West Nile Q&A

The Dallas Morning News ^ | August 6, 2002 | The Dallas Morning News Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

West Nile Q&A

08/06/2002

Where did West Nile virus come from?

The West Nile virus is commonly found in Africa, Eastern Europe, West Asia and the Middle East. It was first detected in the United States in 1999. There is no consensus about how it arrived in the United States.

How is it spread?

The virus is spread through infected mosquitoes. It cannot be spread from person to person.

What are the symptoms of infection?

Most people infected with the virus will have no symptoms. Some, however, may have a fever, headache, body aches and swollen lymph nodes. A small number may develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord). Although rare, death can occur.

Is there a treatment for human infection?

There is no specific treatment for the infection. In a serious case, a person may have to be hospitalized and given supportive treatment along with nursing care.

Are animals affected?

Wild birds can develop severe symptoms and die. Horses are the only domestic animals that appear to be harmed.

What can be done to avoid infection?

Stay indoors when mosquitoes are active, at dusk and dawn.

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.

Apply insect repellent containing at least 35 percent DEET sparingly to exposed skin and clothing. Repellents may bother the eyes and mouth, so do not apply them to children's hands.

It does not appear that a person can get West Nile virus from handling live or dead birds. As a precaution, though, use gloves or doubled plastic bags when handling any dead animals, including birds.

If you leave your house windows open, make sure they have screens.

Do not allow water to stagnate in old tires, flowerpots, trash cans, swimming pools, birdbaths, pet bowls or other containers.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/080602dnmtwestnilebox.55ca2.html

[MeekOneGOP]

I found this on the DMN this morning.

Posted just fyi.......

[MeekOneGOP]

What can be done to avoid infection?

Use DDT. Oops ! Excuse me, that was outlawed by the Liberal
EnviroNazis 30 years ago!

[waxhaw]

And how do the mosquitos become "infected"? Is this similar to malaria in that a non-infected mosquito becomes a carrier when it sucks the blood from an infected person or animal? I like the comment about there being no consensus on how the disease arrived in the U.S. Another gift of the Clintons and unchecked illegal immigration.

[TomGuy]

Michael Savage was talking about this last evening. He said the first case of WNV was in the Long Island NY area--close to where the UN is located--who's members have unobstructed diplomatic entry into the country. [Just supposition, of course.]

[self_evident]

Mosquitoes aquire the virus by biting infected birds. When the same mosquito bites a human, that human can be infected. It's identical to the transmission of malaria, but malaria is transmitted by a different species of misquito.

[medved]

Somebody needs to ressurrect H.L. Mencken's basic anti-prohibition methodology for DDT.

Mencken had a plan to end prohibition which would have worked if the feds hadn't realized the error of their ways and ended it themselves. Mencken went off to Germany and put himself through the standard course in brewing beer and was in the process of teaching five of his friends in Baltimore, on condition that each of them teach five of THEIR friends, on condition that.....

Somebody needs to do the same thing with DDT.

[Maelstrom]

Ridiculous.

This is so overblown as to make me sick.

[Beach_Babe]

Michael Savage was talking about this last evening. He said the first case of WNV was in the Long Island NY area--close to where the UN is located--who's members have unobstructed diplomatic entry into the country. [Just supposition, of course.

The first cases of WNV in 1999 were in northern Queens -- not anywhere near the UN, which is in Manhattan. Of the 43 positive cases of WNV in New York City that year, 31 were Queens, eight from the Bronx, three from Brooklyn, and one from Manhattan. All of the four deaths occurred among persons age 75 years or older, and all four of those persons were residents of Queens.

What I'd like to know is why has a vaccine been developed for horses, but none for humans?

[going hot]

developing a vaccine is one thing.
Assuring it's efficacy is anoter matter entirely.
To date, Ft Dodge has not performed blind trial challanges to see just how "effective" their vaccine is. That is, how long does it offer protection from direct challange, an infected skeeter bite.
For people, that type of "protection" is unacceptable.
Also, at this time, there is no way to detect if the titer in the horse is from the vaccine or from the infection, so there is no way to screen to see if the animal has had exposure and is carring the virus, hence meticulus records have to be kept as to which animals received vaccine.
The vaccine has a conditional FDA license.

[MeekOneGOP]

Ridiculous.

This is so overblown as to make me sick.

Ah, the irony.......lol !

I guess since they found Chandra Levy, the media has too much time on it's hands. Yes, I agree. This story is overblown, but see posts #8, #16 here...............(here's post #8):

.....it looks like the WNV is a pretty mild threat. Most folks only get immune after infection and don't get any symptoms. Some get symptoms and get sick. Pretty low risk for serious threat. After learning this, I'm not too worried even. But they ought to re-think the DDT thing. Although bringing that issue up would bring the EnviroNazi cockroaches out of the woodwork, I'm sure.

[mewzilla]

The good news is that all the folks who are getting infected and survive, heck most won't even notice they've got it, will have immunity for life.