Disease test on hawk is positive

Heather Rawlyk

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 | 10:58 a.m.

West Nile virus West nile virus is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes, which acquire the virus by feeding on infected birds. The Health District recommends people take the following precautions to reduce their individual risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito.

It marks the first confirmed case of the virus in Southern Nevada, according to Health District spokesman David Tonelli.

A resident found the dead bird near Sandhill and Russell roads and placed it in his freezer to prevent decaying, Tonelli said. After forgetting about the bird for several days, the man called the health district on July 20.

The bird was immediately sent to the Nevada Department of Agriculture Disease Laboratory in Reno, where it was confirmed Monday morning that the hawk was carrying the West Nile virus, Tonelli said.

"This shifts us from surveillance of the existence to (trying to determine) the extent of West Nile virus (in Clark County)," he said. "The hawk was the first and only bird confirmed to have West Nile here in Clark County. All tests have been completed and we have no more (tests) pending as of right now."

The Nevada Department of Agriculture released additional West Nile virus confirmations in Northern Nevada Monday afternoon.

Samples from a sentinel chicken and from a mosquito pool in Humboldt County were confirmed positive for the West Nile virus, the Department said in a written statement, and additional samples taken from dead birds in Reno also tested positive.

"The bottom line is, West Nile virus is in Nevada," State Health Officer Dr. Bradford Lee said in a written statement. "Everyone needs to practice preventive measures."

State veterinarian Dr. David Thain is urging owners of horses, donkeys and mules to get their animals vaccinated.

There have been three confirmed cases of West Nile virus in horses in Fallon, all of which did not received the West Nile virus vaccination, Thain said this morning.

Two of the horses, reported infected Wednesday, quickly died, Thain said.

"They were fine in the morning and down, paralyzed, in the afternoon," Thain said. "People who have not vaccinated their horses for West Nile need to do so. The vaccine is very safe and has about a 95 percent protection rate."

The condition of the third horse was not immediately known. All three horses are owned by separate individuals, Thain said.

Residents also need to take preventive measures for themselves, including wearing an insect repellent containing DEET and avoiding time outside at dusk when mosquitos are most active, Tonelli said.

Two Nevada residents were identified last week as possibly suffering from West Nile virus. One of the patients, whom health officials would not identify, resides in Southern Nevada, but had traveled to Nye County for a camping trip over the Fourth of July weekend.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is conducting laboratory tests to confirm the virus with results expected at the end of the week.