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August 30, 2002
Little Rock — The Arkansas Department of Health
is reporting six more suspect human cases of West Nile
virus, bringing to 20 the number of suspect human cases
submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing.
The six new suspect cases include
one each in Crittenden and Pulaski counties and two each
in Jefferson and Union counties. Following is a list of
the 20 suspect human cases by county for West Nile virus
and their current status:
|
County
|
Suspect
Cases
|
CDC
Results
|
|
Arkansas
|
3
|
pending
|
|
Crittenden
|
2*
|
pending
|
|
Jefferson
|
7
|
2
positive / 5 pending
|
|
Monroe
|
1
|
pending
|
|
Pulaski
|
3
|
pending
|
|
Union
|
4
|
1
positive / 1 negative / 2 pending
|
|
* Results from one sample sent to private lab by physician. ADH has
received
samples and will send to CDC if tested as
suspect positive.
|
Due to physician-patient
confidentiality, the department will only identify
suspect human cases at the county level.
Based on continued surveillance
and lab testing, the department is reporting that birds
infected with the West Nile virus have been identified
in Hempstead and Pope counties. For a complete listing
of affected counties, visit the ADH website at www.healthyarkansas.com/westnilevirus.htm.
For specific bird information, visit the Arkansas
Livestock and Poultry website at www.arlpc.org.
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).
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.
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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.
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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.
From August 5 to August 28, the
department has received 2,538 calls on its West Nile
virus hotline. There have been 6,637 visits to the
agency’s West Nile virus website.
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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