BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Aug 28 2007 10:30 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 28 2007 10:36 PM
West Nile virus cases and deaths continue to mount in Kern County, making it the epicenter of the disease nationwide.
The fourth Kern death, a 93-year-old Lamont man, died Friday and was confirmed to have West Nile Tuesday, the county Department of Public Health announced.
The man has been identified as Lorenzo Velarde, but family members couldn't be reached for comment.
This is the 10th death statewide from the mosquito-borne virus, the state Department of Public Health reports.
Figures released Tuesday by the state health department show that 164 people have been sickened in the state this year, with 91 of those in Kern County.
The county has seen 13 more cases over the last week.
Kern County still has the most cases in the state. The counties with the next highest numbers of cases are Fresno and Stanislaus with 10 each, the state health department says.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also show Kern leading the country for cases.
Results of spraying
Monday marked the two-week mark since the county last sprayed pesticide over metropolitan Bakersfield.
The county health department hopes to see a decrease in cases from the spraying in the next week but admits the swimming pools abandoned in the recent real estate downturn make this season's fight "uncharted territory" for them, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, deputy county health officer and director of disease control.
"We now have this incubator (the pools) that doesn't have a lid on it," he said. "Also it doesn't look like people are taking this situation seriously."
Personal prevention is the key to fighting the bite, he said. To get repellent into the hands of residents, the county received a donation of Cutter repellent wipes last week, which it will be distributing around town, he said.
Dulan also stressed that while deaths have been limited to seniors, the virus has hit every age group, the majority being people between the ages of 30 and 60. And while most people show no symptoms, West Nile can cause coma, tremors, paralysis, life-threatening infections and death. Symptoms can also last for several months.
"We may have some more bad news if people don't put into practice every prevention," he said.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/223410.html
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Kern sees jump in new West Nile cases
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Aug 24 2007 9:25 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 24 2007 9:46 PM
West Nile virus has struck 10 new people in California since Tuesday, but no new cases were reported in Kern County during the same three-day period.
Nevertheless, Kern still ended up with 14 new cases over the past week, more than the total number of cases in any other county, public health officials reported.
In California as of Friday, 147 people had been sickened by the mosquito-borne illness, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the number of people who have contracted the virus in Kern County remained flat at 78. Yet that's more cases by far than any other county, and more than half the statewide total.
The counties with the next highest number of cases are Stanislaus with 10 and Fresno with nine.
Eight deaths related to the virus have been reported in California this year, three in Kern County.
At first glance, three days with no new cases in Kern County may seem encouraging.
But more time is needed before the outcome of the recent aerial sprayings in metropolitan Bakersfield will be known, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, director of disease control for the Kern County Department of Health.
"We'll get a better look I think come the first of next week," he said Friday.
To avoid getting West Nile, local and state agencies urge residents to:
• Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
• Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
• Contact their mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where they live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
• Call the state’s toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
• Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/221035.html
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 24 2007 9:46 PM
West Nile virus has struck 10 new people in California since Tuesday, but no new cases were reported in Kern County during the same three-day period.
Nevertheless, Kern still ended up with 14 new cases over the past week, more than the total number of cases in any other county, public health officials reported.
In California as of Friday, 147 people had been sickened by the mosquito-borne illness, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the number of people who have contracted the virus in Kern County remained flat at 78. Yet that's more cases by far than any other county, and more than half the statewide total.
The counties with the next highest number of cases are Stanislaus with 10 and Fresno with nine.
Eight deaths related to the virus have been reported in California this year, three in Kern County.
At first glance, three days with no new cases in Kern County may seem encouraging.
But more time is needed before the outcome of the recent aerial sprayings in metropolitan Bakersfield will be known, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, director of disease control for the Kern County Department of Health.
"We'll get a better look I think come the first of next week," he said Friday.
To avoid getting West Nile, local and state agencies urge residents to:
• Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
• Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
• Contact their mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where they live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
• Call the state’s toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
• Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/221035.html
West Nile strikes 10 more statewide
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Aug 24 2007 4:37 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 24 2007 4:36 PM
West Nile virus has struck 10 new people in California since Tuesday, but no new cases were reported in Kern County during the same three-day period.
Nevertheless, Kern still ended up with 14 new cases over the past week, more than the total number of cases in any other county, public health officials reported.
In California as of Friday, 147 people had been sickened by the mosquito-borne illness, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the number of people who have contracted the virus in Kern County remained flat at 78. Nevertheless, that’s more cases by far than any other county, and more than half the statewide total.
The counties with the next highest number of cases are Stanislaus with 10 and Fresno with nine.
Eight deaths related to the virus have been reported in California this year, three in Kern County.
At first glance, three days with no new cases in Kern County may seem encouraging.
But more time is needed before the outcome of the recent aerial sprayings in metropolitan Bakersfield will be known, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, director of disease control for the Kern County Department of Health.
“We’ll get a better look I think come the first of next week,” he said Friday.
To avoid getting West Nile, local and state agencies urge residents to:
• Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
• Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
• Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
• Call the state’s toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
• Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/220856.html
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 24 2007 4:36 PM
West Nile virus has struck 10 new people in California since Tuesday, but no new cases were reported in Kern County during the same three-day period.
Nevertheless, Kern still ended up with 14 new cases over the past week, more than the total number of cases in any other county, public health officials reported.
In California as of Friday, 147 people had been sickened by the mosquito-borne illness, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the number of people who have contracted the virus in Kern County remained flat at 78. Nevertheless, that’s more cases by far than any other county, and more than half the statewide total.
The counties with the next highest number of cases are Stanislaus with 10 and Fresno with nine.
Eight deaths related to the virus have been reported in California this year, three in Kern County.
At first glance, three days with no new cases in Kern County may seem encouraging.
But more time is needed before the outcome of the recent aerial sprayings in metropolitan Bakersfield will be known, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, director of disease control for the Kern County Department of Health.
“We’ll get a better look I think come the first of next week,” he said Friday.
To avoid getting West Nile, local and state agencies urge residents to:
• Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
• Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
• Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
• Call the state’s toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
• Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/220856.html
'The sickest I've ever been'
38-year-old Bakersfield man still feels effects of the disease
BY EMILY HAGEDORN , Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 23 2007 9:35 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 23 2007 10:12 PM
Matthew Arambula doesn't even have the mosquito bite to show for his recent battle with West Nile virus.
Matthew Arambula, a tree maintainer with Bakersfield's Department of Recreation and Parks, recently recovered from a bout of West Nile Virus. Arambula is one of 78 people to have contracted the virus in Kern County and one of 137 sickened statewide.
Fever of 104 degrees. Full-body rash. Chills. Dizziness. Body aches. Shaking.
Arambula, an otherwise healthy man of 38, suffered those unpleasant symptoms from the mosquito-borne disease but has no mark and no idea when or where he was bitten.
"I probably scratched it and didn't even think about it," said the northeast Bakersfield resident, waiting for his daughter's soccer game to start at O.J. Actis Junior High School Wednesday night. "What could a mosquito do to a 230-pound person?
"Well, it's the sickest I've ever been."
Arambula is one of 78 people to have contracted the virus in Kern County and one of 137 sickened statewide.
His ordeal started the week of July 9, he said, when he woke up feeling flu-ish.
"It felt like someone hit me in the back," he said. "It's the flu. It will pass. That's what everybody thinks."
A few days later he donated blood to Houchin Blood Bank at his workplace. Arambula works as a tree maintainer for the city of Bakersfield but said he could have been bitten anywhere -- playing outside with his daughters or watching them play softball and soccer.
Though his symptoms were becoming more severe, he was still working when he got a call from the blood bank the next day telling him to get to a doctor.
Houchin, which tests blood for about 14 different diseases, has flagged more West Nile cases than any other blood bank in the state, with roughly 17 people testing positive at the local facility, said Houchin CEO Greg Gallion.
Arambula's physician told him there is no treatment besides plenty of rest, Arambula said.
Despite the lack of an antidote, residents who think they may have the virus should seek medical care because symptoms can include deadly infections, respiratory problems and paralysis, which do require monitoring, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, deputy county health officer and director of disease control.
Every day with the virus was different, Arambula said. A few days after experiencing the first symptoms, he had what looked like a heat rash covering most of his body, said daughter Mariana Arambula, 13, who helped keep an eye on her dad when he was sick.
"He was not himself," she said. "I've never seen him like that before."
By that Sunday, the dizziness and loss of breath set in.
"I would walk from here to that tree," he said, pointing to a tree 30 feet away, "and get winded."
He was off work about two weeks, and some symptoms still haven't subsided; others he may have for the rest of his life.
Mariana has noticed he tires more easily now. His hands sometimes start shaking for no reason.
"It's part paralysis," he said. "It (West Nile) affects your nervous system."
Before getting West Nile, the last time Arambula wore mosquito repellent was probably when he was a child, he said.
"It's just like anything else, it's never going to happen to them," he said.
Watching as her younger sister kicked the ball around the field, Mariana said she wasn't wearing mosquito repellent.
"If more people probably started getting it, I wouldn't leave the house without it," she said.
When told that Kern County has the most cases of any county in the nation, she gave a one-word response.
"Oh!"
BY EMILY HAGEDORN , Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 23 2007 9:35 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 23 2007 10:12 PM
Matthew Arambula doesn't even have the mosquito bite to show for his recent battle with West Nile virus.
Matthew Arambula, a tree maintainer with Bakersfield's Department of Recreation and Parks, recently recovered from a bout of West Nile Virus. Arambula is one of 78 people to have contracted the virus in Kern County and one of 137 sickened statewide.
Fever of 104 degrees. Full-body rash. Chills. Dizziness. Body aches. Shaking.
Arambula, an otherwise healthy man of 38, suffered those unpleasant symptoms from the mosquito-borne disease but has no mark and no idea when or where he was bitten.
"I probably scratched it and didn't even think about it," said the northeast Bakersfield resident, waiting for his daughter's soccer game to start at O.J. Actis Junior High School Wednesday night. "What could a mosquito do to a 230-pound person?
"Well, it's the sickest I've ever been."
Arambula is one of 78 people to have contracted the virus in Kern County and one of 137 sickened statewide.
His ordeal started the week of July 9, he said, when he woke up feeling flu-ish.
"It felt like someone hit me in the back," he said. "It's the flu. It will pass. That's what everybody thinks."
A few days later he donated blood to Houchin Blood Bank at his workplace. Arambula works as a tree maintainer for the city of Bakersfield but said he could have been bitten anywhere -- playing outside with his daughters or watching them play softball and soccer.
Though his symptoms were becoming more severe, he was still working when he got a call from the blood bank the next day telling him to get to a doctor.
Houchin, which tests blood for about 14 different diseases, has flagged more West Nile cases than any other blood bank in the state, with roughly 17 people testing positive at the local facility, said Houchin CEO Greg Gallion.
Arambula's physician told him there is no treatment besides plenty of rest, Arambula said.
Despite the lack of an antidote, residents who think they may have the virus should seek medical care because symptoms can include deadly infections, respiratory problems and paralysis, which do require monitoring, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, deputy county health officer and director of disease control.
Every day with the virus was different, Arambula said. A few days after experiencing the first symptoms, he had what looked like a heat rash covering most of his body, said daughter Mariana Arambula, 13, who helped keep an eye on her dad when he was sick.
"He was not himself," she said. "I've never seen him like that before."
By that Sunday, the dizziness and loss of breath set in.
"I would walk from here to that tree," he said, pointing to a tree 30 feet away, "and get winded."
He was off work about two weeks, and some symptoms still haven't subsided; others he may have for the rest of his life.
Mariana has noticed he tires more easily now. His hands sometimes start shaking for no reason.
"It's part paralysis," he said. "It (West Nile) affects your nervous system."
Before getting West Nile, the last time Arambula wore mosquito repellent was probably when he was a child, he said.
"It's just like anything else, it's never going to happen to them," he said.
Watching as her younger sister kicked the ball around the field, Mariana said she wasn't wearing mosquito repellent.
"If more people probably started getting it, I wouldn't leave the house without it," she said.
When told that Kern County has the most cases of any county in the nation, she gave a one-word response.
"Oh!"
West Nile fogging in NE Hanford tonight
By Eiji Yamashita
eyamashita@HanfordSentinel.com
A high concentration of mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus have been found in northeast Hanford, prompting officials to schedule a fogging for tonight in the area near Freedom Park.
Surveillance of mosquitoes through traps during the past two weeks have identified the area as a hot spot for West Nile activity, said Kings Mosquito Abatement District Manager Michael Cavanaugh.
"We had a very high number of adult mosquito samples from the area that came back positive for West Nile," Cavanaugh said. "Also, mosquito counts are very high in the area. So it is necessary to treat."
Just two weeks ago, in the wake of the first West Nile death this year, county officials decided not to get a local emergency designation saying that the situation wasn't yet quite dire.
Cavanagh explained that West Nile activities in Kings County at the time were decreasing. But it has picked back up over the past two weeks, he said.
So far this year 137 human cases of West Nile infections have been reported statewide. Kings County has so far seen just two cases, the first of which turned out to be fatal.
With numbers rising elsewhere in the Central Valley, specifically in Bakersfield and Fresno, the Kings Mosquito Abatement District is responding to the elevated risk of the virus.
"We are just taking a precaution," Cavanaugh said. "This is part of our normal control activity, which is fairly routine."
The district will first target the northeast Hanford area and then later target another hotspot on the outskirts of Lemoore, a slough area northwest of Highway 198 and Highway 41, Cavanaugh said. Fogging in those areas is expected to take place in the late evening hours over the course of the next several weeks.
Meanwhile, health officials say people can take the following steps to guard against mosquito bites:
• Use a repellent with an effective ingredient such as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Follow label directions.
• Drain all sources of standing water, such as old tires and flower pots, that may support mosquito breeding habitats.
• Keep door and window screens tight-fitting and in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
• If you own horses, have them vaccinated. Horses are highly susceptible to West Nile virus.
• Avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors if possible when mosquitoes are present.
Dead birds should be reported to 1-877-WNV-BIRD (968-2473).
The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3059.
(Aug. 23, 2007)
eyamashita@HanfordSentinel.com
A high concentration of mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus have been found in northeast Hanford, prompting officials to schedule a fogging for tonight in the area near Freedom Park.
Surveillance of mosquitoes through traps during the past two weeks have identified the area as a hot spot for West Nile activity, said Kings Mosquito Abatement District Manager Michael Cavanaugh.
"We had a very high number of adult mosquito samples from the area that came back positive for West Nile," Cavanaugh said. "Also, mosquito counts are very high in the area. So it is necessary to treat."
Just two weeks ago, in the wake of the first West Nile death this year, county officials decided not to get a local emergency designation saying that the situation wasn't yet quite dire.
Cavanagh explained that West Nile activities in Kings County at the time were decreasing. But it has picked back up over the past two weeks, he said.
So far this year 137 human cases of West Nile infections have been reported statewide. Kings County has so far seen just two cases, the first of which turned out to be fatal.
With numbers rising elsewhere in the Central Valley, specifically in Bakersfield and Fresno, the Kings Mosquito Abatement District is responding to the elevated risk of the virus.
"We are just taking a precaution," Cavanaugh said. "This is part of our normal control activity, which is fairly routine."
The district will first target the northeast Hanford area and then later target another hotspot on the outskirts of Lemoore, a slough area northwest of Highway 198 and Highway 41, Cavanaugh said. Fogging in those areas is expected to take place in the late evening hours over the course of the next several weeks.
Meanwhile, health officials say people can take the following steps to guard against mosquito bites:
• Use a repellent with an effective ingredient such as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Follow label directions.
• Drain all sources of standing water, such as old tires and flower pots, that may support mosquito breeding habitats.
• Keep door and window screens tight-fitting and in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
• If you own horses, have them vaccinated. Horses are highly susceptible to West Nile virus.
• Avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors if possible when mosquitoes are present.
