By Travis Snell

Assistant Editor

 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – As spring turns to summer, more and more people will venture outdoors for activities, which means West Nile Virus activity will increase as mosquitoes infected with the disease bite people, birds and other animals.

 

Center for Disease Control experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall.

 

According to the CDC, the virus can be a life-altering and sometimes even fatal disease. In 2007, the CDC reported 3,623 confirmed human cases of WNV with 124 of them resulting in death. In Oklahoma, 106 humans were diagnosed with WNV with eight deaths.

 

PREVENTION TIPS   Be aware of peak mosquito hours The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many species of mosquitoes. Take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing during evening and early morning or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.   Install or repair screens Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having well-fitting screens on both windows and doors. Offer to help neighbors whose screens might be in bad shape.   Dispose of breeding grounds Also, it may be possible to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area by getting rid of containers with standing water that provide breeding places for mosquitoes. Help reduce the number of mosquitoes in areas outdoors where you work or play, by draining sources of standing water. In this way, you reduce the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed. 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. Check for clogged rain gutters and clean them out. Remove discarded tires, and other items that could collect water. Be sure to check for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home.

The CDC states that about one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

 

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. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.

 

Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all, according to the CDC.

 

Dr. Gloria Grim, Cherokee Nation Health Services Medical director, said since Oklahoma’s first reported WNV case in 2002, the tribe has increased its educational efforts through public health awareness and individual patient awareness.

 

“Cherokee Nation coordinates our efforts with the state to increase awareness of all infectious diseases affecting our area,” she said. “We are in communication with county and state health officials to stay abreast of any developing issues. We use similar educational materials and provide personnel and technical resources if needed. We provide updates to our medical staff when a potential threat of an infectious disease occurs as in the case of WNV.”

 

Grim said the tribe also stays aware of any infectious disease outbreaks through updates from the state and CDC.

“If anyone is found to have an infectious disease that needs to be reported to the state, then we do so in accordance to the reporting guidelines,” she said.