West Nile virus comes to the valley
A Cache County resident was diagnosed with West Nile Virus last week, according to a Bear River Health Department document released Aug. 23.
The release stated that officials thought the individual had contracted the disease while in Utah County, though no other information about the person has been released.
“Even though this person probably did not get the disease here, we know we have West Nile Virus in Cache County and residents must take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from this potentially deadly disease,” said Lloyd Berentzen, director of the Bear River Health Department.
According to the Utah Department of Health, the number of human cases in the state has been “rapidly increasing” and the “total case counts as of present far exceed those from the same time last season.”
This is the first human case of West Nile Virus to be found in Cache County, while Utah County has reported 31 human cases – accounting for almost half of the cases in the state. There have been three human deaths according to the Department of Health Web site.
The virus, which is spread from mosquitoes to humans through mosquito bites, has also been detected in horses and chickens in Cache County.
Researchers at Utah State University are conducting experiments on animals they hope will one day help in fighting the virus in humans.
Dr. Wang Hong, Dr. V. Siddharthan and Professor John Morrey, of the animal, dairy and veterinary sciences department, are performing “brain surgery” on hamsters infected with West Nile Virus. After the animals are infected, a drug known as a mono-clonal antibody is applied directly to the brain, a procedure which has provided protection against the virus in some cases.
“We have some hope for this therapy,” Siddharthan said.
While it’s not a complete solution to the virus, he said it may provide help for some people in the future.
The Bear River Health Department’s Web site states that symptoms vary for those who have been infected by the virus. Approximately 80 percent of people infected may have mild or no symptoms, while severe symptoms – found in about one in 150 people – can include high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, convulsions, paralysis or death.
According to the site, residents can best protect themselves and their families by:
• Wearing insect repellent with DEET.
• Wearing pants and long sleeves when outdoors.
• Avoiding going outdoors dusk through dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Removing standing water around homes and businesses to prevent mosquito breeding.
“If you haven’t listened to the message yet, now is the time to pay attention,” Berentzen said.
Persons most likely to be bitten by an infected mosquito are those who spend time outdoors between dusk and dawn. Persons over 50 years old who are infected are more likely to develop severe illness and health problems, the Bear River Health Department site states.
The USU researchers are also applying drugs used to treat other neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and stroke to the infected hamsters to observe the results.
“We hope to make a contribution,” Morrey said.
mof@cc.usu.edu