Dead birds should be reported to 1-877-WNV-BIRD (968-2473).
The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3059.
(Aug. 23, 2007)
West Nile cases in Kern up to 78
The Bakersfield Californian | Tuesday, Aug 21 2007 10:05 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 21 2007 10:08 PM
The rise in West Nile virus cases doesn't appear to be slowing.
In California, 137 people were sickened by the mosquito-borne virus as of Tuesday, according to the state Department of Public Health. Kern County has seen 14 more cases -- 78 total -- the most of any county.
The county with the next highest number of cases is Fresno with nine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows Kern having the most cases of any county in the country.
Seven Californians have died from the virus this year; three were in Kern.
It could still be a couple of weeks before the outcome of the recent aerial sprayings to kill adult mosquitoes in metropolitan Bakersfield will be known, the county Department of Public Health has said.
To avoid getting West Nile, local and state agencies urge residents to:
* Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
* Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
* Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
* Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
* Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
* Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
* Call the state's toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
* Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/218515.html
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 21 2007 10:08 PM
The rise in West Nile virus cases doesn't appear to be slowing.
In California, 137 people were sickened by the mosquito-borne virus as of Tuesday, according to the state Department of Public Health. Kern County has seen 14 more cases -- 78 total -- the most of any county.
The county with the next highest number of cases is Fresno with nine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows Kern having the most cases of any county in the country.
Seven Californians have died from the virus this year; three were in Kern.
It could still be a couple of weeks before the outcome of the recent aerial sprayings to kill adult mosquitoes in metropolitan Bakersfield will be known, the county Department of Public Health has said.
To avoid getting West Nile, local and state agencies urge residents to:
* Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
* Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
* Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
* Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
* Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
* Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
* Call the state's toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
* Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/218515.html
West Nile kills Fresnan, 90
Virus confirmed as the cause of July 23 death.
By Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee
08/22/07 04:44:29
The July death of a 90-year-old Fresno man is the first confirmed fatality from West Nile virus this year in Fresno County, health officials said Tuesday.
Ernest Nave died July 23 in Saint Agnes Medical Center after he was infected by the virus weeks earlier, said his son, Michael Nave of Sacramento.
Nave is one of eight people who have died this year in California from the virus, which affects the nervous system and is spread by mosquitoes, said Dr. Edward Moreno, director and health officer of the Fresno County Department of Community Health.
There have been three deaths in Kern County and one each in Kings, San Joaquin, Colusa and Los Angeles counties.
Michael Nave said he hopes his father's death will help others learn to take precautions.
Nave said his father and mother, 78-year-old Theresa Nave, routinely sat outside in the evening.
"Although he wore insect repellent ... he probably didn't apply it completely," Nave said in a telephone interview.
Ernest Nave did not have major health problems, his son said, although he had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and had undergone heart bypass surgery about 10 years ago.
Michael Nave said his father first felt sick in early July and took an aspirin. A couple of days later, he began to suffer strong tremors throughout his body. He was taken to Saint Agnes and tested for encephalitis and meningitis, his son said.
The hospital released him when he improved, his son said. While waiting for results of tests, Nave's condition worsened, Michael Nave said.
Two days later, Ernest Nave was taken by ambulance to Saint Agnes and was placed in the intensive-care unit because he couldn't get out of bed and couldn't talk, Michael Nave said.
"After seeing my dad in the hospital, I realized how difficult the impact of that virus is on individuals," Michael Nave said.
Kelley Sanchez, a spokeswoman for Saint Agnes Medical Center, verified that the hospital had treated a West Nile patient but couldn't confirm the chronology of the case.
Laboratory test results Monday confirmed that Ernest Nave died as a result of the virus, health officials said.
Of the 137 human cases of West Nile virus in the state so far this year, nine have occurred in Fresno County as of Tuesday. In 2006, there were 11 human cases of West Nile infection in Fresno County, with one death.
Most who contract the virus do not show signs of the disease, but some can become seriously ill with flulike symptoms. About 20% who contract the disease develop symptoms. Fewer than 1% die of it.
To prevent the spread of the disease, residents are asked to eliminate standing water around their homes and report unmaintained or "green" swimming pools to local mosquito control districts.
They also are urged to report dead or ill birds to the California Department of Health Services. If the birds are not picked up within 24 hours, residents are asked to place them in double bags and dispose of them in a regular waste container.
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/118650.html
By Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee
08/22/07 04:44:29
The July death of a 90-year-old Fresno man is the first confirmed fatality from West Nile virus this year in Fresno County, health officials said Tuesday.
Ernest Nave died July 23 in Saint Agnes Medical Center after he was infected by the virus weeks earlier, said his son, Michael Nave of Sacramento.
Nave is one of eight people who have died this year in California from the virus, which affects the nervous system and is spread by mosquitoes, said Dr. Edward Moreno, director and health officer of the Fresno County Department of Community Health.
There have been three deaths in Kern County and one each in Kings, San Joaquin, Colusa and Los Angeles counties.
Michael Nave said he hopes his father's death will help others learn to take precautions.
Nave said his father and mother, 78-year-old Theresa Nave, routinely sat outside in the evening.
"Although he wore insect repellent ... he probably didn't apply it completely," Nave said in a telephone interview.
Ernest Nave did not have major health problems, his son said, although he had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and had undergone heart bypass surgery about 10 years ago.
Michael Nave said his father first felt sick in early July and took an aspirin. A couple of days later, he began to suffer strong tremors throughout his body. He was taken to Saint Agnes and tested for encephalitis and meningitis, his son said.
The hospital released him when he improved, his son said. While waiting for results of tests, Nave's condition worsened, Michael Nave said.
Two days later, Ernest Nave was taken by ambulance to Saint Agnes and was placed in the intensive-care unit because he couldn't get out of bed and couldn't talk, Michael Nave said.
"After seeing my dad in the hospital, I realized how difficult the impact of that virus is on individuals," Michael Nave said.
Kelley Sanchez, a spokeswoman for Saint Agnes Medical Center, verified that the hospital had treated a West Nile patient but couldn't confirm the chronology of the case.
Laboratory test results Monday confirmed that Ernest Nave died as a result of the virus, health officials said.
Of the 137 human cases of West Nile virus in the state so far this year, nine have occurred in Fresno County as of Tuesday. In 2006, there were 11 human cases of West Nile infection in Fresno County, with one death.
Most who contract the virus do not show signs of the disease, but some can become seriously ill with flulike symptoms. About 20% who contract the disease develop symptoms. Fewer than 1% die of it.
To prevent the spread of the disease, residents are asked to eliminate standing water around their homes and report unmaintained or "green" swimming pools to local mosquito control districts.
They also are urged to report dead or ill birds to the California Department of Health Services. If the birds are not picked up within 24 hours, residents are asked to place them in double bags and dispose of them in a regular waste container.
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/118650.html
Third resident to die of West Nile was quintessential grandmother
BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Sunday, Aug 19 2007 10:35 PM
Last Updated: Sunday, Aug 19 2007 10:51 PM
Brian Branson has racked his brains over where his mother could have gotten the West Nile virus.
Audrey Branson's neighborhood near Rosedale Highway isn't by water nor do any of the other residents have standing water around their homes, he said.
The 76-year-old would usually only go outside when she wanted some fresh air on her front porch, and she never complained of mosquito bites.
Audrey Branson, of Bakersfield, died Aug. 7 and is the third Kern County resident to succumb to West Nile virus this year.
"There's no water. There's nothing," said Brian Branson, 47, of Bakersfield. "That's kind of the kicker: Where did she get it?"
Audrey Branson's hobby was her 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, Brian Branson said.
"She wasn't really their grandma; she was their friend," he said. "If somebody needed something, she would sit and listen to them."
He remembers her riding on the back of his father's motorcycle and family trips to Las Vegas.
"She made the best turkey gravy in the world at Thanksgiving," he said.
His father, Bill, died about a year and a half ago from lung cancer, and since then, Audrey Branson had pretty much stayed at home.
She mentioned a desire to go to Disneyland a few weeks ago when she had gone to Brian Branson's home for dinner, which delighted the family.
Then she got sick with flu-like symptoms, he said.
"It was like she got the flu and kept getting sicker and sicker," he said. "She was fine and within two weeks she was dead. That's the crazy part."
Toward the end, she was disoriented. "She just kind of laid there and stared at the walls.
"It just really got her," he said. "It just beat her up enough that she needed a feeding tube in her."
West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. Historically, most cases are asymptomatic, but some people may experience fever, headache, body aches, rash and even life-threatening infections and death.
Statewide, 120 people have been infected by the virus, with 64 cases in Kern County -- the most of any county in the state, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Kern County having the most cases of any place in the country.
Audrey Branson died on the day she predicted her newest great-grandchild would be born, said daughter-in-law Sherri Branson. It was also Audrey and Bill Branson's 59th wedding anniversary.
"In a weird way, she's back with my dad," Brian Branson said. "Knowing they're back together, eases it a little bit."
To avoid getting West Nile, according to local and state agencies, residents should:
• Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
• Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
• Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
• Call the state toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
• Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/216889.html
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Sunday, Aug 19 2007 10:35 PM
Last Updated: Sunday, Aug 19 2007 10:51 PM
Brian Branson has racked his brains over where his mother could have gotten the West Nile virus.
Audrey Branson's neighborhood near Rosedale Highway isn't by water nor do any of the other residents have standing water around their homes, he said.
The 76-year-old would usually only go outside when she wanted some fresh air on her front porch, and she never complained of mosquito bites.
Audrey Branson, of Bakersfield, died Aug. 7 and is the third Kern County resident to succumb to West Nile virus this year.
"There's no water. There's nothing," said Brian Branson, 47, of Bakersfield. "That's kind of the kicker: Where did she get it?"
Audrey Branson's hobby was her 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, Brian Branson said.
"She wasn't really their grandma; she was their friend," he said. "If somebody needed something, she would sit and listen to them."
He remembers her riding on the back of his father's motorcycle and family trips to Las Vegas.
"She made the best turkey gravy in the world at Thanksgiving," he said.
His father, Bill, died about a year and a half ago from lung cancer, and since then, Audrey Branson had pretty much stayed at home.
She mentioned a desire to go to Disneyland a few weeks ago when she had gone to Brian Branson's home for dinner, which delighted the family.
Then she got sick with flu-like symptoms, he said.
"It was like she got the flu and kept getting sicker and sicker," he said. "She was fine and within two weeks she was dead. That's the crazy part."
Toward the end, she was disoriented. "She just kind of laid there and stared at the walls.
"It just really got her," he said. "It just beat her up enough that she needed a feeding tube in her."
West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. Historically, most cases are asymptomatic, but some people may experience fever, headache, body aches, rash and even life-threatening infections and death.
Statewide, 120 people have been infected by the virus, with 64 cases in Kern County -- the most of any county in the state, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Kern County having the most cases of any place in the country.
Audrey Branson died on the day she predicted her newest great-grandchild would be born, said daughter-in-law Sherri Branson. It was also Audrey and Bill Branson's 59th wedding anniversary.
"In a weird way, she's back with my dad," Brian Branson said. "Knowing they're back together, eases it a little bit."
To avoid getting West Nile, according to local and state agencies, residents should:
• Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
• Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
• Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
• Call the state toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
• Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/216889.html
Crews clean up Valley wash seen as potential West Nile virus threat
By Francisco Vara-Orta
August 16, 2007
Clean up began Wednesday on the Pacoima Wash in Panorama City, considered the county's most fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus.
The majority of West Nile cases detected in the county this year have been in San Fernando Valley, said Michael Shaw, operations director for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
"It's not just a Panorama City issue, but a countywide one," he said, noting that the birds carrying the virus can travel many more miles than the mosquitoes that transmit it to humans by biting them.
Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on birds carrying the disease.
Of the 32 mosquito samples that tested positive for West Nile in Los Angeles County this year, 29 were in the Valley cities of Panorama City, Granada Hills, Northridge, Encino and Van Nuys, county vector control officials found.
Fourteen of the 17 samples found in Panorama City were traced directly to the Pacoima Wash and a one-mile stretch of the wash near Parthenia Street.
The results prompted Shaw's office to call in the county Department of Public Works to use its larger equipment to clean up the area by Saturday.
The request marked the only instance this year where vector control needed help cleaning up mosquito pools, said Arthur Vander, an area engineer with public works.
As bulldozers uprooted tall grass at the Pacoima Wash late Wednesday afternoon and dump trucks waited to haul off the debris, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes the wash, and officials with the county public health, vector control and public works departments urged residents to keep an eye out for stagnant water that could provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
"This is a potential emergency and there's no need to be timid about this," Yaroslavsky said. "It's a serious public health concern in the county."
As of Wednesday, the virus has been detected in 19 dead birds and 33 mosquito pools in Los Angeles County, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Human cases of West Nile virus in California are noticeably up this year, with 108 humans infected compared with 68 in 2006. There have been five fatalities in the state this year, with two in nearby Kern County.
Only one human case has been reported in Los Angeles County: a San Fernando Valley resident who was briefly hospitalized with West Nile-related meningitis last week.
In its milder form, West Nile virus causes flu-like symptoms; many people are infected without suffering any symptoms, Shaw said.
But in its more severe form, it can cause encephalitis, meningitis and death.
While California health officials have said West Nile, first detected in the state five years ago, will be an ongoing problem, people can better protect themselves by wearing long-sleeved clothing, applying insect repellent and notifying vector control when a stagnant pool of water attracts mosquitoes, Shaw said.
County residents can contact the vector control district at (562) 944-9656 to report stagnant water pools.
"We are in the height of the season," Shaw said. "And with the heat and dry weather, it can lead to places being neglected where water pools accumulate. Reports of West Nile happen every year, but is the worst in the Valley this time around."
francisco.varaorta@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-westnile16aug16,1,5933987.story?coll=la-headlines-california
August 16, 2007
Clean up began Wednesday on the Pacoima Wash in Panorama City, considered the county's most fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus.
The majority of West Nile cases detected in the county this year have been in San Fernando Valley, said Michael Shaw, operations director for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
"It's not just a Panorama City issue, but a countywide one," he said, noting that the birds carrying the virus can travel many more miles than the mosquitoes that transmit it to humans by biting them.
Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on birds carrying the disease.
Of the 32 mosquito samples that tested positive for West Nile in Los Angeles County this year, 29 were in the Valley cities of Panorama City, Granada Hills, Northridge, Encino and Van Nuys, county vector control officials found.
Fourteen of the 17 samples found in Panorama City were traced directly to the Pacoima Wash and a one-mile stretch of the wash near Parthenia Street.
The results prompted Shaw's office to call in the county Department of Public Works to use its larger equipment to clean up the area by Saturday.
The request marked the only instance this year where vector control needed help cleaning up mosquito pools, said Arthur Vander, an area engineer with public works.
As bulldozers uprooted tall grass at the Pacoima Wash late Wednesday afternoon and dump trucks waited to haul off the debris, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes the wash, and officials with the county public health, vector control and public works departments urged residents to keep an eye out for stagnant water that could provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
"This is a potential emergency and there's no need to be timid about this," Yaroslavsky said. "It's a serious public health concern in the county."
As of Wednesday, the virus has been detected in 19 dead birds and 33 mosquito pools in Los Angeles County, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Human cases of West Nile virus in California are noticeably up this year, with 108 humans infected compared with 68 in 2006. There have been five fatalities in the state this year, with two in nearby Kern County.
Only one human case has been reported in Los Angeles County: a San Fernando Valley resident who was briefly hospitalized with West Nile-related meningitis last week.
In its milder form, West Nile virus causes flu-like symptoms; many people are infected without suffering any symptoms, Shaw said.
But in its more severe form, it can cause encephalitis, meningitis and death.
While California health officials have said West Nile, first detected in the state five years ago, will be an ongoing problem, people can better protect themselves by wearing long-sleeved clothing, applying insect repellent and notifying vector control when a stagnant pool of water attracts mosquitoes, Shaw said.
