No signs of West Nile virus in Clark County

Monday, Aug. 1, 2005 | 9:48 a.m.

For more information about the West Nile virus, the Clark County Health District has opened a telephone hotline. The number, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is:

(702) 759-1220

The Health District has also established a West Nile virus section on its Web site at http://www.cchd.org. The area has information on prevention, insect repellent and frequent questions about the virus, its symptoms and its spread.

Tests conducted by trapping mosquitoes throughout Clark County have not had an indication for West Nile virus so far.

"We've been very fortunate," said Jennifer Sizemore, spokeswoman for the Clark County Health District. "We have had no reports (of the virus) in mosquitoes, in animals or in humans in Clark County."

The Health District has activated a West Nile virus public information hotline, (702) 759-1220, to offer information to residents 24 hours a day, Sizemore said. The public may also call the hotline to report birds that have been dead for less than 24 hours. Only crows, ravens, magpies, jays, hawks and eagles are being tested.

People can also call the hotline to report mosquitoes, areas of standing water that cannot be removed and improperly maintained swimming pools.

"We hope these resources will make it easier for the public to learn more about West Nile virus prevention and help our community control mosquito populations," said Dr. Donald Kwalick, the district's chief health officer.

Summer rains drenching parts of the Las Vegas Valley raise the potential for pools of standing water acting as reservoirs for mosquitoes after the waters stagnate.

However, the hotter than normal temperatures this summer may have interrupted the mosquito cycle in Southern Nevada, Sizemore said.

Richard Hicks, a specialist in insects and the diseases they carry and a consultant for the Health District, said that West Nile virus season appears to run from mid-summer to early fall.

"This time last year is when we had our first indication it was here," Hicks said.

It takes two weeks from the time a mosquito bites until a bird, animal or human develops the disease, he said.

"Locally, it's still too early to predict anything," Hicks said.

On Wednesday night the Health District shipped 100 vials filled with up to 50 mosquitoes each to a state laboratory in Reno.

Hicks said eight mosquito traps were placed around the valley on Wednesday and the mosquitoes trapped in them would be packaged in vials and sent to the lab on Friday.

It will take until mid-week for results from the captured mosquitoes.

Infected mosquitoes have been discovered in Washoe County as well as Lyon County.

The man who became ill this week is under 50 years of age. People over 50 are at greater risk to develop more serious forms of the West Nile virus. Normally, people have few if any symptoms. Some develop chills, fever, headache and muscle aches, similar to flu symptoms. The most severe cases can develop swelling of the brain or spinal cord that can result in death.

About one in 150 people infected with the virus develop the more severe form, called West Nile encephalitis or meningitis. Symptoms of this type of disease include severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis, the CDC said.

There is no specific treatment for an infected person, but anyone with severe symptoms should contact their doctor, health officials said.

So far this year, California has reported nine cases of the virus and Arizona five, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

The virus is spread by mosquitoes. The mosquitoes can spread the virus to horses, and state officials urge everyone to have their horses, mules and donkeys vaccinated for the disease.

West Nile virus is not contagious from person to person or animal to animal. Mosquitoes are the primary carrier of the virus.

Last year Nevada became one of the last states that the West Nile virus hit since it was first discovered in New York in 1999 and began spreading across the nation.

Nevada had 44 confirmed cases last year: four in Washoe County, one in Lyon County, 14 in Churchill County, one in Carson City, one in Douglas County and 23 in Clark County.

No deaths were reported.