beyond a day or two of feeling mild flu-like
symptoms,” Dr. Mason said. “Those at greatest risk
are the very old and those with underlying health
problems. The surest way to stop the spread of these
mosquito-borne diseases is prevention, and every
household can take action.” Last year, 43 West Nile
infections were reported in Arkansas residents. Five of
these cases resulted in death.
For more information call
the ADH Health Information Line at 1-877-296-9555 or
Local 296-9555 or the CDC West Nile virus hotline at
1-888-246-2675; 1-888-246-2857 (Spanish). For more
information, visit the ADH website at www.healthyarkansas.com/services/westnilevirus_main.htm
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