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West Nile in Willcox
AINSLEE WITTIG
News-Sun
A Willcox pond is the first site for mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus in Cochise County.
The Arizona Department of Health Services lab confirmed that a "pool of 50 female mosquitoes trapped in a pond on the east side of the (Twin Lakes) golf course on June 7" were the first to test positive for the virus in Cochise County, said Rita Weatherholt, public information officer at the Cochise County Health Department, on Thursday.
No human cases of the virus have been confirmed in the county at this time, Weatherholt said.
However, Arizona is facing its second year with West Nile, and this has health officials concerned.
"The second year of West Nile has proven to be challenging in all other states so far, and we expect Arizona to have a particularly rough time," said Dr. Diane Carper, director of Cochise County Health Department.
As of Monday, there have been 20 humans infected by the virus in Maricopa County, which had its first human case for the virus in May, the state health department reported.
Colorado faced its second year of West Nile last summer, with human cases increasing from 14 in 2002, to more than 2,900 in 2003. That state's first second-year human cases were not reported until July.
The Associated Press reported that Arizona leads the nation in human cases this year, with seven other states reporting human cases - but no more than two in any of those states.
The seven states with human West Nile cases are Colorado, Florida, California, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Weatherholt said there were nearly 5,000 mosquitoes trapped Monday, June 7, by county employee Greg Teague at the effluent ponds near the golf course in Willcox. A pool of 50 females (which are the bloodsuckers) were sent to the state lab to be tested on June 8.
She said the test was confirmed positive 10 days later on Thursday, June 17, due to the backlog at the lab.
"It is likely that many of the rest of those mosquitoes are also positive for the virus," she said. "It's very important that people protect themselves. Here in Cochise County, we have fairly limited resources. We only have so many doctors to go around."
The City of Willcox has been "taking precautionary steps to reduce or eliminate mosquito larvae from these ponds with chemicals" and other measures, said Gilbert Davidson, city manager.
"We fogged the whole golf course Wednesday (June 16) to kill the adult mosquitoes and we introduced (Gambusia) fish, a natural larvicide into the ponds, as we did last year," Davidson said. "We are also working on reducing the amount of reeds, which slows down the movement of the water causing ponding, and allows a hiding place for mosquitoes,"
"I would still encourage people to wear the appropriate clothing and spray with a repellant containing DEET," he said. "We have educational information available at the golf course and at City Hall."
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, which bite infected birds then go on to bite other mammals, including humans. About 25 percent of people who are exposed to West Nile get symptoms, and of those, about 80 percent have flu-like symptoms, including malaise, headaches, fever, muscle aches and weakness, and mental disorientation or changed mental state, Weatherholt said.
She added that as the virus progresses across the country, several cases have revealed more severe symptoms, Weatherholt said.
In Colorado, the average West Nile patient's symptoms lasted 23 days last year. About one in 150 of those infected can develop meningitis or encephalitis, which are life-threatening conditions.
Of the Colorado cases, 85 percent experienced malaise and/or headache; 75 percent, fever; 77 percent muscle ache; 72 percent, muscle weakness; and 45 percent experienced mental disorientation or changed mental state, Weatherholt said.
Weatherholt added that for those West Nile cases in Colorado, 54 percent of those said they had never used repellant, while only 11 percent said they always used repellant.
Cochise County is currently mapping dead birds, which may have died of West Nile virus, she said.
Residents of the county may call (520) 803-3930 to report dead birds, including sparrows, finches, ravens, blackbirds and crows. Do not call in dead baby birds, as there are too many reasons possible for their deaths, she said.
Weatherholt said the county is continuing to trap mosquitoes, map dead birds, and to apply larvicide on county lands, but the real message is one of self-protection:
Avoid outdoor activity at prime mosquito-feeding times - dawn and dusk, and between 7 p.m. and midnight.
If you go out, wear clothes that cover arms and legs.
Use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin, and on clothing.
Eliminate standing water both inside and outside your home, including vases, flower pots, pet bowls and even small puddles - and encourage your neighbors to do the same.