County residents can contact the vector control district at (562) 944-9656 to report stagnant water pools.
"We are in the height of the season," Shaw said. "And with the heat and dry weather, it can lead to places being neglected where water pools accumulate. Reports of West Nile happen every year, but is the worst in the Valley this time around."
francisco.varaorta@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-westnile16aug16,1,5933987.story?coll=la-headlines-california
West Nile virus cases climb to 63 in Kern
BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Aug 14 2007 10:20 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 14 2007 10:25 PM
Kern County has now surpassed the number of West Nile virus cases it reported last year, and it's only a quarter through the virus' most active time of year.
Sixty-three people have been diagnosed with the disease in the county as of Tuesday, according to the state Department of Public Health. Kern saw 51 cases last year.
This year, 108 people have been sickened statewide. The second-highest number of cases coming out of a county is Fresno, which reported seven.
Typically spread by mosquitoes, West Nile is a serious condition that can cause flu-like symptoms, infections of the brain and membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and even death. Even milder symptoms, such as muscle weakness and pain, can last for weeks, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, deputy Kern County health officer.
"This isn't like, 'Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.' It's not like it's one of those conditions," he said. "This is really serious."
These new numbers show an almost 60 percent increase over the number of cases statewide at this time last year, and August and September have historically been the worst months for the virus.
The Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District finished spraying the pesticide pyrethrin on metropolitan Bakersfield Monday, but the effects of the spraying on the number of new cases probably won't be seen until early September, considering the disease has a five- to 15-day incubation period, Dulan said.
The aerial application hopefully will reduce the number of mosquitoes, but it does not erase the risk, he said.
"If you know how to prevent a disease, then do what it takes to prevent it," Dulan said. "This is your part. This is where you need to be involved in the solution."
To avoid getting West Nile, according to local and state agencies, residents should:
* Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
* Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
* Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
* Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
* Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
* Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
* Call the state toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
* Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Aug 14 2007 10:20 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 14 2007 10:25 PM
Kern County has now surpassed the number of West Nile virus cases it reported last year, and it's only a quarter through the virus' most active time of year.
Sixty-three people have been diagnosed with the disease in the county as of Tuesday, according to the state Department of Public Health. Kern saw 51 cases last year.
This year, 108 people have been sickened statewide. The second-highest number of cases coming out of a county is Fresno, which reported seven.
Typically spread by mosquitoes, West Nile is a serious condition that can cause flu-like symptoms, infections of the brain and membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and even death. Even milder symptoms, such as muscle weakness and pain, can last for weeks, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, deputy Kern County health officer.
"This isn't like, 'Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.' It's not like it's one of those conditions," he said. "This is really serious."
These new numbers show an almost 60 percent increase over the number of cases statewide at this time last year, and August and September have historically been the worst months for the virus.
The Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District finished spraying the pesticide pyrethrin on metropolitan Bakersfield Monday, but the effects of the spraying on the number of new cases probably won't be seen until early September, considering the disease has a five- to 15-day incubation period, Dulan said.
The aerial application hopefully will reduce the number of mosquitoes, but it does not erase the risk, he said.
"If you know how to prevent a disease, then do what it takes to prevent it," Dulan said. "This is your part. This is where you need to be involved in the solution."
To avoid getting West Nile, according to local and state agencies, residents should:
* Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
* Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
* Wear long sleeves and long pants while outdoors whenever possible.
* Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
* Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
* Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned, stagnant swimming pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
* Call the state toll-free hot line at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) upon finding a dead bird or squirrel.
* Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
This year's big threat
Dry weather draws West Nile virus to Valley urban areas as human cases rise.
By Denny Boyles / The Fresno Bee
08/11/07 04:31:54
This year's dry conditions were supposed to spell relief from the West Nile virus. Instead, the disease has thrived in the San Joaquin Valley.
Birds and mosquitoes in search of scarce water have found it in urban areas. The result: concentrated breeding grounds for West Nile right where people live. Six have died statewide so far.
That's not what health and mosquito experts expected after lower-than-average rainfall and a smaller-than-normal snowpack.
"We couldn't have been more wrong," said Gene Abbott, a superintendent for the Kern Mosquito Abatement and Vector Control District. "Instead of seeing fewer West Nile cases, we've actually seen an increase because the drought has driven the birds, and the mosquitoes, closer to our population centers."
West Nile virus is a neuroinvasive disease that most often is spread by mosquitoes as they feed on birds, horses and humans.
Most who contract the virus do not show signs of the disease, but some can become seriously ill with flulike symptoms. About 20% who contract the disease develop symptoms, and a small percentage can die.
The disease first appeared in the United States in 2000, and spread to the West Coast within a few years. West Nile cases typically peak within two or three years of their first appearance in a region, then begin to taper off as birds develop immunity.
In California, West Nile peaked in 2004, with 779 human cases and 28 deaths. The number of human cases and deaths has dropped steadily each year -- until this year.
Statewide, there are now three times as many West Nile cases this year compared with last. Through Aug. 2, California had 56 confirmed human cases, compared with 20 for the same time period in 2006. As of Aug. 7, the count had risen to 75 confirmed human infections.
Officials also are concerned about where the cases are occurring.
In the past, human cases of West Nile usually have been in rural areas, near farmland, rivers or lakes, Abbott said. But the water shortage has forced birds and mosquitoes to seek out ponding basins, riverbeds in city areas and even swimming pools. In Kern County, that has meant that this year the majority of human cases are in Bakersfield.
That has put Abbott and his fellow mosquito fighters at the center of California's fight against West Nile this year.
So far in 2007, Kern has had 48 confirmed cases of West Nile in humans, just one below its total for all of 2006, and far more than any other county in the state. Kern also has had two deaths, which prompted Gov. Schwarzenegger to include Kern in a state of emergency declaration last week that also includes Kings, Glenn, Colusa and San Joaquin counties. Each of the other counties has had one death.
The declaration will pump more than $1 million for mosquito abatement into those counties, and also help fund education efforts to remind people that West Nile is here to stay.
"West Nile isn't going anywhere, it's just a matter of how bad it will be from year to year," said Tim Phillips, assistant manager of the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District. "This year, because of a lot of different factors, it's been bad."
Experts said West Nile is more prevalent in warm areas such as the Central Valley because the heat seems to drive the infection in birds and mosquitoes.
This year, additional factors are contributing to the problem. Abbott, in Kern County, said those factors include hundreds of abandoned and repossessed homes, many of which have swimming pools that have turned into green mosquito hatcheries.
"In June alone, Kern County had 800 home foreclosures," Abbott said. "We're working with the Realtors to get a list of which homes had pools, but for now we are relying on the public. When they let us know about a green pool, we can treat it, and at least reduce the threat a little."
Kern County has recorded more than nine times as many cases as Fresno, which comes in a distant second with five human cases.
Abbott said he can't explain why, but he suspects Fresno has many undiagnosed cases.
"Look at the numbers," Abbott said. "We've had 89 dead birds test positive, and Fresno County has had 77. They should be closer to us in human cases based on that. Maybe they have a lot of cases that just haven't been diagnosed."
Diagnosing West Nile can take time, something Frances Navarette knows all too well. Navarette, a 61-year-old retired science teacher from Fresno, suffered through what she and doctors thought were severe flu symptoms for two weeks before it was confirmed that she had West Nile.
"It's been hell," Navarette said. "It attacks your system like nothing else. I was hospitalized for a week and still get dizzy or nauseous when I stand up sometimes."
Navarette, who was active and healthy before catching West Nile, hopes her experience will help others by encouraging them to not only take preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites, but also encourage their doctors to test for West Nile if they have flulike symptoms.
Navarette isn't sure how she was infected with West Nile. She spends a lot of time outdoors, and is an avid gardener, but wears mosquito repellent that she thought would protect her.
"I never believed I would get West Nile, but I did," Navarette said. "People really need to keep an open mind, and encourage their doctors to do the same. This disease is real here. You can catch it."
The reporter can be reached at dboyles@fresnobee.comor (559) 441-6659.
By Denny Boyles / The Fresno Bee
08/11/07 04:31:54
This year's dry conditions were supposed to spell relief from the West Nile virus. Instead, the disease has thrived in the San Joaquin Valley.
Birds and mosquitoes in search of scarce water have found it in urban areas. The result: concentrated breeding grounds for West Nile right where people live. Six have died statewide so far.
That's not what health and mosquito experts expected after lower-than-average rainfall and a smaller-than-normal snowpack.
"We couldn't have been more wrong," said Gene Abbott, a superintendent for the Kern Mosquito Abatement and Vector Control District. "Instead of seeing fewer West Nile cases, we've actually seen an increase because the drought has driven the birds, and the mosquitoes, closer to our population centers."
West Nile virus is a neuroinvasive disease that most often is spread by mosquitoes as they feed on birds, horses and humans.
Most who contract the virus do not show signs of the disease, but some can become seriously ill with flulike symptoms. About 20% who contract the disease develop symptoms, and a small percentage can die.
The disease first appeared in the United States in 2000, and spread to the West Coast within a few years. West Nile cases typically peak within two or three years of their first appearance in a region, then begin to taper off as birds develop immunity.
In California, West Nile peaked in 2004, with 779 human cases and 28 deaths. The number of human cases and deaths has dropped steadily each year -- until this year.
Statewide, there are now three times as many West Nile cases this year compared with last. Through Aug. 2, California had 56 confirmed human cases, compared with 20 for the same time period in 2006. As of Aug. 7, the count had risen to 75 confirmed human infections.
Officials also are concerned about where the cases are occurring.
In the past, human cases of West Nile usually have been in rural areas, near farmland, rivers or lakes, Abbott said. But the water shortage has forced birds and mosquitoes to seek out ponding basins, riverbeds in city areas and even swimming pools. In Kern County, that has meant that this year the majority of human cases are in Bakersfield.
That has put Abbott and his fellow mosquito fighters at the center of California's fight against West Nile this year.
So far in 2007, Kern has had 48 confirmed cases of West Nile in humans, just one below its total for all of 2006, and far more than any other county in the state. Kern also has had two deaths, which prompted Gov. Schwarzenegger to include Kern in a state of emergency declaration last week that also includes Kings, Glenn, Colusa and San Joaquin counties. Each of the other counties has had one death.
The declaration will pump more than $1 million for mosquito abatement into those counties, and also help fund education efforts to remind people that West Nile is here to stay.
"West Nile isn't going anywhere, it's just a matter of how bad it will be from year to year," said Tim Phillips, assistant manager of the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District. "This year, because of a lot of different factors, it's been bad."
Experts said West Nile is more prevalent in warm areas such as the Central Valley because the heat seems to drive the infection in birds and mosquitoes.
This year, additional factors are contributing to the problem. Abbott, in Kern County, said those factors include hundreds of abandoned and repossessed homes, many of which have swimming pools that have turned into green mosquito hatcheries.
"In June alone, Kern County had 800 home foreclosures," Abbott said. "We're working with the Realtors to get a list of which homes had pools, but for now we are relying on the public. When they let us know about a green pool, we can treat it, and at least reduce the threat a little."
Kern County has recorded more than nine times as many cases as Fresno, which comes in a distant second with five human cases.
Abbott said he can't explain why, but he suspects Fresno has many undiagnosed cases.
"Look at the numbers," Abbott said. "We've had 89 dead birds test positive, and Fresno County has had 77. They should be closer to us in human cases based on that. Maybe they have a lot of cases that just haven't been diagnosed."
Diagnosing West Nile can take time, something Frances Navarette knows all too well. Navarette, a 61-year-old retired science teacher from Fresno, suffered through what she and doctors thought were severe flu symptoms for two weeks before it was confirmed that she had West Nile.
"It's been hell," Navarette said. "It attacks your system like nothing else. I was hospitalized for a week and still get dizzy or nauseous when I stand up sometimes."
Navarette, who was active and healthy before catching West Nile, hopes her experience will help others by encouraging them to not only take preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites, but also encourage their doctors to test for West Nile if they have flulike symptoms.
Navarette isn't sure how she was infected with West Nile. She spends a lot of time outdoors, and is an avid gardener, but wears mosquito repellent that she thought would protect her.
"I never believed I would get West Nile, but I did," Navarette said. "People really need to keep an open mind, and encourage their doctors to do the same. This disease is real here. You can catch it."
The reporter can be reached at dboyles@fresnobee.comor (559) 441-6659.
Mosquito spray seems to work; none appear ill
BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Friday, Aug 10 2007 10:25 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 10 2007 10:31 PM
The aerial spraying of a pesticide over metropolitan Bakersfield Thursday night seems to have been successful, the city's top mosquito abatement official said Friday.
Actual data about the mosquito population won't be out until next week but, anecdotally, cages set up around town to catch the insects during the treatment contain dead mosquitoes, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The spraying targeted mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus.
As of Friday, 86 people statewide had been diagnosed with the disease this year, 48 in Kern County, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The spraying was done between about 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., Quiring said.
About 235 gallons of the pesticide solution were dropped over 40,000 acres, he said. That included 0.76 fluid ounces of the insecticide pyrethrin sprayed per acre.
The Kern County Department of Public Health hadn't heard of any illnesses brought on by the spraying, said Daniel Kim, director of health promotion and public information. The department has said the insecticide isn't harmful to people, pets or the environment.
The mosquito abatement district will spray again at 8:30 p.m. Monday, weather permitting.
The Kern County Mosquito and Vector Control District received $200,000 Thursday for the spraying from the $1.5 million Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set aside to fight the virus. On Friday, Kern's South Fork Mosquito Abatement District received $16,482 and West Side Mosquito and Vector Control District received $49,567 from the state.
The pesticide kills mosquitoes only when they are in flight. The second spraying is needed to kill newly hatched mosquitoes and mosquitoes that may have escaped Thursday's spraying, Kim said.
The health department has a hot line for up-to-date information about the spraying at 868-0367. A Spanish language option is available.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/210459.html
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Friday, Aug 10 2007 10:25 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 10 2007 10:31 PM
The aerial spraying of a pesticide over metropolitan Bakersfield Thursday night seems to have been successful, the city's top mosquito abatement official said Friday.
Actual data about the mosquito population won't be out until next week but, anecdotally, cages set up around town to catch the insects during the treatment contain dead mosquitoes, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The spraying targeted mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus.
As of Friday, 86 people statewide had been diagnosed with the disease this year, 48 in Kern County, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The spraying was done between about 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., Quiring said.
About 235 gallons of the pesticide solution were dropped over 40,000 acres, he said. That included 0.76 fluid ounces of the insecticide pyrethrin sprayed per acre.
The Kern County Department of Public Health hadn't heard of any illnesses brought on by the spraying, said Daniel Kim, director of health promotion and public information. The department has said the insecticide isn't harmful to people, pets or the environment.
The mosquito abatement district will spray again at 8:30 p.m. Monday, weather permitting.
The Kern County Mosquito and Vector Control District received $200,000 Thursday for the spraying from the $1.5 million Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set aside to fight the virus. On Friday, Kern's South Fork Mosquito Abatement District received $16,482 and West Side Mosquito and Vector Control District received $49,567 from the state.
The pesticide kills mosquitoes only when they are in flight. The second spraying is needed to kill newly hatched mosquitoes and mosquitoes that may have escaped Thursday's spraying, Kim said.
The health department has a hot line for up-to-date information about the spraying at 868-0367. A Spanish language option is available.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/210459.html
City gets sprayed for West Nile virus
BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 9 2007 10:35 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 9 2007 10:39 PM
While most residents were calling it a night Thursday, a pesticide was sprayed over metropolitan Bakersfield for the first time ever.
The spraying is in response to Kern County's mounting West Nile virus cases, which currently stand at 48, more than any other county in the country.
It came with little more than 24 hours notice, angering some people concerned about what the chemicals will do to the their health.
But the 11th-hour announcement could be considered a luxury. State and federal law does not require public notification, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District. And in Kern County, action needed to be taken quickly.
