Community Corner

Is West Nile Coming to Carlsbad This Summer?

Patch offers prevention tips, and the map below shows the number of West Nile cases last summer.

Last year, San Diego County reported one human case of West Nile Virus (WNV), the first locally acquired case in the county in two years. WNV became epidemic across the U.S. last year and hit California hard, but San Diego County was left practically unscathed.

Now that the summer temperatures are really warming up, county residents need to remember to protect themselves from mosquitoes and diseases they can carry, including West Nile virus, health officials warned. 

So far this year no case of West Nile has been reported in humans or animals in the county.

An Escondido man was discovered to have WNV last July, when he donated blood that was screened. And like four out of five people who become infected, he didn't get sick.

A dead crow found in La Jolla last October was the only infected bird found in the county last year.

Find out what's happening in Carlsbadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to San Diego Vector Control, West Nile first came to San Diego County in 2004 and will continue to be an issue. 

Mosquito Control
San Diego County currently funds vector control, which is tasked with controlling, among other creatures, mosquitoes. 

During the summer the Vector Control Program conducts monthly aerial mosquito larvicide applications to difficult-to-access areas that are known for mosquito breeding.

On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the West Vector Control Districtregularly monitors and tests for the West Nile virus in mosquito pools, birds and sentinel chickens while also taking preventative measures such as spraying pesticides and distributing mosquito-eating fish to residents. 

The Cases and Incidence Rates

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

You can see how counties across the state compare by using the interactive map above, which shows the number of West Nile cases in humans and the infection rate. West Nile – 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 West Nile 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, 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 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, Health Communications Specialist at the CDC. 

There is currently no comprehensive treatment for someone infected by West Nile, which makes severe diagnoses all the more frightening. Patch spoke to one Texas man who survived a West Nile infection in 2006, and has 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 42 at the time, said that within five days of being stung, 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. 
  
Prevention and Symptoms
The CDC recommends using an EPA-certified mosquito repellant if you’re going to be 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 when you 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.
With the 2012 mosquito season being the highest on record, health officials are cautioning people to take immediate action if you believe you’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.
Reporting Mosquitoes in San Diego County

Residents on the Palos Verdes Peninsula can report mosquito populations or dead birds to the West Vector Control District by:
  • Calling (858) 694-288 or email vector@sdcounty.ca.gov to report mosquito populations
  • Calling 1-888-551-INFO (4636) or click here to report dead birds. 


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