|
|
Date:
October 6, 1999 Item: Press
release Subject:
Local residents well protected from threat of West Nile Virus Source: Shasta
Mosquito and Vector Control District Contact Person:
John Albright, District Biologist Contact Phone:
(530) 365-3768 According to the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control
District effective programs are in place in California to protect citizens from
attack by mosquito-borne disease outbreaks such as the recent spread of West
Nile Virus in New York City. District
surveillance methods can detect the presence of West Nile or related
encephalitis diseases well before there are die-offs of wild birds or human
cases as have occurred on the east coast according to District Biologist, John
Albright. Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District and
California Department of Health Services have monitored for the presence of
Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and Saint Louis Encephalitis (SLE) in the
environment for the past twenty years.
“West Nile Virus, which has killed four people so far this year in New
York State, is closely related to SLE and can be detected using current
methods,” Albright stated. Throughout
the mosquito season, which runs roughly from April through October, the
District uses sentinel chicken flocks and trapping of mosquitoes as indicators
of the presence and risk to humans of these important viruses. Sentinel chicken flocks are placed at various
locations throughout the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District. Blood samples are taken from the chickens
every two weeks and sent to the California Department of Health Services to be
tested for antibodies to encephalitis viruses.
These diseases are most commonly found in the bird population. They are only occasionally spread to humans
and other animals by mosquitoes that have previously fed on infected
birds. This means that the chickens
will most likely become infected with these viruses well before humans or their
pets and livestock are at risk. These
viruses do not make the chickens sick, but telltale antibodies are left in the
chicken’s blood. These antibodies are
easily detected using modern laboratory techniques. The last time that encephalitis was detected in sentinel chickens
in the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District was in the summer of 1997. As an added precaution, live mosquitoes are trapped
from within the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District during the peak of
the mosquito season, generally during July and August. These samples are sent to the University of
California at Davis and tested for the presence of encephalitis viruses in the
mosquitoes. The last time that
encephalitis virus was detected in mosquitoes within the Shasta Mosquito and
Vector Control District was in 1993. Mosquitoes
are also trapped and counted weekly by the District to determine mosquito
populations through the mosquito season.
This information is used by the District to assess disease and pest risk
to residents of the District. This sort
of knowledge helps the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District set pest
control priorities and plan activities to ensure the comfort and safety of
District residents. Information on mosquito control, encephalitis and
other vector-borne diseases can be found at the Shasta Mosquito and Vector
Control District web site, Shasta MVCD Home Page
or by calling the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District office at
365-3768. Email:
|