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Hand County resident dies from West Nile virus
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The death of a Hand County resident has added emphasis this week to safety warnings by state health officials, who are urging citizens to protect themselves against the West Nile virus.
"Personal protection is important for all of us, because anyone can get West Nile disease," state epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger said in a news release Tuesday. "It's also important that communities intensify their mosquito-control measures, particularly when they host outdoor public events."
A West Nile virus victim in Hand County, in north-central South Dakota, was the first South Dakotan to die this year of the disease. Health officials said the victim was 80 to 89 years old, declining to be more specific because of medical privacy.
Family members told Sioux Falls television stations that the victim was Robert Ames, 86, of Miller, and that he died July 17.
There have been 28 human cases of West Nile reported in South Dakota so far in 2007. In all of 2006, the state had 113 human cases and three deaths.
Wyoming and Colorado, meanwhile, has each confirmed seven cases of the virus. In Wyoming, those cases included two in Crook County, which borders South Dakota, and one in Campbell County.
The good news in Pennington County is that mosquito counts are down so far. And the Rapid City parks department has received few complaints from homeowners about mosquito problems. County and city officials said Tuesday that crews will continue mosquito-control efforts going into the heart of the summer West Nile virus season.
The disease is transmitted from sick birds to humans and other animals through mosquito bites.
"We haven't received many complaints at our office," Rapid City parks manager Lon Van Deusen said Tuesday. "I think the last complaints I remember were from people attending softball events out in Rapid Valley. But we don't get into that area very much. And it's close to Rapid Creek, which is a pretty tough area to control mosquitoes."
The city continues to use insecticide fog in problem areas and treat wetlands and other breeding spots with a chemical to kill mosquito larvae. Similar work by the county seems to be working in other areas, including Rapid Valley, county mosquito control supervisor Scott Guffey said. Mosquito traps show reduced counts from last year, he said.
But the traps are also showing higher numbers of the Culex tarsalis mosquito that is most likely to transmit the disease, Guffey said.
"Right after mid-July, that's typically when we start to see the Culex start to rise," he said.
Although drought conditions and control have helped control numbers in western South Dakota, state health official continue to urge citizens to wear protective clothing, use insect repellant and limit outdoor activities early and late in the day when mosquitoes are most active.
Culex tarsalis prefers to breed in intermittent water -- areas that become wet and dry up within a few days, said Denise Van Roekel, coordinator of the mosquito control program in Sioux Falls.
Even though some cities have put lawn-watering restrictions in place, residents may douse their yards more heavily when they do water, which can create pools that become breeding grounds for the bugs, she said. The same goes for farmers who irrigate their crops, Van Roekel said.
Most mosquito-control programs focus on more permanent water supplies, she said.
"We're targeting our efforts to areas that can hold water all the time, like big detention ponds and sloughs or wetlands," Van Roekel said. "We're trying to stay on top of it and keep numbers as low as possible."
As of Tuesday morning, there had been 122 human cases of West Nile virus nationwide reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first death in the U.S. this year was reported June 7 by the Mississippi Department of Health.
West Nile virus is a seasonal epidemic and flares up in the summer. Most people infected don't feel any symptoms.
The virus peaked in 2003, when nearly 10,000 people were infected nationwide and more than 1,000 became ill in South Dakota. According to weather records, 2003 was a drought year with weather similar to this year.
One of the 28 reported cases in South Dakota this year is Kelly Glodt, superintendent of Riggs High School in Pierre. Glodt is one of three people confirmed with the mosquito-carried virus in Hughes County. He has suffered from headaches, fever, shakes and double vision. And he has lost 15 pounds.
Even though he was sick, Glodt said he was able to keep working and is feeling better every day.
In Wyoming, six of the seven reported cases were confirmed in the past week. Along with Crook and Campbell counties, three cases have been from Fremont County and one from Natrona County, state health officials report. The infected adults include four men and three women, ranging in age between 24 and 63, and their symptoms began anywhere between mid-June and mid-July.
The worst might be yet to come. Dr. Tracy Murphy, state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health, said West Nile virus season usually peaks later in the summer.
"Everyone should be cautious, regardless of where they live or their past medical history," he said.
There were 65 reported West Nile case in Wyoming last year that resulted in two deaths. In 2005, the state experienced 12 human cases with two deaths. There were 10 cases with no deaths in 2004, and 393 cases with nine deaths in 2003.
Colorado had reported seven cases of West Nile virus by Tuesday. The state has scaled back testing for mosquitoes and some local education programs because of federal funding cuts. That hasn't been a problem in South Dakota, state Health Department spokeswoman Barb Buhler said.
"South Dakota's federal West Nile Virus dollars are comparable to last year," she said. "We received about $500,000."
Buhler said there were delays in the release of funds to some states.
On the Net: South Dakota Health Department: doh.sd.gov/westnile
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