Possibly OT/Maybe not.... Regarding West Nile

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Everyone,

The following article was posted today on AOL News in the Health Section...I have copied and pasted it b/c I believe if I provide the link, only AOL users will be able to access it.

Just thought this article could serve as a "heads-up," especially for our Nevada members.

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Updated: 12:30 PM EDT
Two Ducks on Las Vegas Strip Positive for West Nile Virus

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 5) - Two ducks removed from a pool outside a Las Vegas Strip casino have tested positive for West Nile virus, a state official said.

Anette Rink, Nevada Department of Agriculture director of animal disease and food safety, said Thursday that a third duck found to carry the rare but more deadly St. Louis encephalitis virus was found in the same pool in June.

"It's my understanding that the birds were picked up in a pool at a Strip casino," she said.

Clark County health officials previously announced the discovery of West Nile virus in two ducks in southern Nevada, but did not specify where they were found.

Rink and other officials refused to identify the casino in question, and officials insisted there was no cause for alarm. No human cases have been reported in the region.

"If there were a particular health risk in a particular area, we're pretty good at letting people know, and we'd look into further measures," Clark County Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said.

The viruses do not spread directly from birds to humans. Mosquitos can transmit West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses by biting infected birds and then biting humans.

Health officials advise people to take precautions against mosquitos by using repellents and wearing clothing covering legs and arms.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile kills less than 1 percent of infected people. Fatality rates for St. Louis encephalitis can be as high as 30 percent, depending on age and other factors.

There have been three cases of human St. Louis encephalitis in Nevada since 1964.

Health officials have reported one case of human West Nile virus this year in northern Nevada's Lyon County.

West Nile virus first appeared in Nevada last year when a dead crow tested positive in Carson City. The first human case was confirmed two weeks later in Clark County.

In 2004, there were 44 human cases of West Nile in Nevada, more than half of them in Clark County.


08/05/05 12:08 EDT

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Linda