"This is one of those unique seasons that in spite of the control activity, it's not slowing down," Quiring said. "With that in mind, it was just time to go to plan B."
About 8:30 p.m., a twin turbine airplane sprayed water-based pyrethrin to kill mosquitoes, said Laura McGowan, spokeswoman for Clarke Mosquito Control, the Illinois-based company doing the spraying. The plane dropped 0.76 fluid ounces of pyrethrin per acre from about 300 feet.
The company is scheduled to do another spraying Monday, she said.
Health effects
Pyrethrin kills mosquitoes by attacking their nervous systems.
It only kills mosquitoes that are in flight, which is why the spraying took place in the evening, when mosquitoes are most active, McGowan said. The spraying was scheduled to be completed by 1 a.m..
"It is certainly much, much lower in toxicity than some of the older generation chemicals that were used to fight mosquitoes ... like DDT," said Glenn Brank, spokesman for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. "It's used in lice shampoos for children."
The chemical, approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, reportedly causes no health problems for most pets, people or the environment.
"If that's the case, why do we have to consult our physicians?" asked Sharon Borradori, program director at the Kern County branch of the American Lung Association.
Asthma and allergy sufferers or anyone sensitive to chemicals should consult their physicians if symptoms flare, said Daniel Kim, director of health promotion and public information at the county Department of Public Health.
Pyrethrin, extracted from chrysanthemum plants, is not a "toxic substance," but it can cause wheezing and sneezing in some allergic people, said Dr. Patrick Leung, a Bakersfield allergist.
Before future sprayings, concerned asthmatics should make sure to use their preventive inhalers "to protect their lungs, so they are not going to respond to a lot of particulate matter in the air," said Dr. Paula Ardron, an allergist and immunologist with Bakersfield's Kaiser Permanente. Keeping windows closed and staying inside also helps, she said.
Direct skin contact to high amounts of pyrethrin can cause numbness, itching, burning or stinging, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"This is one of those products where the dosage makes the toxicity," McGowan said. The droplets are "invisible to human eye. Several fit on the head of the pin."
Late notice?
With its multiple human infections, Kern County has reached the "outbreak in progress" stage of the CDC's suggested response to West Nile virus, McGowan said. In this stage, widespread aerial spraying should be considered, the guidelines say.
McGowan said she first was called about the spraying in Bakersfield on Monday. An alert went out to media Wednesday night.
"We really can't say, 'Yes we're spraying, but we don't exactly know where,'" she said. "You need to have everything lined up first (before announcing it)."
Considering Kern County is entering the months when West Nile virus is typically most active, action needed to be taken.
"This is a public health emergency," Kim said. "We need to treat the mosquitoes as quick as possible."
Still, at least one resident isn't happy.
"I'm really pissed that they gave me a whole day's notice," said Katrina Beeson, 40. "I can understand them going over marshes, but they don't need to be spraying over the neighborhood."
Beeson has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal disease of the lower respiratory tract that causes widespread scarring of the lungs. Because of the spraying, she decided to stay inside and turn off her swamp cooler, worried the chemical would filter inside.
"The last thing I need to do is breathe in pesticides," she said.
Pesticide Watch, a Sacramento-based activist group, spoke to Sacramento's City Council Thursday night about that community's use of pyrethrin a little more than a week ago.
"If spraying does take place, people deserve to know when," said Paul Schramski, the group's director. "People need time to prepare and protect themselves," which means shutting windows and possibly leaving town.
The Kern health department started an aerial spraying hot line Wednesday to take calls from concerned residents.
"We care about what they're saying," said Kim Rodriguez, marketing and promotions associate at the department. "We are listening to every phone call."
Spraying must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, which requires authorization from the city manager, mayor and county officials, Quiring said.
"In light of the governor's emergency declaration, it was not a hard decision to make," Quiring said, referencing the proclamation Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed last week that set aside $1.5 million to fight the virus.
The spraying will cost $60,000 to $80,000 for each application, Quiring said.
Late Thursday, the governor awarded the district $200,000 for the treatment.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/209586.html
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 9 2007 10:35 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 9 2007 10:39 PM
While most residents were calling it a night Thursday, a pesticide was sprayed over metropolitan Bakersfield for the first time ever.
The spraying is in response to Kern County's mounting West Nile virus cases, which currently stand at 48, more than any other county in the country.
It came with little more than 24 hours notice, angering some people concerned about what the chemicals will do to the their health.
But the 11th-hour announcement could be considered a luxury. State and federal law does not require public notification, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District. And in Kern County, action needed to be taken quickly.
"This is one of those unique seasons that in spite of the control activity, it's not slowing down," Quiring said. "With that in mind, it was just time to go to plan B."
About 8:30 p.m., a twin turbine airplane sprayed water-based pyrethrin to kill mosquitoes, said Laura McGowan, spokeswoman for Clarke Mosquito Control, the Illinois-based company doing the spraying. The plane dropped 0.76 fluid ounces of pyrethrin per acre from about 300 feet.
The company is scheduled to do another spraying Monday, she said.
Health effects
Pyrethrin kills mosquitoes by attacking their nervous systems.
It only kills mosquitoes that are in flight, which is why the spraying took place in the evening, when mosquitoes are most active, McGowan said. The spraying was scheduled to be completed by 1 a.m..
"It is certainly much, much lower in toxicity than some of the older generation chemicals that were used to fight mosquitoes ... like DDT," said Glenn Brank, spokesman for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. "It's used in lice shampoos for children."
The chemical, approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, reportedly causes no health problems for most pets, people or the environment.
"If that's the case, why do we have to consult our physicians?" asked Sharon Borradori, program director at the Kern County branch of the American Lung Association.
Asthma and allergy sufferers or anyone sensitive to chemicals should consult their physicians if symptoms flare, said Daniel Kim, director of health promotion and public information at the county Department of Public Health.
Pyrethrin, extracted from chrysanthemum plants, is not a "toxic substance," but it can cause wheezing and sneezing in some allergic people, said Dr. Patrick Leung, a Bakersfield allergist.
Before future sprayings, concerned asthmatics should make sure to use their preventive inhalers "to protect their lungs, so they are not going to respond to a lot of particulate matter in the air," said Dr. Paula Ardron, an allergist and immunologist with Bakersfield's Kaiser Permanente. Keeping windows closed and staying inside also helps, she said.
Direct skin contact to high amounts of pyrethrin can cause numbness, itching, burning or stinging, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"This is one of those products where the dosage makes the toxicity," McGowan said. The droplets are "invisible to human eye. Several fit on the head of the pin."
Late notice?
With its multiple human infections, Kern County has reached the "outbreak in progress" stage of the CDC's suggested response to West Nile virus, McGowan said. In this stage, widespread aerial spraying should be considered, the guidelines say.
McGowan said she first was called about the spraying in Bakersfield on Monday. An alert went out to media Wednesday night.
"We really can't say, 'Yes we're spraying, but we don't exactly know where,'" she said. "You need to have everything lined up first (before announcing it)."
Considering Kern County is entering the months when West Nile virus is typically most active, action needed to be taken.
"This is a public health emergency," Kim said. "We need to treat the mosquitoes as quick as possible."
Still, at least one resident isn't happy.
"I'm really pissed that they gave me a whole day's notice," said Katrina Beeson, 40. "I can understand them going over marshes, but they don't need to be spraying over the neighborhood."
Beeson has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal disease of the lower respiratory tract that causes widespread scarring of the lungs. Because of the spraying, she decided to stay inside and turn off her swamp cooler, worried the chemical would filter inside.
"The last thing I need to do is breathe in pesticides," she said.
Pesticide Watch, a Sacramento-based activist group, spoke to Sacramento's City Council Thursday night about that community's use of pyrethrin a little more than a week ago.
"If spraying does take place, people deserve to know when," said Paul Schramski, the group's director. "People need time to prepare and protect themselves," which means shutting windows and possibly leaving town.
The Kern health department started an aerial spraying hot line Wednesday to take calls from concerned residents.
"We care about what they're saying," said Kim Rodriguez, marketing and promotions associate at the department. "We are listening to every phone call."
Spraying must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, which requires authorization from the city manager, mayor and county officials, Quiring said.
"In light of the governor's emergency declaration, it was not a hard decision to make," Quiring said, referencing the proclamation Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed last week that set aside $1.5 million to fight the virus.
The spraying will cost $60,000 to $80,000 for each application, Quiring said.
Late Thursday, the governor awarded the district $200,000 for the treatment.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/209586.html
State declares West Nile emergency in Kings County
By Eiji Yamashita
eyamashita@HanfordSentinel.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Wednesday in Kings County to provide funds to fight the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, which killed a Lemoore woman last week.
The declaration came a day after the county Board of Supervisors decided it isn't necessary to seek an emergency status.
On Tuesday, public health and mosquito abatement officials told the board that West Nile activities are on the decline, despite a popular perception caused by the death of a 59-year-old woman.
"I think the governor's being consistent with himself by declaring emergency where death has occurred as a result of West Nile and making sure that funds are available," said Larry Spikes, Kings County administrative officer.
The governor last week declared a state of emergency in Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties, where West Nile has killed four people so far this year.
The disease's epicenter lies in Kern County, which has seen two-thirds of the state's 56 West Nile cases this year including two deaths last month. The state's third and fourth fatalies were announced last week in San Joaquin and Colusa counties.
The recent case in Kings County marks the fifth fatality in the state.
Michael Cavanaugh, Kings Mosquito Abatement director, told the board that most mosquito pools are under control.
Perry Rickard, director of the Kings County Helath Department, has said funding available at the state level is so meager that Kings County should let other counties that are truly in need apply for the aid.
West Nile is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites.
Most infected people never get sick, but about one in five people develop mostly mild flu-like symptoms. Severe symptoms, such as fatal brain inflammation, are rare.
Health officials recommend people avoid infection by staying inside at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active; wearing long sleeves and long pants to keep off mosquitoes; draining areas where mosquitoes can breed; and using insecticide with the chemical DEET.
The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3059.
(Aug. 9, 2007)
eyamashita@HanfordSentinel.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Wednesday in Kings County to provide funds to fight the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, which killed a Lemoore woman last week.
The declaration came a day after the county Board of Supervisors decided it isn't necessary to seek an emergency status.
On Tuesday, public health and mosquito abatement officials told the board that West Nile activities are on the decline, despite a popular perception caused by the death of a 59-year-old woman.
"I think the governor's being consistent with himself by declaring emergency where death has occurred as a result of West Nile and making sure that funds are available," said Larry Spikes, Kings County administrative officer.
The governor last week declared a state of emergency in Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties, where West Nile has killed four people so far this year.
The disease's epicenter lies in Kern County, which has seen two-thirds of the state's 56 West Nile cases this year including two deaths last month. The state's third and fourth fatalies were announced last week in San Joaquin and Colusa counties.
The recent case in Kings County marks the fifth fatality in the state.
Michael Cavanaugh, Kings Mosquito Abatement director, told the board that most mosquito pools are under control.
Perry Rickard, director of the Kings County Helath Department, has said funding available at the state level is so meager that Kings County should let other counties that are truly in need apply for the aid.
West Nile is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites.
Most infected people never get sick, but about one in five people develop mostly mild flu-like symptoms. Severe symptoms, such as fatal brain inflammation, are rare.
Health officials recommend people avoid infection by staying inside at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active; wearing long sleeves and long pants to keep off mosquitoes; draining areas where mosquitoes can breed; and using insecticide with the chemical DEET.
The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3059.
(Aug. 9, 2007)
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
State issues pool alert to contain West Nile virus
-
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, August 8, 2007
SACRAMENTO -- The state commissioner of financial institutions, Michael Kelley, issued a press release Tuesday calling on chief executives of banks and others in the financial services industry to ensure that swimming pools and standing water at vacant home sites under their control be drained and maintained to prevent the spread of West Nile virus.
In recent months hundreds of vacant homes with neglected pools have been reported to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District as potential mosquito breeding sites.
The problem is twofold. The volume of foreclosed or abandoned homes has risen as the real estate market stalls. And scores of mosquitoes in the county have tested positive for West Nile virus.
So far this summer, there have been five fatalities statewide linked to West Nile virus.
Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the hardest hit counties of Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin. Kern County has reported 38 cases tied to the virus, including two of the five deaths.
For information, visit the Web site at www.westnile.ca.gov.
-- Loretta Kalb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/314386.html
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, August 8, 2007
SACRAMENTO -- The state commissioner of financial institutions, Michael Kelley, issued a press release Tuesday calling on chief executives of banks and others in the financial services industry to ensure that swimming pools and standing water at vacant home sites under their control be drained and maintained to prevent the spread of West Nile virus.
In recent months hundreds of vacant homes with neglected pools have been reported to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District as potential mosquito breeding sites.
The problem is twofold. The volume of foreclosed or abandoned homes has risen as the real estate market stalls. And scores of mosquitoes in the county have tested positive for West Nile virus.
So far this summer, there have been five fatalities statewide linked to West Nile virus.
Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the hardest hit counties of Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin. Kern County has reported 38 cases tied to the virus, including two of the five deaths.
For information, visit the Web site at www.westnile.ca.gov.
-- Loretta Kalb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/314386.html
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
West Nile cases surge in Kern County
Last Update: Aug 7, 2007 4:47 PM
Posted By: Megan Trihey
Posted 8/7/07
BAKERSFIELD - There are 14 more human West Nile Virus cases in California, the state announced this afternoon, and 10 of the 14 are in Kern County. That's an increase of more than 30 percent since last week.
Kern County remains the epicenter of this year's West Nile infections. There are 78 human cases statewide. Of those, 48 are in Kern County.
There have been five deaths from WNV this year. Gov. Schwarzenegger came to Bakersfield Thursday to declare a state of emergency in four counties where there have been deaths -- Kern, Kings, Colusa and San Joaquin. Two of the deaths were in Kern.
The state department of health says the best way to avoid WNV is to avoid mosquito bites.
To do that, the state suggests what it calls a 3-D plan:
Drain all sources of standing water on your property to reduce mosquito breeding Sources may include children's wading pools, empty flower pots, buckets, barrels and other containers
DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus containing insect repellents should be applied when outdoors. Follow the directions on the package. More information on mosquito repellents may be found by clicking here.
DUSK and DAWN - Avoid spending time outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
The state department of health lists these symptoms of West Nile Virus
Less than one percent (about 1 in 150 people) of individuals infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. WN virus infection can be fatal.
Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected will display symptoms which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms generally last for just a few days, although even previously healthy people have been sick for several weeks.
Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4c63ae72-6ede-4c3f-9fe3-ba20182a8685
Posted By: Megan Trihey
Posted 8/7/07
BAKERSFIELD - There are 14 more human West Nile Virus cases in California, the state announced this afternoon, and 10 of the 14 are in Kern County. That's an increase of more than 30 percent since last week.
Kern County remains the epicenter of this year's West Nile infections. There are 78 human cases statewide. Of those, 48 are in Kern County.
There have been five deaths from WNV this year. Gov. Schwarzenegger came to Bakersfield Thursday to declare a state of emergency in four counties where there have been deaths -- Kern, Kings, Colusa and San Joaquin. Two of the deaths were in Kern.
The state department of health says the best way to avoid WNV is to avoid mosquito bites.
To do that, the state suggests what it calls a 3-D plan:
Drain all sources of standing water on your property to reduce mosquito breeding Sources may include children's wading pools, empty flower pots, buckets, barrels and other containers
DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus containing insect repellents should be applied when outdoors. Follow the directions on the package. More information on mosquito repellents may be found by clicking here.
DUSK and DAWN - Avoid spending time outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
The state department of health lists these symptoms of West Nile Virus
Less than one percent (about 1 in 150 people) of individuals infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. WN virus infection can be fatal.
Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected will display symptoms which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms generally last for just a few days, although even previously healthy people have been sick for several weeks.
Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4c63ae72-6ede-4c3f-9fe3-ba20182a8685
Are local pools a real concern?
Realtors doubt water sources at foreclosed homes spur virus
BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Monday, Aug 6 2007 10:50 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Aug 6 2007 10:55 PM
When it comes to West Nile virus, local homeowner Jim Miller is more
concerned about the smaller sources of stagnant water around town than the
abandoned pool a few doors down.
All Miller, 48, has to do is look out the window of the home he's
remodeling to make his point. "The water bowl for their dogs is full of
mosquito larvae," Miller said. "They kind of look like little shrimp."
The nearby pool is only one of a handful, he said.
"I don't want my kids going over there," Miller said. "But I'm not
frightened by West Nile."
Many Realtors and brokers echo this sentiment, questioning what their role
will be as pools come under more scrutiny and the toll of sickened people
rises.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned working with the real estate community
to ensure standing water is emptied and pools are maintained in last week's
state-of-emergency proclamation.
Since that order was signed, West Nile cases have climbed to 64 in the
state, with 38 in Kern County, which has more than any other county,
according to the state Department of Public Health.
"It's easy to say, 'The Realtors can help us,'" said Ray Karpe, president
of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors. "As concerned citizens, maybe
we will, but is it our responsibility?"
One local senator believes so.
"We are in a state of emergency, and that means that folks need to make an
extra effort," said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, via e-mail. "And Realtors
in some cases can help and should help officials.
"It is fair to say that they are on the front lines of this epidemic for
the mere fact that they probably have the most up-to-date information on
homes that are for sale or in some cases in foreclosure."
Florez mentioned talking to Karpe about possible solutions at his press
conference last week.
Karpe told The Californian his organization could send out an e-mail or
letter to its members, urging them to be on the lookout for green,
abandoned pools and to report them to the local mosquito abatement office.
"I don't know what else we can do," he said. "I can't make anybody do
anything."
Karpe is worried about potential lawsuits. He has several legal questions
about Realtors' involvement: What happens if a vector control employee gets
hurt on the property? What if something is damaged and the home's value
decreases? Can vector control come on the property without the owner's
permission?
"People often use claims of possible legal liability to just stay
uninvolved," said Andrew Haut, a local real estate attorney.
Workers' compensation covers injuries, and a claim can be filed against the
county if damage is done, said Steve Schuett, assistant Kern County counsel.
And vector control workers can go on a property, with or without
permission, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector
Control District.
They don't drain pools, he added. Vector control will treat the water with
an insecticide or dump in some "mosquito fish" to kill larvae.
"I don't think Realtors are worried about liability if they smelled a gas
leak in a home or if they found an abandoned animal," Florez said. "It's
simply a reporting issue."
Broker Darrell Sparks is "almost laughing" at the idea of these pools being
at the root of Kern's West Nile cases.
"I think a lot of focus is being given unfairly to these pools," said the
owner of Sparks Realty.
Whenever he comes across an abandoned pool, he reports it to vector
control, but he's only had to do that a couple of times in the past few
months, he said.
"If you're upset with somebody, maybe you should be upset with the deadbeat
who didn't make their payments," Sparks said.
Abandoned pools play a large part in our current West Nile problem, Quiring
said.
The district got called out to about 140 stagnant pools in July, he said.
And while they also check many other sources of standing water, like
fountains and sumps, pools pose a particular difficulty since the district
doesn't know where all of them are.
"What we're doing is urging everyone -- homeowners, Realtors associations,
brokers -- to assist with efforts," said Suanne Buggy, spokeswoman for the
state Department of Public Health. "(The stagnant pools) are just new this
year because of the level of foreclosures."
Karpe and Sparks, though, feel the state's requests are putting a negative
tone on real estate, as if they're not doing anything.
Karpe said he is open to talking to local and state government about what
more his group can do.
"We're not trying to be difficult," he said. "But it's not as easy as us
going, 'Hey, red flag here.'"
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/206929.html
BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Monday, Aug 6 2007 10:50 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Aug 6 2007 10:55 PM
When it comes to West Nile virus, local homeowner Jim Miller is more
concerned about the smaller sources of stagnant water around town than the
abandoned pool a few doors down.
All Miller, 48, has to do is look out the window of the home he's
remodeling to make his point. "The water bowl for their dogs is full of
mosquito larvae," Miller said. "They kind of look like little shrimp."
The nearby pool is only one of a handful, he said.
"I don't want my kids going over there," Miller said. "But I'm not
frightened by West Nile."
Many Realtors and brokers echo this sentiment, questioning what their role
will be as pools come under more scrutiny and the toll of sickened people
rises.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned working with the real estate community
to ensure standing water is emptied and pools are maintained in last week's
state-of-emergency proclamation.
Since that order was signed, West Nile cases have climbed to 64 in the
state, with 38 in Kern County, which has more than any other county,
according to the state Department of Public Health.
"It's easy to say, 'The Realtors can help us,'" said Ray Karpe, president
of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors. "As concerned citizens, maybe
we will, but is it our responsibility?"
One local senator believes so.
"We are in a state of emergency, and that means that folks need to make an
extra effort," said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, via e-mail. "And Realtors
in some cases can help and should help officials.
"It is fair to say that they are on the front lines of this epidemic for
the mere fact that they probably have the most up-to-date information on
homes that are for sale or in some cases in foreclosure."
Florez mentioned talking to Karpe about possible solutions at his press
conference last week.
Karpe told The Californian his organization could send out an e-mail or
letter to its members, urging them to be on the lookout for green,
abandoned pools and to report them to the local mosquito abatement office.
"I don't know what else we can do," he said. "I can't make anybody do
anything."
Karpe is worried about potential lawsuits. He has several legal questions
about Realtors' involvement: What happens if a vector control employee gets
hurt on the property? What if something is damaged and the home's value
decreases? Can vector control come on the property without the owner's
permission?
"People often use claims of possible legal liability to just stay
uninvolved," said Andrew Haut, a local real estate attorney.
Workers' compensation covers injuries, and a claim can be filed against the
county if damage is done, said Steve Schuett, assistant Kern County counsel.
And vector control workers can go on a property, with or without
permission, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector
Control District.
They don't drain pools, he added. Vector control will treat the water with
an insecticide or dump in some "mosquito fish" to kill larvae.
"I don't think Realtors are worried about liability if they smelled a gas
leak in a home or if they found an abandoned animal," Florez said. "It's
simply a reporting issue."
Broker Darrell Sparks is "almost laughing" at the idea of these pools being
at the root of Kern's West Nile cases.
"I think a lot of focus is being given unfairly to these pools," said the
owner of Sparks Realty.
Whenever he comes across an abandoned pool, he reports it to vector
control, but he's only had to do that a couple of times in the past few
months, he said.
"If you're upset with somebody, maybe you should be upset with the deadbeat
who didn't make their payments," Sparks said.
Abandoned pools play a large part in our current West Nile problem, Quiring
said.
The district got called out to about 140 stagnant pools in July, he said.
And while they also check many other sources of standing water, like
fountains and sumps, pools pose a particular difficulty since the district
doesn't know where all of them are.
"What we're doing is urging everyone -- homeowners, Realtors associations,
brokers -- to assist with efforts," said Suanne Buggy, spokeswoman for the
state Department of Public Health. "(The stagnant pools) are just new this
year because of the level of foreclosures."
Karpe and Sparks, though, feel the state's requests are putting a negative
tone on real estate, as if they're not doing anything.
Karpe said he is open to talking to local and state government about what
more his group can do.
"We're not trying to be difficult," he said. "But it's not as easy as us
going, 'Hey, red flag here.'"
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/206929.html
West Nile Virus Bites Deep In California
Featured Article
Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News
Article Date: 06 Aug 2007 - 14:00 PDT
West Nile Virus (WNV), a potentially fatal illness trasmitted by mosquito is biting deeper into the US state of California. Late last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in three of the state's counties: Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin. WNV has killed four people in the state so far this year and the spread shows no sign of abating. The emergency declaration comes with a 1.35 million dollar fund.
WNV appears to be hitting California much harder this year than last, and Kern County most of all. Over 60 per cent of the state's 64 cases of WNV have been reported in the county, including two elderly residents who died last month.
The most recent deaths in California were two elderly residents in Colusa and San Joaquin. Meanwhile in the county of Santa Clara, they have reported their first case of human WNV infection this year.
"The important thing is that we all go all out and we work together, the counties and the state, in order to get the job done and get rid of the virus," said Schwarzenegger when he met with mosquito control officials late last week according an Associated Press report.
California State Senator Dean Florez, D-Shafter, said in a statement last week that he wants to see funding in next year's budget so that a more proactive approach can be taken to monitoring and controlling the WNV mosquito.
WNV activity is monitored by counting cases in animals and birds as well as in humans. The number of counties in California affected this year is 42, compared with 43 in the whole of last year, and the high season is still to come (August and September). And the number of human cases last year was only 20 compared with over triple that number so far this year (64), according to statistics from the California State Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The number of dead birds infected with WNV recorded in California so far this year is 502 compared with 299 last year, and the number of mosquito samples with WNV this year is 402 compared with 349 last year.
Mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds spread WNV to humans and animals through bites. WNV originates from Africa, Asia and the Middle East but is now common in North America.
WNV cannot be spread from touching or being intimate with an infected person, and transmission via blood transfusion is extremely rare because all donated blood in the US is now tested for WNV.
Fortunately, the vast majority of people infected with WNV (about 80 per cent) experience no symptoms at all, which makes it very difficult to track.
People who do experience symptoms usually show signs between 3 and 14 days after being bitten by a WNV carrying mosquito.
Fewer than one per cent of people infected with WNV become seriously ill with symptoms such as high fever, headache, stiffness in the neck, feeling disoriented, apathy, convulsions, tremors, feeling weak in the muscles, loss of vision, feeling numb, and less commonly, paralysis and coma. The symptoms last several weeks and may lead to permanent damage of the brain and nervous system. The over 50s are more at risk of serious illness than younger people.
About 1 in 5 people with WNV have mild symptoms. These include fever, headache, body aches (like the flu), feeling sick, vomiting, and sometimes swollen glands, skin rash on the chest, stomach and/or back. These milder symptoms last for a few days, but it is not unknown for healthy people to go on to develop more serious symptoms.
Being outside at dawn and dusk increases a person's chances of being bitten by a WNV carrying mosquito because this is when they are flying around.
Precautions include making sure you wear long sleeves and pants at these times, cover exposed skin with a recommended mosquito repellent, fasten your door and window screens securely and repair any rips or tears.
Also, make sure your back yard or garden has nowhere suitable for breeding mosquitoes such as still water left standing after rainfall: check flower pots, ponds, water butts, wells. Mosquitoes don't settle in running water to breed, they like still water that is warm and stagnant.
Click here for West Nile Virus FAQs and Basics, including advice on precautions, case counts by county and weekly activity reports for the state of California (CDPH).
Click here for more information on state of emergency in Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin, California (Associated Press, in Lodi News Sentinel).
Written by: Catharine Paddock
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/78900.php
Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News
Article Date: 06 Aug 2007 - 14:00 PDT
West Nile Virus (WNV), a potentially fatal illness trasmitted by mosquito is biting deeper into the US state of California. Late last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in three of the state's counties: Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin. WNV has killed four people in the state so far this year and the spread shows no sign of abating. The emergency declaration comes with a 1.35 million dollar fund.
WNV appears to be hitting California much harder this year than last, and Kern County most of all. Over 60 per cent of the state's 64 cases of WNV have been reported in the county, including two elderly residents who died last month.
The most recent deaths in California were two elderly residents in Colusa and San Joaquin. Meanwhile in the county of Santa Clara, they have reported their first case of human WNV infection this year.
"The important thing is that we all go all out and we work together, the counties and the state, in order to get the job done and get rid of the virus," said Schwarzenegger when he met with mosquito control officials late last week according an Associated Press report.
California State Senator Dean Florez, D-Shafter, said in a statement last week that he wants to see funding in next year's budget so that a more proactive approach can be taken to monitoring and controlling the WNV mosquito.
WNV activity is monitored by counting cases in animals and birds as well as in humans. The number of counties in California affected this year is 42, compared with 43 in the whole of last year, and the high season is still to come (August and September). And the number of human cases last year was only 20 compared with over triple that number so far this year (64), according to statistics from the California State Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The number of dead birds infected with WNV recorded in California so far this year is 502 compared with 299 last year, and the number of mosquito samples with WNV this year is 402 compared with 349 last year.
Mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds spread WNV to humans and animals through bites. WNV originates from Africa, Asia and the Middle East but is now common in North America.
WNV cannot be spread from touching or being intimate with an infected person, and transmission via blood transfusion is extremely rare because all donated blood in the US is now tested for WNV.
Fortunately, the vast majority of people infected with WNV (about 80 per cent) experience no symptoms at all, which makes it very difficult to track.
People who do experience symptoms usually show signs between 3 and 14 days after being bitten by a WNV carrying mosquito.
Fewer than one per cent of people infected with WNV become seriously ill with symptoms such as high fever, headache, stiffness in the neck, feeling disoriented, apathy, convulsions, tremors, feeling weak in the muscles, loss of vision, feeling numb, and less commonly, paralysis and coma. The symptoms last several weeks and may lead to permanent damage of the brain and nervous system. The over 50s are more at risk of serious illness than younger people.
About 1 in 5 people with WNV have mild symptoms. These include fever, headache, body aches (like the flu), feeling sick, vomiting, and sometimes swollen glands, skin rash on the chest, stomach and/or back. These milder symptoms last for a few days, but it is not unknown for healthy people to go on to develop more serious symptoms.
Being outside at dawn and dusk increases a person's chances of being bitten by a WNV carrying mosquito because this is when they are flying around.
Precautions include making sure you wear long sleeves and pants at these times, cover exposed skin with a recommended mosquito repellent, fasten your door and window screens securely and repair any rips or tears.
Also, make sure your back yard or garden has nowhere suitable for breeding mosquitoes such as still water left standing after rainfall: check flower pots, ponds, water butts, wells. Mosquitoes don't settle in running water to breed, they like still water that is warm and stagnant.
Click here for West Nile Virus FAQs and Basics, including advice on precautions, case counts by county and weekly activity reports for the state of California (CDPH).
Click here for more information on state of emergency in Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin, California (Associated Press, in Lodi News Sentinel).
Written by: Catharine Paddock
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/78900.php
Friday, August 3, 2007
‘Rising danger’
Governor declares state of emergency for Kern County over West Nile virus
BY EMILY HAGEDORN; e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 2 2007 9:46 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 2 2007 9:54 PM
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Thursday for Kern County after the number of people infected by West Nile virus in the county climbed to 38, more than all the other counties combined.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, discusses the emergency proclamation for the West Nile virus. Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall, left, and Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, listen.
“We’re seeing a rising danger,” Schwarzenegger said, flanked by mosquito-controlling equipment and vehicles at the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District offices Thursday afternoon. “The important thing is that when you see an increase, you go all out and you fight it.”
Kern County is quickly becoming the “epicenter” for the virus, with two residents dying from the disease so far in the county, said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, at an early morning press conference. Fifty-six people have been infected by the virus statewide with four deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The state of emergency covers Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties — the counties that have had residents die from the disease this year. “That’s a huge amount (of people infected),” Florez said. “This is the opportunity for the governor to get it right.”
Kern hit the hardest
Kern County currently has seen the highest number of cases not only in the state, but nationwide.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Dakota has the next highest number of cases with 38. And no county in South Dakota has had more than five cases.
Still, this isn’t an epidemic, said Dr. Mark Horton, director of the state Department of Public Health.
“But we are still very early in the season,” he cautioned. “It could be in a day or two that Kern County is only one of many counties seeing many cases.”
Last year was a mild year for West Nile virus, experts said. California saw 292 cases, with 51 cases in Kern County, the state Department of Public Health reports.
And August and September are typically when infected mosquitoes are the most active.
