With the West Nile virus present in Alachua County

Staff are struggling to determine how best to control the mosquitoes carrying it.

The Alachua County Health Department has seen far higher numbers of culex nigripalpus mosquitoes West Nile's primary carrier this year than in the past five, said health department administrator Paul Myers.

With several flocks of sentinel chickens and a horse testing positive for West Nile virus, the county was placed under a mosquito-borne illness advisory on Sept. 27. The virus was discovered in the area on Sept. 20.

The county also has found non-human cases of eastern equine encephalitis, which is transmitted to people less than West Nile virus but is more lethal.

If virus transmission intensifies or human cases are recorded, the county will be given alert status, Myers said at a Tuesday County Commission meeting.

The county health department's surveillance system for mosquito-borne illnesses includes regular testing of sentinel chickens, which are often the first to show the presence of such diseases.

Myers said the county must reduce its mosquito population, which bloomed after Tropical Storm Debby this summer.

"From Pensacola all the way to Jacksonville, they continue to see human cases, and it's not going to be a surprise to me if we see them in Alachua County," he said.

But culex nigripalpus mosquitoes are tricky to eliminate.

They breed in standing water, from retention ponds to empty flower pots.

Spraying can have mixed results because even at peak flight times like dusk, up to 80 percent of the adult females that bite humans are resting and thus not susceptible to spray, Myers said.

In humans, West Nile virus can cause West Nile fever, which causes flu-like symptoms that can last months and may induce depression, Myers said.

But the biggest danger is West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease, which can cause severe, irreparable neurological damage or even death. People over 50 years old or who have underlying health problems are most at risk.

No human cases have been detected in the county yet, and the last reported human case in the county was in 2003.

The virus incubates for two to 14 days in humans, so people could soon show symptoms.

"I'm not trying to be Chicken Little here, an alarmist, but the potential is there," Myers told commissioners.

But the cost of spraying and uncertainty of its effectiveness made commissioners hesitant to authorize it at Tuesday's meeting.

It would cost $33,000 to spray four key county zones with the highest observed numbers of culex nigripalpus mosquitoes, Myers said. These zones are the city of Waldo, the city of Hawthorne and the northwest and southwest urban fringes of Gainesville.

It would need to be done from trucks because the areas are too small for aerial spraying to be effective, he said. The zones would likely need to be sprayed more than once.

The health risks of spraying are theoretical, while the risk of mosquito-borne diseases are documented and should be weighed more heavily, he said.

Commissioner Mike Byerly questioned whether funding is better used on spraying than, for example, the FluMist immunization program.

The mosquito population could be more of a nuisance issue than a public health one, he said.

Myers said he would give an emergency situation like the presence of West Nile virus higher priority.

This fiscal year's county budget does not provide funding for mosquito spraying. Myers suggested at the meeting looking for sustainable funding alternatives, but said in a later interview that such options are scarce.

The city of Gainesville's mosquito control program does spraying to control adult populations and uses mosquitofish and bacteria to manage larvae numbers, according to its website. It inspects more than 350 breeding sites monthly.

For now, the county will continue its current mosquito plan, which includes surveillance, larvaciding mosquito eggs in the county's 200-plus retention basins, and public education.

The county has warned doctors to watch for potential West Nile virus cases in patients.

Byerly suggested the county focus on public education instead of spraying.

People can best prevent the transmission of West Nile virus by taking personal precautions, such as staying inside at dusk, Myers said.

By Morgan Watkins

Laurel County man talks about bout with West Nile; one of few diagnosed with disease in Kentucky

A Laurel County man has shared his story after contracting the West Nile Virus, which, though rare in Kentucky, has been more common nationwide this year than it has been since it was first discovered in 1999.

Kelly Curens spent three weeks at the University of Kentucky medical center, much of which was spent in an induced coma. He started feeling sick after a camping trip at Lake Cumberland, reports Phil Penderton for WKYT-TV. The illness started with a headache and graduated to feeling dizzy, which were symptoms to similar to ones he experienced a few years ago when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he went to the emergency room at St. Joseph London hospital, he had a seizure. 

Curens was one of the first in Kentucky to be positively diagnosed with the virus, which has affected more than 1,100 people nationwide this year. About half of the cases have been in Texas. Four horses have been diagnosed with the disease in Kentucky since Aug. 2. Craig Carter, director of the UK Veterminary Diagnostic Lab, said Kentucky is "still in the high-risk part of the season for West Nile infection."

Curens has been treated and is feeling much better now. "From what I was told, I'm very lucky," he said. "My blood sugar and blood pressure has always been good. Had I not been healthy I probably wouldn't be here today."

The elderly, infants and babies at the most risk, said Marion Pennington, regional epidemiologist at the Cumberland Valley District Health Department.

To protect oneself from the West Nile Virus, officials advise to:
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots and other containers that could collect water.
• Remove discarded tires from properties. They are the most common mosquito breeding grounds in the country.
• Drill holes in recycling containers.
• Drain gutters properly and clean gutters in the spring and fall.
• Turn over swimming pools and wheelbarrows when they aren't in use.
• Change the water in birdbaths on a regular basis.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and hot tubs.
• Make sure screens on windows don't have holes in them.
• Wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outside in the early morning and late evening. (Read more)

West Nile outbreak light in Ky. but 'one of the largest' in nation

U.S. health officials reported Wednesday three times the usual number of West Nile cases for this time of year and one expert told the Associated Press it was “one of the largest” outbreaks since the virus appeared in this country in 1999.

So far, 1,118 illnesses have been reported, about half of them in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kentucky has reported few cases.

In an average year, fewer than 300 cases are reported by mid-August. There have also been 41 deaths this year. Most infections are usually reported in August and September, so it’s too early to say how bad this year will end up, CDC officials said. AP reports that West Nile virus peaked in 2002 and 2003, when severe illnesses reached nearly 3,000 and deaths surpassed 260.

 The best way to prevent West Nile disease, say experts, is to avoid mosquito bites. Insect repellents, screens on doors and windows and wearing long sleeves and pants are some of the recommended strategies. Also, empty standing water from buckets, kiddie pools and other places to discourage breeding. (Read more)

Many more serious cases of West Nile virus reported this year, but only one in Kentucky

Though only one Kentuckian has been affected, more serious cases of people infected by the West Nile virus have been reported this year than any since 2004. Through July, 241 cases were reported in 22 states. The virus has caused four deaths. Nearly 150 cases have been in Texas, particularly in the Dallas area, reports Mike Stobbe for The Associated Press.

Of the 241 cases, 144 were considered serious, meaning the virus spread to the brain and nervous system, causing, among other ailments, encephalitis. Last year, less than 700 cases were reported.
Health officials blame the combination of a mild winter, early spring and hot summer, prime conditions for mosquitoes to breed. "Unless the weather changes dramatically, we'll see more cases (in 2012) than we have in the last couple of years," said Roger Nasci of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 1 in 5 people who are infected with the virus get sick. One in 150 get severe symptoms, including neck stiffness, disorientation, coma and paralysis, Stobbe reports. (Read more)