|
K-State Entomologist Offers Summer Precautions Against West Nile Virus It's not unusual to see beer bottles scattered on the lawns of college-towns. These bottles need to be emptied and disposed of because they can collect rainwater and produce mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus. Anything that accumulates water, including beer bottles, must be dumped at least once a week in order to disrupt the mosquito lifecycle, said Dr. Ludek Zurek, assistant professor of Medical and Veterinary Entomology at Kansas State University.
That year, Zurek said 22 people, 793 horses, and 170 wild birds were reported to have been infected by WNV in Kansas. All 22 people recovered. Nebraska experienced twice as many WNV cases and eight people died in 2002, Zurek said. He speculates that Nebraska had higher numbers of WNV cases because irrigated pastures in western Nebraska produced large mosquito populations; Kansas experienced drought last year. WNV primarily circulates between birds and mosquitoes. "Birds are the reservoir for the virus and mosquitoes are the vectors," Zurek said. Mosquitoes carrying WNV bite or feed on a bird, thereby infecting it. Other mosquitoes bite the infected bird, take up the virus and further spread the disease. Crows, blue jays and ravens are affected by WNV the most, Zurek said. Zurek said a hotline (1-866-452-7810), through the K-State Research and Extension Office, is available for anyone to report dead birdsin order to help track WNV. People and horses can develop serious sickness or die if bitten by infected mosquitoes, Zurek said. He notes that many people and horses who are infected by the virus show no signs of the disease. It is assumed that people build a lifelong immunity, he writes in the publication "Pests That Affect Human Health: Mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus." No one has died in Kansas from WNV, he said. A vaccine is available for horses through veterinarians, Zurek said. Vaccination for people is not available, although there are several ways to prevent possible WNV infection. Zurek recommends using repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) anytime you are outside from dusk to dawn, the times mosquitoes are most active. The higher the concentration of DEET the longer it will last. Permethrin is another effective mosquito repellent. It should be applied to clothes only, not to skin, and it lasts through several launderings. "Citronella and other herbal repellents do not seem to offer good protection," Zurek said. He cannot predict how many people, horses, birds, and mosquitoes will become positive for WNV in Kansas in 2003, but Kansans should not expect to see WNV disappear, he adds. Mosquitoes are out, so wear repellent containing DEET and "be on the safe side and eliminate mosquito larvae habitats" by emptying anything that contains standing water, Zurek said. Zurek is researching and tracking the West Nile Virus in Kansas along with Alberto Broce, KSU professor of Entomology; Tom Janousek of Pest Consulting Services; Gail Hansen of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE); George Kennedy, professor, and Roman Ganta, associate professor, both of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology of the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides funding for this surveillance project. Data is shared with the CDC and the KDHE. For more information, contact Dr. Ludek Zurek at 785-532-4731. To report dead birds, or if you have questions about the West Nile Virus or the Kansas West Nile Virus Surveillance Program, call (866) 452-7810. If calling within the Manhattan Kansas Area, call 785-532-2569.
Story prepared by Amanda Tross
|
