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West Nile Virus

The Mississippi County Health Department submitted two blue jays to the University of Missouri, Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in July 2002. One blue jay was confirmed to have the West Nile Virus on 7/31/02. The purpose of testing the birds is to identify the spread of the West Nile Virus. Since Mississippi County has a confirmed bird case of the West Nile Virus, no further testing is needed for our county.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control has confirmed 2121 human cases of the West Nile Virus throughout the United States which have resulted in 104 deaths. The Missouri Department of Health and Human Services reports that 119 human cases have been confirmed in Missouri resulting in 3 deaths. As of September 25, 2002 there have been no confirmed human cases in Mississippi County.

What is West Nile Virus? The West Nile Virus is transmitted by mosquitoes to birds, various animals, and humans. Most persons infected with this virus show no symptoms, but occasionally can result in serious illness and death. Some people experience a mild illness characterized by slight fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes. More sever illness can include inflammation of the brain and is marked by a rapid onset of a high fever, head and body aches, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, and in the most severe cases, death. Less than 1% of mosquitoes will actually carry the virus and if you are bitten by an infected mosquito, less than 1% will get severly ill.

Protecting yourself from mosquito bites will help decrease your risk of contracting West Nile Virus. Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk but with the cooler temperatures now, they can be active all day. The following are some tips to help reduce the mosquito population and protect yourself from mosquito bites:

Eliminate standing water in plastic containers, cans, ditches
Clean tall weeds and brush from edges of ponds and ditches
Drain water from pool covers
Fill holes with standing water with dirt, gravel, cement
Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows not in use
Change the water in birdbaths at least weekly
Wear long sleeved shirs and long pants when outdoors
Spray clothing with repellents containing DEET(N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and apply to exposed skin sparingly. Read and follow the manufacturer's directions.

For more information on the West Nile Virus, you can visit www.cdc.gov or www.dhss.state.mo.us. You may also contact the Environmental Public Health Specialist at the Mississippi County Health Department at 683-2191 or go to Contact Us on our homepage and email any questions.