iFreePress Bringing News on Time Every Time Canada had its first confirmed case of West Nile virus in 2002. Shah, MD, JD. “We want to remind people not to be complacent”.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has discovered a batch of mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus in O’Fallon this week, but so far, no human cases have been detected. People who observe a sick or dying crow, blue jay, robin or other perching bird should contact their local health department, which will determine if the bird will be picked up for testing.
In a rebroadcast from December 19, 2010, Keith talks with Kristy Murray, DVM, who at the time of this interview, was Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (Murray is currently Associate Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine).
County health officials said spraying for mosquitoes will begin tonight in Prairie Township. Bird specimens should have been dead for less than 24 hours and not appear to have died or been killed by other obvious causes. Only freshly-deceased birds are eligible. But mosquitoes need only two or three days to breed, so a short break in the stormy weather and some higher temperatures could reveal a multitude of mosquito breeding areas, he said. Beginning in late spring and continuing into the autumn, a series of traps are set around the county, including within the Lake County forest preserves.
West Nile Virus season usually shows up in Texas in June, but it came early this year. Many might see that this mosquito season will be one where the West Nile virus will strike relentlessly.
Symptoms of the milder form of illness, West Nile fever, can include headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue.
Did we have fewer cases last year?
Although most people don’t become ill when infected with West Nile Virus, all are at risk.
But in rare cases, meningitis, encephalitis and even death occur, IDPH said.
