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West Nile infects Fla. man Medical alert expands as officials weigh threat of viruses borne by mosquitoes
By Anita Manning
USA TODAY
A Florida man is recovering from the first human case of West Nile virus in that state -- and the first human case anywhere in the USA this year. That, along with the death of a 9-year-old Florida boy last weekend from yet another mosquito-borne virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, prompted state health officials Tuesday to extend a medical alert to 28 North Florida counties. Florida state epidemiologist Steven Wiersma says Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare viral infection carried by mosquitoes along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast, also has been detected in horses, emus and quail in Florida. Louisiana health officials say it has been found in a horse in that state. West Nile virus also causes encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, along with milder symptoms ranging from fever to body aches. It was detected in North America for the first time in 1999 and has sickened more than 80 people since, killing eight. Scientists believe many more have been infected. The virus also has killed thousands of crows and other birds and has been found in horses and other animals. Robert McLean, director of the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, which has been tracking the spread of West Nile virus, says it is likely to spread to more Eastern states this year. ''The worst does not appear to be over, if the virus expands to Southern locations, where it could be transmitted throughout the year,'' he told the American Veterinary Medical Association at a recent meeting. Wiersma says year-round transmission of mosquito-borne viruses in Florida might be ''possible, but it's not the pattern we've seen.'' Generally, he says, the season runs from summer through early December. Health officials offer this advice to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases: * Avoid being outside at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are active. * Cover up and use insect repellants.
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