Community Corner

West Nile Season Set to Sting Suffolk?

County tied for most cases in the state in 2012.

By Patch Staff

County health officials are bracing for the 2013 West Nile virus season following a brutal 2012 in which Suffolk County had 14 cases of the dangerous, mosquito-borne disease, tying with Nassau for the most cases of human infection in New York State.

Suffolk’s number of infections annually has dipped significantly since an all-time high of 25 human cases resulted in three deaths in 2010.  Grace Kelly-McGovern, the spokeswoman for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, said there are many theories on why some years are worse than others, such as weather patterns, but there is no conclusive evidence.

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“I think the jury is still out, there,” Kelly-McGovern said.

A mosquito species new to the Long Island area is also raising officials’ concerns about the future spread of West Nile virus.

“In the last few years, we are finding more and more Asian tiger mosquitoes,” Kelly-McGovern said. “They are fairly aggressive biters.”

Residents can distinguish Asian tiger mosquitoes from other species by looking for white stripes along the insect’s legs.

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To give county residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in Suffolk, Patch has pulled together 2012 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Cases and Incidence Rates

You can see how counties across the state compare by using the interactive map above, which shows the number of West Nile virus cases in humans and the infection rate. West Nile virus — named after the district in Uganda where the virus was first discovered — spread to New York City in 1999, and has been migrating across the United States ever since.  Last year was the deadliest year so far for the virus in the United States, with more than 5,600 "confirmed and probable" cases, and at least 286 related deaths.

Local predictions for 2013 are very difficult to make. But nationally, "the number of humans with West Nile virus disease continues to rise in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, the director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases.

No Vaccine, Little Reporting, But a High Cost

While there is a West Nile vaccine for horses, there isn't one for humans, according to Purdue University Professor Richard Kuhn. Furthering the problem is the fact that cases of West Nile virus often go unreported.

“It's always underreported because if someone has a mild case they might not report it; they might think it’s a cold,” said Judith M. Lavelle, a health communications specialist at the CDC.

Kelly-McGovern said Suffolk’s numbers are based on hospital reports. If a resident is admitted to the hospital with suspected West Nile symptoms, a blood test is taken and sent to state laboratories for confirmation. Of the 14 West Nile virus cases reported in the county in 2012, six were confirmed and eight were suspected cases.

There is currently no comprehensive treatment for someone infected by West Nile virus, which makes severe diagnoses all the more frightening. Patch spoke to one Texas man who survived a West Nile infection in 2006 and dedicated himself to educating the public about the potentially debilitating disease.

“I was told point blank that I would never walk again — to forget it,” said Donnie Manry, of the Bryan County Police Department in Texas. “It was devastating.”

Manry, who was 43 at the time, said that within five days of being bitten, encephalitis and meningitis left him paralyzed. Through rehabilitation, Manry was able to regain control of his body again, and now uses a cane to walk.

From Birds to Bugs to Humans

West Nile virus has also been detected in bird populations, notably in Central Michigan. “Certain types of birds serve as a reservoir for West Nile virus,” Kuhn said. An infected bird can pass the virus along to an uninfected mosquito when bitten.

Suffolk County has a dead bird hotline at 631-787- 2200 for residents to report sightings of dead birds not killed by vehicles or predatory animals. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will remain active until Labor Day.

“A while back there were a lot of crows dying, as they seem to be particularly susceptible to the disease,” Kelly-McGovern said, referring to the 90 birds killed in 2008.

County health officials have started using dead bird sightings as an indication of where to trap and test mosquitos for the virus.  

Many states, including New York, have begun testing mosquitoes for West Nile virus, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and California also reporting positive detection in certain counties.

Suffolk had 210 mosquito samples test positive for West Nile in 2012, one-fifth of the 1,005 mosquito pools that tested positive in New York.

The county conducts aerial spraying of pesticides in high-risk areas to prevent spread of the disease. Residents are advised to stay indoors during the spraying to reduce the chances of health effects.   

Prevention and Symptoms

The CDC recommends using an EPA-certified mosquito repellant while outdoors, and lists some additional prevention tips on their website, including:

  • When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors.

  • Place mosquito netting over infant carriers while are outdoors.

  • At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels and cans.

While the 2012 mosquito season was the highest on record, health officials are cautioning people to take immediate action if they believe they’ve been infected. The CDC website lists varying degrees of symptoms, including:

  • Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness, including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, and paralysis.

  • Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.

  • No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.

With reporting by Sara-Megan Walsh.


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