West Nile virus making return to Missouri area

POPLAR BLUFF -- Last week two dead birds found in Missouri tested positive for West Nile virus, signaling once again the return of the potentially deadly disease.

Although no human cases have been reported in the state this year, health officials say the disease is preventable. For this reason, Three Rivers Community College is hosting a free seminar June 22 on the virus and how to control the mosquitoes that spread it.

"The key with the disease is prevention," noted Cathy Wampler, division chair for health and human services at TRCC. "It is the answer to helping control it, and the more people that know about how to avoid contact with the virus, the better off we'll be as a society."

The seminar, open to the public, will start at 10 a.m. in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center on campus. Dr. Janet McAllister, a senior service fellow from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) office in Fort Collins, Colo., will discuss "Ecology of West Nile Mosquitoes: Control Tactics and Personal Protection."

An expert on mosquito control and the CDC liaison with the federal Environmental Protection Agency on regulatory issues concerning public health and pesticides, McAllister participates as a field entomologist on "epi-aid" teams sent out to states or foreign countries when mosquito-borne disease epidemics occur.

Before being posted to Colorado, McAllister worked at CDC headquarters in Atlanta in the Division of Parasitic Diseases and served on the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board.

McAllister, who is originally from Poplar Bluff, said this year the CDC is shifting its message on West Nile in that even if someone does not die from the disease, they can still experience long-term effects.

"This is not a mild disease. This is a serious disease. Now that we're finding out more about it, we've learned West Nile mimics polio. So people who get it may have paralysis and polio-like symptoms for rest of their lives," McAllister explained.

West Nile virus is also similar to encephalitis and affects the nervous system. Common in Africa and Asia, the virus first appeared in the United States in 1999 and has spread since then, primarily affecting humans, birds and horses. "We only have five years experience with West Nile," McAllister said. "And it's looking like even though (an infected) person may not have serious symptoms, encephalitis or is not hospitalized, the milder disease can have permanent outcomes.

It's not like getting the flu and then getting over it a week or two later, McAllister pointed out about the virus.

While fewer than 1 percent of the individuals who become infected will develop the most severe form of West Nile virus, the number of cases is growing. In 2001, there were only 66 serious human infections nationally, with nine deaths. In 2003, there were 2,866 serious cases, with 264 deaths.

Among humans with severe West Nile illness, fatality rates range from 3 percent to 15 percent, with rates highest among the elderly. Missouri, last year, reported 64 human cases overall, 39 of them serious, with eight deaths, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services.

"People need to educate themselves on where these mosquitoes are coming from and what they're doing so that they can understand why it's important to control them and why it's important to wear DEET and to follow guidelines," McAllister said.

For this reason McAllister said she will focus on mosquito control, and in particular, the difference between having a spray program and a mosquito control program.

"Most people think a control program is getting in a truck and spraying around town, but it's not," McAllister said. When people leave they should have a fairly good idea of how to start a mosquito control program -- areawide or countywide, McAllister said.

Other topics McAllister plans to address at the upcoming seminar include virus prevention, blood screening, personal protection, mosquito and insecticide resistance, biology and where mosquitoes breed.

While veterinarians and public health officials have been urged to attend, McAllister said this would also be a good opportunity for city and county officials who might be considering any type of mosquito control.

"We will spend time talking about budgets and the make up of mosquito control programs, McAllister said.

And the general public will also benefit.

McAllister pointed out: "If it's getting to the point where you say, 'We can't do Little League in the evenings without be swarmed, then maybe a control program is something to consider."

Anyone needing more information can call TRCC's Division of Health and Human Services toll-free at 877-TRY-TRCC, Extension 680 or dial direct at (573) 840-9680.