“Hopefully it has peaked, but looking at this, it could be a long couple of months,” said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Determining why Kern County has felt the brunt of West Nile cases “is very speculative,” Horton said. “I’m not able to give you a definitive answer.”
But there are many theories.
The hot weather and flight pattern of birds plays a part, Quiring said.
Also the drought conditions have brought more birds and mosquitoes together in the same places, vying for water to drink, many said. The disease can be spread from birds to mosquitoes, which can then spread the disease to humans.
Considering Bakersfield has more water sources, like homes and sewers, than the rest of the county, most of the cases have been seen in the city, Quiring said.
“You have the animals accessing the water; you got the mosquitoes there,” said Dr. Claudia Jonah, the interim director of Kern County public health. “So you’re bringing together a very bad combination.”
Green pools
But the swimming pools abandoned during the recent housing decline may be one of the biggest sources for this rising problem.
“That’s what is fueling this,” Quiring said.
Local default notices, which signal missed mortgage payments, increased by 190.2 percent this spring over a year before, reported DataQuick Information Systems, a La Jolla-based company that tracks real estate activity, last week.
Mosquito abatement employees have come upon pools teeming with the insects, Quiring said. He has aerial shots of Bakersfield where the green, abandoned pools clearly dot neighborhoods.
An unkempt pool was a particular concern for Bakersfield resident Christopher Borges.
His ex-wife and three children live by a home with a stagnant pool and hot tub.
“We never used to put insect repellent on the kids,” said Borges, 38. “Right now, she (his wife) is not having them go out at night at all.”
After three months of asking the Realtor to take care of the pool, another neighbor called vector control.
“The first thing those Realtors should do is contact the vector control and have them treat the pool,” Borges said. “Those people should be the first line when a property has gone back to the bank.”
Schwarzenegger’s proclamation specifically directed local vector control agencies to inspect and empty pools and containers on vacant property.
The state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency and local health department will also work with lenders, Realtors and mortgage brokers to manage this problem, the proclamation said.
Ray Karpe, president of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors, could not be reached for comment.
How much is enough?
In a letter sent to the governor Wednesday, Florez asked for $48 million for Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties. He reasoned that $12 million was allocated in 2005-06 and the state has seen a four-fold increase, so the state should set aside four times that amount to combat this problem.
“We need to take bold action,” Florez said. “The reason we had such a bad season this year is because we only put in $3 million” toward it last year. In his proclamation, Schwarzenegger set aside $1.5 million and said more can be made available if needed.
“It doesn’t make any sense to pick out an arbitrary number,” Schwarzenegger said. “If the counties need more, then we will be giving more money.” Florez contends that this amount falls short and may even keep districts from doing more to control the virus.
“I’m not saying that every dollar needs to be spent, but I would hate to think that the folks on the front lines, the public health folks and the vector control folks, would in any way hold back on the most effective eradication efforts because of a soft commitment from their state government,” Florez said via e-mail. “So the $1 million being offered is welcomed but may not even be close to what is truly needed.”
This money will be going to the local vector control districts and public health departments to increase surveillance of the disease, provide more outreach to the community and help eradicate the threat, state officials said.
To get the funds, the local departments will work with the state Department of Public Health, Horton said.
Several local agencies said they would welcome the funds, but it’s too soon to know how much they need.
Quiring, whose Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District is one of four in the county, would like to hire more people to work between April and October. He also wants money to fund more aerial photography, which will help them pinpoint abandoned swimming pools.
The cost of fuel and chemicals are the biggest costs for Duane Lantsberger, manager of the one-man South Fork Mosquito Abatement District based in Kernville.
Jonah at the public health department wants to fund more epidemiological work to help spot trends earlier and to do more education and outreach with the community.
“It’s comforting that it’s being taken more seriously,” said Bakersfield native Phillip McGill, 19, who was diagnosed with West Nile virus last year. He would like to see more money put toward researching the virus and advertisements to urge people to wear repellent.
This action is long overdue, said Diane Wilson Flynn, daughter of Marguerite Wilson, the first person to die from West Nile virus in Kern County this year. Flynn hopes the governor puts enough effort toward controlling the spread of West Nile virus before it becomes an epidemic.
“I would just ask him not to hold back, to pull out all the stops,” Flynn said. “All it takes is an old tire or even a tea cup full of icky-looking water to breed mosquitoes.”
Protect yourself
n Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
n Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
n When outdoors, wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible.
n Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
n Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
n Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
n If you find a dead bird or squirrel, call the state toll-free hotline at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473).
n Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
Source: Kern County Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fighting West Nile virus by-the-numbers
$1.5 million: Amount of money pledged in the proclamation Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Thursday.
$48 million: Amount Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, asked Schwarzenegger for Wednesday
$3 million: Amount in the 2006-07 budget to supplement local mosquito control and abatement efforts.
$150,150: Amount Kern County vector control districts were allotted in 2006-07.
$80,000: Amount the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District was allotted in 2006-07.
$12 million: Amount in the 2005-06 budget to tackle the virus.
$441,974: Amount given to the state by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to California to fight the virus.
Source: California Office of the Governor, Sen. Dean Florez
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is a potentially fatal disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds and can then spread the virus to humans and other animals. What are the symptoms?
About 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, but symptoms can range from cold-like to high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.
Who is at risk?
People over 50 and people who are outside a lot are the most at risk.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/204278.html
BY EMILY HAGEDORN; e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 2 2007 9:46 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 2 2007 9:54 PM
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Thursday for Kern County after the number of people infected by West Nile virus in the county climbed to 38, more than all the other counties combined.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, discusses the emergency proclamation for the West Nile virus. Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall, left, and Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, listen.
“We’re seeing a rising danger,” Schwarzenegger said, flanked by mosquito-controlling equipment and vehicles at the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District offices Thursday afternoon. “The important thing is that when you see an increase, you go all out and you fight it.”
Kern County is quickly becoming the “epicenter” for the virus, with two residents dying from the disease so far in the county, said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, at an early morning press conference. Fifty-six people have been infected by the virus statewide with four deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The state of emergency covers Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties — the counties that have had residents die from the disease this year. “That’s a huge amount (of people infected),” Florez said. “This is the opportunity for the governor to get it right.”
Kern hit the hardest
Kern County currently has seen the highest number of cases not only in the state, but nationwide.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Dakota has the next highest number of cases with 38. And no county in South Dakota has had more than five cases.
Still, this isn’t an epidemic, said Dr. Mark Horton, director of the state Department of Public Health.
“But we are still very early in the season,” he cautioned. “It could be in a day or two that Kern County is only one of many counties seeing many cases.”
Last year was a mild year for West Nile virus, experts said. California saw 292 cases, with 51 cases in Kern County, the state Department of Public Health reports.
And August and September are typically when infected mosquitoes are the most active.
“Hopefully it has peaked, but looking at this, it could be a long couple of months,” said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Determining why Kern County has felt the brunt of West Nile cases “is very speculative,” Horton said. “I’m not able to give you a definitive answer.”
But there are many theories.
The hot weather and flight pattern of birds plays a part, Quiring said.
Also the drought conditions have brought more birds and mosquitoes together in the same places, vying for water to drink, many said. The disease can be spread from birds to mosquitoes, which can then spread the disease to humans.
Considering Bakersfield has more water sources, like homes and sewers, than the rest of the county, most of the cases have been seen in the city, Quiring said.
“You have the animals accessing the water; you got the mosquitoes there,” said Dr. Claudia Jonah, the interim director of Kern County public health. “So you’re bringing together a very bad combination.”
Green pools
But the swimming pools abandoned during the recent housing decline may be one of the biggest sources for this rising problem.
“That’s what is fueling this,” Quiring said.
Local default notices, which signal missed mortgage payments, increased by 190.2 percent this spring over a year before, reported DataQuick Information Systems, a La Jolla-based company that tracks real estate activity, last week.
Mosquito abatement employees have come upon pools teeming with the insects, Quiring said. He has aerial shots of Bakersfield where the green, abandoned pools clearly dot neighborhoods.
An unkempt pool was a particular concern for Bakersfield resident Christopher Borges.
His ex-wife and three children live by a home with a stagnant pool and hot tub.
“We never used to put insect repellent on the kids,” said Borges, 38. “Right now, she (his wife) is not having them go out at night at all.”
After three months of asking the Realtor to take care of the pool, another neighbor called vector control.
“The first thing those Realtors should do is contact the vector control and have them treat the pool,” Borges said. “Those people should be the first line when a property has gone back to the bank.”
Schwarzenegger’s proclamation specifically directed local vector control agencies to inspect and empty pools and containers on vacant property.
The state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency and local health department will also work with lenders, Realtors and mortgage brokers to manage this problem, the proclamation said.
Ray Karpe, president of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors, could not be reached for comment.
How much is enough?
In a letter sent to the governor Wednesday, Florez asked for $48 million for Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties. He reasoned that $12 million was allocated in 2005-06 and the state has seen a four-fold increase, so the state should set aside four times that amount to combat this problem.
“We need to take bold action,” Florez said. “The reason we had such a bad season this year is because we only put in $3 million” toward it last year. In his proclamation, Schwarzenegger set aside $1.5 million and said more can be made available if needed.
“It doesn’t make any sense to pick out an arbitrary number,” Schwarzenegger said. “If the counties need more, then we will be giving more money.” Florez contends that this amount falls short and may even keep districts from doing more to control the virus.
“I’m not saying that every dollar needs to be spent, but I would hate to think that the folks on the front lines, the public health folks and the vector control folks, would in any way hold back on the most effective eradication efforts because of a soft commitment from their state government,” Florez said via e-mail. “So the $1 million being offered is welcomed but may not even be close to what is truly needed.”
This money will be going to the local vector control districts and public health departments to increase surveillance of the disease, provide more outreach to the community and help eradicate the threat, state officials said.
To get the funds, the local departments will work with the state Department of Public Health, Horton said.
Several local agencies said they would welcome the funds, but it’s too soon to know how much they need.
Quiring, whose Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District is one of four in the county, would like to hire more people to work between April and October. He also wants money to fund more aerial photography, which will help them pinpoint abandoned swimming pools.
The cost of fuel and chemicals are the biggest costs for Duane Lantsberger, manager of the one-man South Fork Mosquito Abatement District based in Kernville.
Jonah at the public health department wants to fund more epidemiological work to help spot trends earlier and to do more education and outreach with the community.
“It’s comforting that it’s being taken more seriously,” said Bakersfield native Phillip McGill, 19, who was diagnosed with West Nile virus last year. He would like to see more money put toward researching the virus and advertisements to urge people to wear repellent.
This action is long overdue, said Diane Wilson Flynn, daughter of Marguerite Wilson, the first person to die from West Nile virus in Kern County this year. Flynn hopes the governor puts enough effort toward controlling the spread of West Nile virus before it becomes an epidemic.
“I would just ask him not to hold back, to pull out all the stops,” Flynn said. “All it takes is an old tire or even a tea cup full of icky-looking water to breed mosquitoes.”
Protect yourself
n Eliminate all sources of stagnant or standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
n Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
n When outdoors, wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible.
n Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions.
n Make sure the doors and windows in your home have tight-fitting screens with no holes or tears.
n Contact your mosquito abatement district if there is a significant mosquito problem where you live or work, for a supply of mosquito fish to control larvae in troughs and ponds or to report an abandoned pool. Call the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District at 589-2744, Westside Mosquito Abatement District at 763-3510, Delano Mosquito Abatement District at 725-3114 or South Fork Mosquito Abatement District at 760-376-4268.
n If you find a dead bird or squirrel, call the state toll-free hotline at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473).
n Consult veterinarians to properly vaccinate horses.
Source: Kern County Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fighting West Nile virus by-the-numbers
$1.5 million: Amount of money pledged in the proclamation Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Thursday.
$48 million: Amount Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, asked Schwarzenegger for Wednesday
$3 million: Amount in the 2006-07 budget to supplement local mosquito control and abatement efforts.
$150,150: Amount Kern County vector control districts were allotted in 2006-07.
$80,000: Amount the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District was allotted in 2006-07.
$12 million: Amount in the 2005-06 budget to tackle the virus.
$441,974: Amount given to the state by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to California to fight the virus.
Source: California Office of the Governor, Sen. Dean Florez
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is a potentially fatal disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds and can then spread the virus to humans and other animals. What are the symptoms?
About 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, but symptoms can range from cold-like to high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.
Who is at risk?
People over 50 and people who are outside a lot are the most at risk.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/204278.html
'Fight the bite' gets boost
Batch Data Processor | Thursday, Aug 2 2007 6:20 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 2 2007 6:23 PM
Commend Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his immediate pledge to Sen. Dean Florez to make emergency funding available to fight the West Nile virus epidemic.
Florez asked the governor for the funding following the second fatality from the mosquito-borne virus in Kern this year.
As in the past, Kern County is the nation's hot spot this year for the epidemic. So far, Kern accounts for half the fatalities and two thirds of the 56 diagnosed cases in the state. The number of as-yet undiagnosed cases may be much higher. Last year, Kern County recorded 51 cases of West Nile, the most in the state.
Although Florez asked for $48 million in emergency grant funding for Kern, Kings and Colusa counties, Schwarzenegger said he would make available "as much funding as immediately needed to combat this virus at the local level."
In addition, the state Department of Public Health is consulting with local officials to determine what longer-term funding may be needed to combat the virus.
Florez's request pinpoints a key issue that explains the need for an emergency declaration by the state for the grants: There are no funds in this year's state budget dedicated to local vector control districts specifically to combat West Nile.
Florez will seek to have a specific West Nile appropriation in the new state budget. Such a regular appropriation is vital. West Nile is now a permanent fixture in the Central Valley and the state. Fighting it should not depend on an annual maybe-yes/maybe-no budget decision.
Florez's and the governor's actions are especially appropriate because the south valley has the worst possible combination of factors regarding West Nile, even in a drought year.
West Nile is spread by mosquitoes that feed on infected birds and then transmit the disease to people. Mosquitoes breed in water.
Our rural landscape is home to countless birds, as well as such mosquito breeding grounds as irrigated land, livestock watering troughs and canals.
At the same time, the region's burgeoning urbanization has led to construction of home swimming pools, which can also be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Although West Nile can result in only flu-like symptoms, it can cause inflammation of the brain and nerve system, which can be fatal, especially to older people.
Prevention is the key, and that is why the governor's response to Florez's request for funds is a lifesaver.
http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/editorials/story/204148.html
Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 2 2007 6:23 PM
Commend Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his immediate pledge to Sen. Dean Florez to make emergency funding available to fight the West Nile virus epidemic.
Florez asked the governor for the funding following the second fatality from the mosquito-borne virus in Kern this year.
As in the past, Kern County is the nation's hot spot this year for the epidemic. So far, Kern accounts for half the fatalities and two thirds of the 56 diagnosed cases in the state. The number of as-yet undiagnosed cases may be much higher. Last year, Kern County recorded 51 cases of West Nile, the most in the state.
Although Florez asked for $48 million in emergency grant funding for Kern, Kings and Colusa counties, Schwarzenegger said he would make available "as much funding as immediately needed to combat this virus at the local level."
In addition, the state Department of Public Health is consulting with local officials to determine what longer-term funding may be needed to combat the virus.
Florez's request pinpoints a key issue that explains the need for an emergency declaration by the state for the grants: There are no funds in this year's state budget dedicated to local vector control districts specifically to combat West Nile.
Florez will seek to have a specific West Nile appropriation in the new state budget. Such a regular appropriation is vital. West Nile is now a permanent fixture in the Central Valley and the state. Fighting it should not depend on an annual maybe-yes/maybe-no budget decision.
Florez's and the governor's actions are especially appropriate because the south valley has the worst possible combination of factors regarding West Nile, even in a drought year.
West Nile is spread by mosquitoes that feed on infected birds and then transmit the disease to people. Mosquitoes breed in water.
