| August
26, 2002
Little Rock —
The
Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) learned today that
samples from a patient in Crittenden County were sent
to a private lab and reportedly returned as a suspect
case for West Nile virus. The Department is requesting
additional samples from the patient for screening in
the ADH public health laboratory. As is routine, ADH
forwards samples from suspect cases for West Nile virus
to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory
testing.
Arkansas
has no confirmed human cases of West Nile virus.
Excluding
the possibility of a suspect positive human case in
Crittenden County, to date 11 suspect cases have been
sent to the CDC for confirmatory testing. Following
is a breakdown of those suspect cases:
|
County
|
Suspect
Cases
|
CDC
Results
|
|
Arkansas
|
3
|
pending
|
|
Jefferson
|
4
|
pending
|
|
Monroe
|
1
|
pending
|
|
Pulaski
|
1
|
pending
|
|
Union
|
2
|
1
negative
|
West Nile virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes
biting humans, horses and other animals after feeding
on diseased birds, which are the host animals. Not all
mosquitoes have a virus in them, but certainly, the
more mosquito bites one gets, the greater the risk of
catching a disease.
Most people that get bitten by an infected mosquito
do not get sick or only show very mild or no symptoms.
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 leading to encephalitis
(inflammation of the brain).
Less
than one percent of persons infected with West Nile
virus will develop severe illness, according to CDC.
Of those one percent with severe illness, death rates
range from three to 15 percent and are highest among
the elderly. Also at risk are persons with weakened
immune systems. There is no specific treatment for West
Nile virus infection; avoiding mosquitoes is the best
prevention.
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 and 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).
For
more data on West Nile virus, visit our website at www.healthyarkansas.com/westnilevirus.htm.
###
|
