Warning Signs: West Nile Virus Requires Precautions in Palisades

Karen Weber, who lives next to the Palisades Recreation Center, walks her 11-month-old daughter, Tamar, in the park every day. A week ago she was surprised to find the following sign posted by the picnic tables: ‘Disease Warning: West Nile Virus Has Been Confirmed In or Near This Area.’ Monday evening, Palisadians Pepper Edmiston and Megan Williams were walking along the bluffs on Via de las Olas. Shortly after seeing the identical sign posted there, Williams was bitten on her finger by a mosquito. Naturally, she worried she might have become infected with the disease. ‘Probably not,’ Robert Savikas, executive director of Los Angeles County West Vector Control District, told the Palisadian-Post. ‘While the disease has been found within five miles of your area, which is why we posted the signs, we estimate it will be another few weeks before a case is found there. We do know it’s moving westward at a pretty steady rate.’ As of yesterday there were 28 known human cases of West Nile virus in California, seven of those in L.A. County. No deaths have been reported. The disease is transmitted to humans and animals by mosquitoes that have become infected when they feed on infected birds. West Nile has been identified in more than 100 species of birds found dead in the United States. There is no evidence that a person can get the virus from handling live or dead infected birds, or from another person. ‘Even in areas where the disease is circulating, very few mosquitoes are infected with the virus,’ said Savikas, who told the Post that cases have been found in nearby Inglewood and Playa del Rey. ‘The chances of becoming severely ill from any one mosquito bite is extremely small.’ He recommends that if you or your family members develop symptoms such as high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and severe headaches, you should see your doctor immediately. While there is no specific treatment for West Nile, in more severe cases intensive care is needed and can involve hospitalization, intravenous fluids and respiratory support (ventilator) to prevent secondary infections, including pneumonia. Common in Asia and Africa, the first case of West Nile in the United States was found in New York in the fall of 1999, and the disease has since spread to 46 states. Control measures nationwide have been able to slow but not stop the spread of the virus, which is expected to reach all of the continental U.S. by year’s end. The L.A. County West Vector Control District is working to decrease the mosquito population and is monitoring all bird, chicken and horse populations. Approximately 85 percent of the people who are infected with West Nile will not show symptoms of the disease. Up to 15 percent who become infected will display mild symptoms similar to the flu, including fever, headache and body aches. Symptoms typically last a few days. Less than one percent will develop severe illness, marked by bad headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, coma and, only rarely, death (mostly among the elderly). In 2003, there were 264 total deaths from the West Nile virus in the United States. By comparison, there are 20,000 to 36,000 deaths annually in the U.S. from the common influenza virus. While no vaccine is yet available against West Nile, there are ways to reduce your risk of becoming infected in areas where there are mosquitoes. It is recommended that you take precautions outdoors ‘at dawn and dusk,’ said Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for the L.A. County Department of Health Services. ‘You should wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and make sure there are no sources of standing water,’ such as exist in the saucers of potted plants, bird baths and hot tubs. The county’s West Vector Control District also recommends spraying clothing with repellents containing permethrin or DEET, since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, and applying insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 35 percent DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). DEET in high concentrations (greater than 35 percent) provides no additional protection. Repellents, which some people consider too risky to use, may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children. Whenever you use an insecticide or insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for use, as printed on the product. Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors. Vitamin B and ‘ultrasonic’ devices are not effective in preventing mosquito bites. (Editor’s note: For continuous updates on West Nile virus go to: www.lawestvector.org. If you have a mosquito problem, call 915-7370. A technician will arrange a visit to investigate the mosquito breeding source. If you find a dead bird, particularly a crow or other corvid (e.g., jay, magpie, raven, etc.), call 877-WNV-BIRD. The bird must be dead no more than 24 hours to enable testing for West Nile virus. Do not touch the bird. Department of Health Services will arrange for pickup and laboratory testing for the disease. While most horses infected with West Nile virus recover, the disease has caused 11 deaths in the Inland Empire. A vaccine for horses was recently approved, but its effectiveness is unknown.)