Our rural landscape is home to countless birds, as well as such mosquito breeding grounds as irrigated land, livestock watering troughs and canals.
At the same time, the region's burgeoning urbanization has led to construction of home swimming pools, which can also be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Although West Nile can result in only flu-like symptoms, it can cause inflammation of the brain and nerve system, which can be fatal, especially to older people.
Prevention is the key, and that is why the governor's response to Florez's request for funds is a lifesaver.
http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/editorials/story/204148.html
Gov. declares West Nile emergency in three California counties
By GARANCE BURKE
08/02/07 18:10:24
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Thursday in three
California counties hit hard by the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, which
has killed four this year and appears to be spreading at a rapid clip.
The emergency declaration applies to Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties,
and will provide up to $1.35 million to help combat the spread of the
virus, Schwarzenegger said.
West Nile is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, and so far this
year has infected three times more people than it did in the same period in
2006, he said.
The disease's epicenter thus far is Kern County, which has logged
two-thirds of the state's 56 West Nile cases this year including an
85-year-old Shafter man and a 96-year-old Bakersfield woman from
Bakersfield who died last month. Health officials announced the state's
third and fourth fatalities this week: two elderly residents of San Joaquin
and Colusa counties.
Schwarzenegger met with Kern County mosquito control officials Thursday.
"Last year it was down, this year it has increased again," Schwarzenegger
said. "The important thing is that we all go all out and we work together,
the counties and the state, in order to get the job done and get rid of the
virus."
Most infected people never get sick, but up to about 20 percent develop
mostly mild flu-like symptoms. Severe symptoms, including fatal brain
inflammation, are rare.
Health officials recommend people avoid infection by staying inside at dawn
and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active; wearing clothes that keep
mosquitoes away from the skin; draining areas where mosquitoes can breed;
and using insecticide with the chemical DEET.
In Sacramento County, authorities said Monday that West Nile had reached an
epidemic rate there and had to be combatted with a mass aerial-spraying
campaign - often considered a last resort. More than 55,000 acres of urban
neighborhoods north of the American River were scheduled to be sprayed.
Health officials in San Jose said Thursday that a Santa Clara County
resident had become infected, in their first local case this year.
In Kern County, the new funds won't be enough to educate the public in time
for the disease's high season in August and September, said Sen. Dean
Florez, D-Shafter.
The state needs to provide a more consistent budget for eradication efforts
in winter months, hire more vector control officers and coordinate
surveillance efforts with real estate agents, who can provide updated
information about vacant properties where standing water could provide the
insects with a fertile breeding ground, he said.
"Next season could be quite possibly worse than this year unless we get a
new infusion of money," Florez said.
Schwarzenegger said he was directing state agencies to take proactive
measures, and that more funds could be made available if needed.
http://www.fresnobee.com/552/story/102626.html
08/02/07 18:10:24
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Thursday in three
California counties hit hard by the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, which
has killed four this year and appears to be spreading at a rapid clip.
The emergency declaration applies to Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties,
and will provide up to $1.35 million to help combat the spread of the
virus, Schwarzenegger said.
West Nile is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, and so far this
year has infected three times more people than it did in the same period in
2006, he said.
The disease's epicenter thus far is Kern County, which has logged
two-thirds of the state's 56 West Nile cases this year including an
85-year-old Shafter man and a 96-year-old Bakersfield woman from
Bakersfield who died last month. Health officials announced the state's
third and fourth fatalities this week: two elderly residents of San Joaquin
and Colusa counties.
Schwarzenegger met with Kern County mosquito control officials Thursday.
"Last year it was down, this year it has increased again," Schwarzenegger
said. "The important thing is that we all go all out and we work together,
the counties and the state, in order to get the job done and get rid of the
virus."
Most infected people never get sick, but up to about 20 percent develop
mostly mild flu-like symptoms. Severe symptoms, including fatal brain
inflammation, are rare.
Health officials recommend people avoid infection by staying inside at dawn
and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active; wearing clothes that keep
mosquitoes away from the skin; draining areas where mosquitoes can breed;
and using insecticide with the chemical DEET.
In Sacramento County, authorities said Monday that West Nile had reached an
epidemic rate there and had to be combatted with a mass aerial-spraying
campaign - often considered a last resort. More than 55,000 acres of urban
neighborhoods north of the American River were scheduled to be sprayed.
Health officials in San Jose said Thursday that a Santa Clara County
resident had become infected, in their first local case this year.
In Kern County, the new funds won't be enough to educate the public in time
for the disease's high season in August and September, said Sen. Dean
Florez, D-Shafter.
The state needs to provide a more consistent budget for eradication efforts
in winter months, hire more vector control officers and coordinate
surveillance efforts with real estate agents, who can provide updated
information about vacant properties where standing water could provide the
insects with a fertile breeding ground, he said.
"Next season could be quite possibly worse than this year unless we get a
new infusion of money," Florez said.
Schwarzenegger said he was directing state agencies to take proactive
measures, and that more funds could be made available if needed.
http://www.fresnobee.com/552/story/102626.html
Governor declares West Nile Virus state of emergency in Kern
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came to Bakersfield to put dollars and attention on the problem of West Nile Virus. The Governor signed a West Nile Virus "State of Emergency" declaration for Kern and two other counties.
This summer, Kern County has seen 38 cases of West Nile and two of those victims died from the illness. Kern County is a hot spot for the virus, and West Nile is a political hot button. State Senator Dean Florez is also calling for more state action.
The governor came to the Kern Mosquito Control District to look at efforts to control the spread of the virus -- and to sign the emergency declaration.
"My executive order here will direct the State Department of Public Health to allocate up to $1.5 million dollars to help local agencies throughout California to fight the mosquitoes that spread the deadly virus," said Schwarzenegger.
He says the number of infections is up three-fold this year in California. State Senator Dean Florez agrees with that statistic -- but he wants a lot more money to deal with all those cases. He hopes the governor will see that.
'If he spends the time to talk to real people, he'll recognize that $48-million ultimately solves the problem from our vantage point," says Florez (D-Shafter)
Florez says he asked the governor to put more state emergency funds into the West Nile problem, but the Governor says his action comes in response to a specific request from the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California.
Kern Mosquito Control District Manager Rob Quiring says he's not sure how much of the new state money might come to Kern. But he says one thing they'll do with the funds is take aim at standing swimming pool water at vacant homes.
"We have an aerial company that takes photographs, and we're going to take more photos of pools -- and having this money will help us," Quiring told Eyewitness News.
He says the district responded to 150 calls like this last month. The high number of home foreclosures has led to the problem -- and may be a factor in the increased number of West Nile cases.
Mosquitoes infected with West Nile can spread the virus to people. Many victims have no symptoms -- but in some cases the illness can be very serious and even fatal. The emergency declaration covers Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin Counties.
The Kern district says additional state money could be used to hire more crews. The district does ground-spraying and testing to help control the number of mosquitoes.
Planes now also spray large areas of standing water in rural areas. But, the additional state money might be used for aerial spraying over city areas. Kern Mosquito District Superintendent Gene Abbott says that would be considered -- if it's needed.
"We look at the minimum infection rate in our mosquitoes," Abbott told Eyewitness News. "In the last month these were coming down. If they start going up again -- we certainly will look into doing aerial treatment."
Eyewitness News asked the governor if the state has not done enough so far to deal with West Nile. "I think what we're doing is we see the increase (in cases) -- we want to go and start really working together -- the state, also health experts in this and the health department," said Schwarzenegger.
State Senator Dean Florez is convinced it'll take $48-million in state funds to really get ahead of the West Nile problem. "The $48-million we believe ultimately makes it so that in the next four or five years we'll be able to eradicate and not worry about this for about a six-year period," says Florez.
But, the governor believes in his pledge of up to $1-5 million. "It doesn't make sense to just pick an arbitrary number," said Schwarzenegger. "The important thing is that we go and work together -- the counties, the state -- in order to get the job done and get rid of the virus."
Story Created: Aug 2, 2007 at 8:44 PM CDT
Story Updated: Aug 2, 2007 at 8:47 PM CDT
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/8884657.html
This summer, Kern County has seen 38 cases of West Nile and two of those victims died from the illness. Kern County is a hot spot for the virus, and West Nile is a political hot button. State Senator Dean Florez is also calling for more state action.
The governor came to the Kern Mosquito Control District to look at efforts to control the spread of the virus -- and to sign the emergency declaration.
"My executive order here will direct the State Department of Public Health to allocate up to $1.5 million dollars to help local agencies throughout California to fight the mosquitoes that spread the deadly virus," said Schwarzenegger.
He says the number of infections is up three-fold this year in California. State Senator Dean Florez agrees with that statistic -- but he wants a lot more money to deal with all those cases. He hopes the governor will see that.
'If he spends the time to talk to real people, he'll recognize that $48-million ultimately solves the problem from our vantage point," says Florez (D-Shafter)
Florez says he asked the governor to put more state emergency funds into the West Nile problem, but the Governor says his action comes in response to a specific request from the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California.
Kern Mosquito Control District Manager Rob Quiring says he's not sure how much of the new state money might come to Kern. But he says one thing they'll do with the funds is take aim at standing swimming pool water at vacant homes.
"We have an aerial company that takes photographs, and we're going to take more photos of pools -- and having this money will help us," Quiring told Eyewitness News.
He says the district responded to 150 calls like this last month. The high number of home foreclosures has led to the problem -- and may be a factor in the increased number of West Nile cases.
Mosquitoes infected with West Nile can spread the virus to people. Many victims have no symptoms -- but in some cases the illness can be very serious and even fatal. The emergency declaration covers Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin Counties.
The Kern district says additional state money could be used to hire more crews. The district does ground-spraying and testing to help control the number of mosquitoes.
Planes now also spray large areas of standing water in rural areas. But, the additional state money might be used for aerial spraying over city areas. Kern Mosquito District Superintendent Gene Abbott says that would be considered -- if it's needed.
"We look at the minimum infection rate in our mosquitoes," Abbott told Eyewitness News. "In the last month these were coming down. If they start going up again -- we certainly will look into doing aerial treatment."
Eyewitness News asked the governor if the state has not done enough so far to deal with West Nile. "I think what we're doing is we see the increase (in cases) -- we want to go and start really working together -- the state, also health experts in this and the health department," said Schwarzenegger.
State Senator Dean Florez is convinced it'll take $48-million in state funds to really get ahead of the West Nile problem. "The $48-million we believe ultimately makes it so that in the next four or five years we'll be able to eradicate and not worry about this for about a six-year period," says Florez.
But, the governor believes in his pledge of up to $1-5 million. "It doesn't make sense to just pick an arbitrary number," said Schwarzenegger. "The important thing is that we go and work together -- the counties, the state -- in order to get the job done and get rid of the virus."
Story Created: Aug 2, 2007 at 8:44 PM CDT
Story Updated: Aug 2, 2007 at 8:47 PM CDT
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/8884657.html
Kern County Vector Control Gets Financial Aid
POSTED: 7:32 pm PDT August 2, 2007
UPDATED: 11:27 pm PDT August 2, 2007
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has allocated $1.5 million dollars for Kern County Mosquito and Vector Control.The money will be distributed through the Public Health Department to the mosquito agency. Vector Control workers have been stretched thin with the resources currently available to them the additional funds could mean more staff and equipment to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus.The funds come at an opportune time; Kern County leads the state in West Nile virus cases with 38 out the reported 56 reported cases, according to the California Department of Health. Two area residents have also died from the mosquito virus.
Last week, an official with the Center for Disease Control said at the current rate in which the virus is spread could point to an impending epidemic. Nationwide the number of West Nile virus cases more than tripled from this time last year. Copyright 2007 by TurnTo23.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.turnto23.com/news/13810542/detail.html
UPDATED: 11:27 pm PDT August 2, 2007
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has allocated $1.5 million dollars for Kern County Mosquito and Vector Control.The money will be distributed through the Public Health Department to the mosquito agency. Vector Control workers have been stretched thin with the resources currently available to them the additional funds could mean more staff and equipment to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus.The funds come at an opportune time; Kern County leads the state in West Nile virus cases with 38 out the reported 56 reported cases, according to the California Department of Health. Two area residents have also died from the mosquito virus.
Last week, an official with the Center for Disease Control said at the current rate in which the virus is spread could point to an impending epidemic. Nationwide the number of West Nile virus cases more than tripled from this time last year. Copyright 2007 by TurnTo23.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.turnto23.com/news/13810542/detail.html
First '07 West Nile case in Bay Area reported
MONTE SERENO MAN RECOVERING; EMERGENCY DECLARED IN 3 COUNTIES
By Barbara Feder Ostrov
Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:
A 73-year-old Monte Sereno man is recovering from West Nile virus in the Bay Area's first case of the disease this year, Santa Clara County public health officials said Thursday.
The announcement came the same day that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties, where four people have died this year from the mosquito-borne disease. Schwarzenegger diverted $1.5 million from various state agencies to help local authorities fight West Nile.
The Santa Clara County man, whose name was not released, was briefly hospitalized last month and is recovering at home, said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county's public health officer.
Fenstersheib said the man was most likely infected in the first two weeks of July, but it was unclear where, because he had also traveled to the Sacramento delta area during that time. The man did not recall being bitten by a mosquito, Fenstersheib said.
The man saw his doctor after experiencing fever, a rash, headache and muscle weakness that made it difficult for him to walk. Physicians believe he had the more severe neuroinvasive form of the disease, which strikes one in 150 people infected with the potentially fatal virus.
The virus, which first surfaced in New York City in 1999, infects humans and animals through mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. Most people who contract the disease do not experience any symptoms, although some suffer mild or moderate fevers and body aches. Less than 1 percent will develop a serious illness such as encephalitis or meningitis.
Nationally and statewide, this is one of the worst West Nile seasons to date, according to public health experts. At least 57 human cases have been reported in California so far, nearly three times as many as this time last year.
Most have occurred in Kern County. Across the country, the number of West Nile infections has more than doubled since this time last year, with 185 cases, five of them fatal, reported to date, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Local vector control officials have recently stepped up "fogging" with insecticides in areas with high levels of West Nile virus activity.
Early Thursday morning, parts of San Jose, Campbell and Los Gatos were treated with pesticide, following several fogging forays in recent weeks. To determine the success of Thursday's fogging, mosquito traps placed in the treated areas will be collected Friday. Test results should be completed and posted by Monday on the vector control Web site at http://sccvector.org.
The Monte Sereno man lives about a half-mile from one of the areas that was recently fogged, public health spokeswoman Joy Alexiou said.
People can prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants at dusk and at dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Homeowners should check their back yards for standing water, which provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
There is no human vaccine for the disease, but several are in development.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
For local information, call the county's West Nile virus hotline at (800) 314-2427 or visit www.sccvector. org. More information about the virus also can be found at www.westnile.ca.gov and www.cdc.gov/westnile.
Mercury News Staff Writer Mark Gomez contributed to this report.
Contact Barbara Feder Ostrov at bfeder@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5064.
http://www.mercurynews.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=6533464&siteId=568
By Barbara Feder Ostrov
Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:
A 73-year-old Monte Sereno man is recovering from West Nile virus in the Bay Area's first case of the disease this year, Santa Clara County public health officials said Thursday.
The announcement came the same day that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Kern, Colusa and San Joaquin counties, where four people have died this year from the mosquito-borne disease. Schwarzenegger diverted $1.5 million from various state agencies to help local authorities fight West Nile.
The Santa Clara County man, whose name was not released, was briefly hospitalized last month and is recovering at home, said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county's public health officer.
Fenstersheib said the man was most likely infected in the first two weeks of July, but it was unclear where, because he had also traveled to the Sacramento delta area during that time. The man did not recall being bitten by a mosquito, Fenstersheib said.
The man saw his doctor after experiencing fever, a rash, headache and muscle weakness that made it difficult for him to walk. Physicians believe he had the more severe neuroinvasive form of the disease, which strikes one in 150 people infected with the potentially fatal virus.
