STATE'S FIRST 2003 WEST NILE VIRUS-INFECTED WILD BIRD FOUND

Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH), Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and Department of Agriculture (DDA) announce the first wild bird to test positive for West Nile virus in 2003. The dead crow, collected by DNREC's Mosquito Control Section June 23, was found in the Newark area. Mosquito Control will increase its surveillance and monitoring of mosquito populations in the Newark area, and take appropriate control actions as warranted.

DPH will continue to work with hospitals, physicians and the public to educate them about the symptoms of the disease. Blood samples and spinal fluid can be collected by physicians and are tested for West Nile virus at the Division of Public Health Laboratory. DNREC's Mosquito Control Section will work to keep mosquito populations low, since the key to avoiding West Nile virus is to limit its transmission.

There have been 4,156 confirmed human West Nile virus cases nationwide in 2002, including 284 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Delaware's first and only confirmed human case of West Nile virus occurred in 2002, and it was not fatal. The disease first appeared in Delaware birds and horses in 2000. Birds spread West Nile virus during migration, when mosquitoes bite infected birds and then bite humans. In 2002, 214 wild birds tested positive for West Nile virus in Delaware, as did six mosquito samples and 24 horses. Nationally, West Nile has spread to 44 states in the last four years. In a very small number of cases, West Nile virus also has spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and during pregnancy from mother to baby.

Most people infected with West Nile virus will not become ill, said Paul Silverman, DrPH, chief of disease prevention and control at DPH. The CDC estimates that 20 percent of those infected will develop West Nile fever, with mild symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, a skin rash on the chest or back and swollen lymph glands.

One in 150 people infected develop severe infection (West Nile encephalitis or meningitis) with headache, high fever, stiff neck, and/or tremors and muscle weakness. The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk. Anyone who experiences any of these severe symptoms should seek medical help immediately. Symptoms may progress to stupor, disorientation, coma, convulsions, paralysis and possibly death.

Because birds also contract the disease, DNREC will continue to test sentinel chickens and dead wild birds for West Nile virus. The public is encouraged to report findings of crows, blue jays, hawks and owls, or localized clusters of five or more sick or dead wild birds of any species, when there is no other apparent cause of death. Residents should wear gloves when handling dead birds.

To report sick or dead wild birds, call Mosquito Control between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in New Castle County at (302) 836-2555, and in Kent or Sussex counties, call (302) 422-1512. For general information about mosquito control, contact DNREC at (302) 739-3493.

For questions about West Nile virus in horses, call the Department of Agriculture at 1-800-282-8685 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or leave a message after-hours.

For questions about West Nile virus in humans, contact DPH at 1-800-295-5156, 24 hours a day.

To avoid mosquito bites and reduce the risk of infection, residents should:

• wear insect repellent containing less than 30 percent DEET for adults, less than 10 percent DEET for children;
• wear long-sleeved shirts and pants in mosquito-infested areas;
• avoid peak mosquito activity during dusk, evening or early morning; and
• drain or remove items that collect water and provide mosquito-breeding habitat, such as buckets, rain barrels, old tires, blocked rain gutters and unused swimming pools.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.