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November
3, 2005
Little
Rock — The Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health, announced 2 confirmed human deaths from West Nile Virus infection in Arkansas. To date for 2005, there have now been 3 confirmed deaths attributable to West Nile Virus infection. In 2002, there were 5 deaths and 43 confirmed human cases of the disease were recorded in the state, but no deaths from West Nile Virus infection occurred in either 2003 or 2004. Nationally in 2005, there have been 2435 cases and 73 reported human deaths from West Nile Virus infection. In 2005, to date, there have been twenty seven (27) confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus infection in Arkansas; Boone (1 case), Benton (2), Columbia (1), Crawford (1), Drew (2), Desha (1), Garland (2), Pulaski (3 ), Sebastian (1), Saline (1), Bradley (1), Crittenden (1), Union (5), and Jefferson (5 ) counties. Arkansas had 25 human cases of West Nile virus infection in 2003, and 28 cases in 2004, with no deaths either year.
West Nile Virus surveillance activities, including mosquito trapping and testing, wild bird testing, and sentinel chicken testing, have concluded statewide, but the Division of Health Laboratory testing for West Nile Virus infection in humans will continue since it is conducted on a year-round basis. The Division of Health’s 2005 summary of West Nile Virus activity in Arkansas will be released in late December, and will also be accessible on the Division of Health website noted below.
The Division of Health is continuing to monitor the state with regard to mosquito-borne diseases. The CDC is providing a West Nile virus hotline: 1-888-246-2675; 1-888-246-2857 (Spanish). For more information, visit the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health website at
www.healthyarkansas.com/services/westnilevirus_main.htm or call the Division of Health hotline at 1-877-296-9555.
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