The virus, which first surfaced in New York City in 1999, infects humans and animals through mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. Most people who contract the disease do not experience any symptoms, although some suffer mild or moderate fevers and body aches. Less than 1 percent will develop a serious illness such as encephalitis or meningitis.
Nationally and statewide, this is one of the worst West Nile seasons to date, according to public health experts. At least 57 human cases have been reported in California so far, nearly three times as many as this time last year.
Most have occurred in Kern County. Across the country, the number of West Nile infections has more than doubled since this time last year, with 185 cases, five of them fatal, reported to date, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Local vector control officials have recently stepped up "fogging" with insecticides in areas with high levels of West Nile virus activity.
Early Thursday morning, parts of San Jose, Campbell and Los Gatos were treated with pesticide, following several fogging forays in recent weeks. To determine the success of Thursday's fogging, mosquito traps placed in the treated areas will be collected Friday. Test results should be completed and posted by Monday on the vector control Web site at http://sccvector.org.
The Monte Sereno man lives about a half-mile from one of the areas that was recently fogged, public health spokeswoman Joy Alexiou said.
People can prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants at dusk and at dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Homeowners should check their back yards for standing water, which provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
There is no human vaccine for the disease, but several are in development.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
For local information, call the county's West Nile virus hotline at (800) 314-2427 or visit www.sccvector. org. More information about the virus also can be found at www.westnile.ca.gov and www.cdc.gov/westnile.
Mercury News Staff Writer Mark Gomez contributed to this report.
Contact Barbara Feder Ostrov at bfeder@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5064.
http://www.mercurynews.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=6533464&siteId=568
Thursday, August 2, 2007
State of emergency declared over West Nile
BY FELIX DOLIGOSA, Californian staff writer
e-mail: fdoligosa@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Aug 1 2007 10:05 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Aug 1 2007 10:07 PM
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to declare a state of emergency today for Kern County after West Nile virus killed two people in Kern County and have infected 56 others statewide.
"I agree that there is a need to address this issue to protect our fellow Californians against an epidemic," Schwarzenegger wrote in a letter to state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Bakersfield.
Schwarzenegger also declared a state of emergency for Colusa and San Joaquin counties. The counties each recorded one death from the virus this year.
Florez asked for a minimum of $48 million in state money to battle West Nile virus. Schwarzenegger's staff is working with the Department of Public Health and staff at vector control to determine the needed resources.
"Please rest assured that I will make available as much funding as immediately needed to combat this virus at the local level," Schwarzenegger said.
So far this year, Kern County has 38 West Nile Virus cases. There are 18 cases in the rest of the state.
Kern County recorded 51 cases in 2006, the most in California.
"We need to get our local agencies the tools they need to protect our most vulnerable citizens and educate the public on steps they can take to help protect themselves from West Nile," Florez said in a written statement.
The virus can be transmitted through an infected mosquito.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, body aches and rashes. Some people who are infected with the virus show no symptoms.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/203359.html
e-mail: fdoligosa@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Aug 1 2007 10:05 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Aug 1 2007 10:07 PM
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to declare a state of emergency today for Kern County after West Nile virus killed two people in Kern County and have infected 56 others statewide.
"I agree that there is a need to address this issue to protect our fellow Californians against an epidemic," Schwarzenegger wrote in a letter to state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Bakersfield.
Schwarzenegger also declared a state of emergency for Colusa and San Joaquin counties. The counties each recorded one death from the virus this year.
Florez asked for a minimum of $48 million in state money to battle West Nile virus. Schwarzenegger's staff is working with the Department of Public Health and staff at vector control to determine the needed resources.
"Please rest assured that I will make available as much funding as immediately needed to combat this virus at the local level," Schwarzenegger said.
So far this year, Kern County has 38 West Nile Virus cases. There are 18 cases in the rest of the state.
Kern County recorded 51 cases in 2006, the most in California.
"We need to get our local agencies the tools they need to protect our most vulnerable citizens and educate the public on steps they can take to help protect themselves from West Nile," Florez said in a written statement.
The virus can be transmitted through an infected mosquito.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, body aches and rashes. Some people who are infected with the virus show no symptoms.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/203359.html
Governor to declare state of emergency for West Nile Virus
After a strong request by Senator Dean Florez Wednesday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to proclaim a state of emergency for counties hardest hit by the West Nile Virus.
The Governor's proclamation is expected sometime Thursday for Kern, Colusa, and San Joaquin counties, all of which have seen fatalities because of the virus.
This move will make emergency funding available to local Vector Control Districts, as well as direct state agencies to take a more active approach towards limiting any further spread of the West Nile Virus.
The Governor has also been in contact with the Director of the Department of Public Health to help determine the exact level of resources needed.
In response to the Governor's action, Senator Florez said he is "very encouraged by the Governor’s rapid response that he does grasp the serious nature of this threat to public health."
Story Created: Aug 1, 2007 at 11:42 PM CDT
Story Updated: Aug 2, 2007 at 1:14 AM CDT
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/8865747.html
The Governor's proclamation is expected sometime Thursday for Kern, Colusa, and San Joaquin counties, all of which have seen fatalities because of the virus.
This move will make emergency funding available to local Vector Control Districts, as well as direct state agencies to take a more active approach towards limiting any further spread of the West Nile Virus.
The Governor has also been in contact with the Director of the Department of Public Health to help determine the exact level of resources needed.
In response to the Governor's action, Senator Florez said he is "very encouraged by the Governor’s rapid response that he does grasp the serious nature of this threat to public health."
Story Created: Aug 1, 2007 at 11:42 PM CDT
Story Updated: Aug 2, 2007 at 1:14 AM CDT
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/8865747.html
West Nile Prompts State of Emergency
POSTED: 11:57 pm PDT August 1, 2007
UPDATED: 7:47 am PDT August 2, 2007
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is declaring a State of Emergency to deal with the West Nile virus outbreak in three California counties including Kern.
The declaration will free up millions of dollars in aid to local vector control districts.
Sen. Dean Florez said he contacted the governor's office Wednesday to request emergency relief, however a spokesperson for the governor's office said the governor had been following the West Nile problem for some time and had already planned to issue a state of emergency.
"Senator Florez had nothing to do with the decision. The governor decided to go forward with the state of emergency after viewing a recent report on West Nile and hearing of two recent deaths in separate counties," said Aaron McLear.
So far, 38 of the state's 56 cases have occured in Kern County. Two people have died in Kern County this year, two others died in Colusa and San Joaquin Counties, both of which will be named in the State of Emergency proclamation.
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/8865747.html
UPDATED: 7:47 am PDT August 2, 2007
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is declaring a State of Emergency to deal with the West Nile virus outbreak in three California counties including Kern.
The declaration will free up millions of dollars in aid to local vector control districts.
Sen. Dean Florez said he contacted the governor's office Wednesday to request emergency relief, however a spokesperson for the governor's office said the governor had been following the West Nile problem for some time and had already planned to issue a state of emergency.
"Senator Florez had nothing to do with the decision. The governor decided to go forward with the state of emergency after viewing a recent report on West Nile and hearing of two recent deaths in separate counties," said Aaron McLear.
So far, 38 of the state's 56 cases have occured in Kern County. Two people have died in Kern County this year, two others died in Colusa and San Joaquin Counties, both of which will be named in the State of Emergency proclamation.
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/8865747.html
WNV crisis prompts Governor to issue state of emergency
Last Update: Aug 2, 2007 1:09 AM
Posted By: Megan Trihey
Posted 8/2/07
BAKERSFIELD - The number of human West Nile Virus cases is on the rise in Kern County, but help is on the way.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to declare a state of emergency Wednesday for Kern and two other counties.
Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) sent a letter to the governor asking for help and some emergency funding to fight the bite.
Wednesday, Florez said he’s pleased the money is on the way.
Hot weather and standing water are pushing Kern County’s cases of West Nile Virus way up.
With 38 human cases and two deaths locally from West Nile, Kern County has the highest numbers in the state.
Florez said it’s about time something substantial is done to stop it.
"We need the governor to come in and provide the monies necessary to make sure we can combat this, because as we know, West Nile Virus gets much tougher in August,” he said.
Florez asked the governor to allocate at least $48 million to help fight the bite.
The governor said he will make the money available to Kern, Colusa, and San Joaquin Counties, which are the only counties that have reported deaths from West Nile.
The money will fund West Nile prevention programs and provide more resources to local mosquito control.
"He [the governor] did not put the money necessary to fight West Nile last year,” said Florez. “The $12 million was not enough, and the vector control folks have recognized the only way to beat it is in the winter months, and we didn't do the work and now we are paying the consequences.”
The governor’s emergency declaration means Kern County and the others will get money right away to combat West Nile Virus.
Florez plans to hold a news conference Wednesday to unveil more details about where the money will be allocated.
In the meantime, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office said Schwarzenegger decided to declare the state of emergency because of the recent West Nile deaths and increased activity.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=367df9e6-e138-4cba-9661-fd218238c01f
Posted By: Megan Trihey
Posted 8/2/07
BAKERSFIELD - The number of human West Nile Virus cases is on the rise in Kern County, but help is on the way.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to declare a state of emergency Wednesday for Kern and two other counties.
Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) sent a letter to the governor asking for help and some emergency funding to fight the bite.
Wednesday, Florez said he’s pleased the money is on the way.
Hot weather and standing water are pushing Kern County’s cases of West Nile Virus way up.
With 38 human cases and two deaths locally from West Nile, Kern County has the highest numbers in the state.
Florez said it’s about time something substantial is done to stop it.
"We need the governor to come in and provide the monies necessary to make sure we can combat this, because as we know, West Nile Virus gets much tougher in August,” he said.
Florez asked the governor to allocate at least $48 million to help fight the bite.
The governor said he will make the money available to Kern, Colusa, and San Joaquin Counties, which are the only counties that have reported deaths from West Nile.
The money will fund West Nile prevention programs and provide more resources to local mosquito control.
"He [the governor] did not put the money necessary to fight West Nile last year,” said Florez. “The $12 million was not enough, and the vector control folks have recognized the only way to beat it is in the winter months, and we didn't do the work and now we are paying the consequences.”
The governor’s emergency declaration means Kern County and the others will get money right away to combat West Nile Virus.
Florez plans to hold a news conference Wednesday to unveil more details about where the money will be allocated.
In the meantime, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office said Schwarzenegger decided to declare the state of emergency because of the recent West Nile deaths and increased activity.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=367df9e6-e138-4cba-9661-fd218238c01f
West Nile Virus claims 2 more lives
West Nile Virus claims 2 more lives
Last Update: Aug 1, 2007 1:17 PM
Posted By: brynn galindo
Posted 8/1/07
BAKERSFIELD - Two more Californians have died of complications associated with West Nile Virus, bringing California’s total to four fatalities.
Two deaths were local, and state health officials announced 10 new cases of West Nile in Kern County just this week
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=d7b4ff4d-c311-4323-9266-c58c1375f424
Last Update: Aug 1, 2007 1:17 PM
Posted By: brynn galindo
Posted 8/1/07
BAKERSFIELD - Two more Californians have died of complications associated with West Nile Virus, bringing California’s total to four fatalities.
Two deaths were local, and state health officials announced 10 new cases of West Nile in Kern County just this week
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=d7b4ff4d-c311-4323-9266-c58c1375f424
Ten more West Nile cases reported in Kern
Last Update: Jul 31, 2007 7:52 PM
Posted By: brynn galindo
Posted 7/31/07BAKERSFIELD - The number of West Nile Virus cases in Kern County is up sharply, according to stat statistics released Tuesday afternoon.
Ten new cases of human WNV have been reported in Kern since Friday, bringing the county's total to 38. Statewide, 14 new cases were reported.
Kern remains the center of the statewide West Nile threat: All other counties combined have only 18 cases. The disease has been reported in 12 other counties.
But the new statistics show there have been deaths in two other counties, San Joaquin and Colusa. Already reported were the deaths of two elderly Kern County residents.
Health officials said now more than ever, precautions must be taken.
"The big picture is prevention," said Public Health Department Dr. Claudia Jonah. "Don't expose yourself to things that caused the infections and be aware that there are these risks."
Health experts urge everyone to take the following precautions against the deadly West Nile Virus:
Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to label instructions.
Ensure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.
Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding.
Wear clothing that reduces the risk of skin exposure and avoid spending time outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Kern Mosquito and Vector Control said as more small pools and ponds dry up in our hot, dry weather, infected mosquitoes and birds are all flocking to what few areas with water are left, making it easier for mosquitoes to become infected and pass along the virus.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c1c649aa-3fa9-4866-b586-8c37a8067bab
Posted By: brynn galindo
Posted 7/31/07BAKERSFIELD - The number of West Nile Virus cases in Kern County is up sharply, according to stat statistics released Tuesday afternoon.
Ten new cases of human WNV have been reported in Kern since Friday, bringing the county's total to 38. Statewide, 14 new cases were reported.
Kern remains the center of the statewide West Nile threat: All other counties combined have only 18 cases. The disease has been reported in 12 other counties.
But the new statistics show there have been deaths in two other counties, San Joaquin and Colusa. Already reported were the deaths of two elderly Kern County residents.
Health officials said now more than ever, precautions must be taken.
"The big picture is prevention," said Public Health Department Dr. Claudia Jonah. "Don't expose yourself to things that caused the infections and be aware that there are these risks."
Health experts urge everyone to take the following precautions against the deadly West Nile Virus:
Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to label instructions.
Ensure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.
Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding.
Wear clothing that reduces the risk of skin exposure and avoid spending time outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Kern Mosquito and Vector Control said as more small pools and ponds dry up in our hot, dry weather, infected mosquitoes and birds are all flocking to what few areas with water are left, making it easier for mosquitoes to become infected and pass along the virus.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c1c649aa-3fa9-4866-b586-8c37a8067bab
10 more virus cases confirmed in Kern
The Bakersfield Californian Tuesday, Jul 31 2007 11:20 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Jul 31 2007 11:23 PM
West Nile Virus cases in Kern County continued to rise with the addition of 10 more confirmed cases, according to Dr. Claudia Jonah, interim director of public health services.
That brings the county's total to 38, which more than doubles the 18 cases found in the rest of the state.
Jonah said Tuesday that she would not be surprised if the numbers in Kern County continued to top other counties.
So far this season, the virus has killed two Kern County residents. Elsewhere, San Joaquin and Colusa counties have each recorded one death.
Last year, the state recorded seven deaths from the virus, none in Kern County.
Yet Kern had 51 cases in 2006, more than any other county.
The bite of an infected mosquito can transmit the virus to humans and other animals.
In most cases, Jonah said, people who become infected show no symptoms of the virus.
Others may experience fever, body aches and rashes. Few cases end in death.
The aged and people with chronic health problems that already put a drag on the immune system are more vulnerable.
There are precautions people can take to lessen the risk of infection, Jonah said.
Last Updated: Tuesday, Jul 31 2007 11:23 PM
West Nile Virus cases in Kern County continued to rise with the addition of 10 more confirmed cases, according to Dr. Claudia Jonah, interim director of public health services.
That brings the county's total to 38, which more than doubles the 18 cases found in the rest of the state.
Jonah said Tuesday that she would not be surprised if the numbers in Kern County continued to top other counties.
So far this season, the virus has killed two Kern County residents. Elsewhere, San Joaquin and Colusa counties have each recorded one death.
Last year, the state recorded seven deaths from the virus, none in Kern County.
Yet Kern had 51 cases in 2006, more than any other county.
The bite of an infected mosquito can transmit the virus to humans and other animals.
In most cases, Jonah said, people who become infected show no symptoms of the virus.
Others may experience fever, body aches and rashes. Few cases end in death.
The aged and people with chronic health problems that already put a drag on the immune system are more vulnerable.
There are precautions people can take to lessen the risk of infection, Jonah said.
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