"We don't want to scare people, but at the same time, we can't emphasize enough the importance of people taking the time and effort to protect themselves," Weatherholt said.
For more information about West Nile virus in Cochise County, log on to the county Web site www.cochisecounty.com.
News-Sun
A Willcox pond is the first site for mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus in Cochise County.
The Arizona Department of Health Services lab confirmed that a "pool of 50 female mosquitoes trapped in a pond on the east side of the (Twin Lakes) golf course on June 7" were the first to test positive for the virus in Cochise County, said Rita Weatherholt, public information officer at the Cochise County Health Department, on Thursday.
No human cases of the virus have been confirmed in the county at this time, Weatherholt said.
However, Arizona is facing its second year with West Nile, and this has health officials concerned.
"The second year of West Nile has proven to be challenging in all other states so far, and we expect Arizona to have a particularly rough time," said Dr. Diane Carper, director of Cochise County Health Department.
As of Monday, there have been 20 humans infected by the virus in Maricopa County, which had its first human case for the virus in May, the state health department reported.
Colorado faced its second year of West Nile last summer, with human cases increasing from 14 in 2002, to more than 2,900 in 2003. That state's first second-year human cases were not reported until July.
The Associated Press reported that Arizona leads the nation in human cases this year, with seven other states reporting human cases - but no more than two in any of those states.
The seven states with human West Nile cases are Colorado, Florida, California, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Weatherholt said there were nearly 5,000 mosquitoes trapped Monday, June 7, by county employee Greg Teague at the effluent ponds near the golf course in Willcox. A pool of 50 females (which are the bloodsuckers) were sent to the state lab to be tested on June 8.
She said the test was confirmed positive 10 days later on Thursday, June 17, due to the backlog at the lab.
"It is likely that many of the rest of those mosquitoes are also positive for the virus," she said. "It's very important that people protect themselves. Here in Cochise County, we have fairly limited resources. We only have so many doctors to go around."
The City of Willcox has been "taking precautionary steps to reduce or eliminate mosquito larvae from these ponds with chemicals" and other measures, said Gilbert Davidson, city manager.
"We fogged the whole golf course Wednesday (June 16) to kill the adult mosquitoes and we introduced (Gambusia) fish, a natural larvicide into the ponds, as we did last year," Davidson said. "We are also working on reducing the amount of reeds, which slows down the movement of the water causing ponding, and allows a hiding place for mosquitoes,"
"I would still encourage people to wear the appropriate clothing and spray with a repellant containing DEET," he said. "We have educational information available at the golf course and at City Hall."
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, which bite infected birds then go on to bite other mammals, including humans. About 25 percent of people who are exposed to West Nile get symptoms, and of those, about 80 percent have flu-like symptoms, including malaise, headaches, fever, muscle aches and weakness, and mental disorientation or changed mental state, Weatherholt said.
She added that as the virus progresses across the country, several cases have revealed more severe symptoms, Weatherholt said.
In Colorado, the average West Nile patient's symptoms lasted 23 days last year. About one in 150 of those infected can develop meningitis or encephalitis, which are life-threatening conditions.
Of the Colorado cases, 85 percent experienced malaise and/or headache; 75 percent, fever; 77 percent muscle ache; 72 percent, muscle weakness; and 45 percent experienced mental disorientation or changed mental state, Weatherholt said.
Weatherholt added that for those West Nile cases in Colorado, 54 percent of those said they had never used repellant, while only 11 percent said they always used repellant.
Cochise County is currently mapping dead birds, which may have died of West Nile virus, she said.
Residents of the county may call (520) 803-3930 to report dead birds, including sparrows, finches, ravens, blackbirds and crows. Do not call in dead baby birds, as there are too many reasons possible for their deaths, she said.
Weatherholt said the county is continuing to trap mosquitoes, map dead birds, and to apply larvicide on county lands, but the real message is one of self-protection:
"We don't want to scare people, but at the same time, we can't emphasize enough the importance of people taking the time and effort to protect themselves," Weatherholt said.
For more information about West Nile virus in Cochise County, log on to the county Web site www.cochisecounty.com.
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