West Nile Virus Epidemic Expected In US Again This Summer

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Article Date: 23 Jun 2008 - 11:00 PST

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Lyle Petersen, West Nile Virus (WNV) expert at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CNN he expects this year's West Nile Virus epidemic to be the same as the last four years.

Petersen, who is director of the CDC's division of vector borne diseases was bitten by a WNV carrying mosquito himself five years ago when he walked down his drive at his home in Fort Collins, Colorado, to fetch the newspaper. The world-renowed WNV expert realized what was happening within hours and his suspicions were confirmed with a blood test. He told CNN:

"From my own experience, I can tell you it's not a very mild illness," he said, "It will ruin your summer."

The symptoms of WNV usually emerge between 3 and 14 days after being bitten and range from mild to severe.

Some people feel nothings, while others report feeling very sick. Those who get quite sick can end up in hospital for several days, with high fever, headache and body aches. It can feel like having really bad flu, and they can be in bed for about one to two weeks and emerge feeling very weak. It can take several months for them to get their strength back.

Petersen, who is a long-distance runner, said he knew he had the virus when he felt very weak when he went out for a run.

"About halfway through one of my runs, I felt terrible," he said. "Within a couple of hours, I was lying in bed with severe headaches, eye pain, muscle pain and fever, which lasted about a week." He said he couldn't get out of bed for a week. Petersen said some patients can develop a severe and sometimes fatal neurological disease from WNV.

His daughter and neigbour also got sick, and they remembered being in a mosquito swarm at the mailbox at the bottom of the drive.

West Nile Virus, which emerged nine years ago in the US, is carried by mosquitoes that get it from feeding on infected birds. They pass it onto humans through mosquito bites.

According to various media reports, experts say there will be another epidemic of WNV in the US this summer, in much the same proportions as every summer for the past four years. Petersen told the press he doesn't expect this year to be any different.

The best way to stop WNV, for which there is no effective treatment and a vaccine is years away, said Petersen, is through prevention, such as wearing mosquito repellent, especially at peak times for mosquito biting, dawn and dusk. Repellent sprays containing up to 50 per cent DEET are recommended, but check the label before putting it on your kids.

You can also spray clothing with permethrin-containing repellents, but don't put that directly onto skin.

Other possibilities are natural products such as oil of lemon eucalyptus CQ.

Reparing window and door screens can reduce the chances of WNV carrying mosquitoes entering your home, and eliminating standing water around the home is also an effective prevention measure. Even an upturned plant pot can collect enough rainwater to breed mosquitoes. People should check for standing water regularly, and empty bird baths, rain barrels, buckets, anything that provides a suitable breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Petersen told CNN, even with precautions, WNV won't be eradicated for a while.

"I think West Nile virus is here to stay, and I can't tell you how many cases will occur this summer, but there will be epidemics," he said.

The WNV season usually peaks between mid-July and mid-September. Petersen said around 1.5 million people have been infected so far in the US, and about 300,000 have had West Nile fever.

Click here for more information on West Nile Virus from the CDC (make sure you read the Repellent Updates for safe use of pesticides).

Sources: CNN, CDC.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today