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Last year, Cherokee County had one case of West Nile, but the person was visiting from another state and had just arrived when they became ill, so it was counted by the other state.
In 2012, Georgia reported 100 cases of West Nile Virus, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. This is the highest number of cases reported in several years. This is consistent with the higher number of cases seen throughout the country last year. In 2011 Georgia reported 22 cases and in 2010 Georgia reported 13 cases.
"We do not have any human WNV cases yet in 2013," said Nancy Nydam of the Georgia Department of Public Health.
To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in Holly Springs, Patch has pulled together county-level 2012 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Cases and Incidence Rates
You can see how counties across the state compare by using the interactive map above, which shows the number of West Nile cases in humans and the infection rate. West Nile – named after the district in Uganda where the virus was first discovered – spread to New York City in 1999, and has been migrating across the United States ever since. Last year was the deadliest year so far for West Nile in the United States, with more than 5,600 "confirmed and probable" cases, and at least 286 related deaths.
Local predictions for 2013 are very difficult to make. But nationally, "the number of humans with West Nile virus disease continues to rise in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases.
No Vaccine, Little Reporting, But a High Cost
While there is a West Nile vaccine for horses, there isn't one for humans, according to Purdue University Professor Richard Kuhn. Furthering the problem is the fact that cases of West Nile often go unreported.
“It's always underreported because if someone has a mild case they might not report it; they might think it’s a cold,” said Judith M. Lavelle, Health Communications Specialist at the CDC.
Jennifer King, risk communicator for North Georgia Health District 1-2, agrees that cases are probably underreported because:
- Most people infected with WNV (80 percent) do not experience any symptoms;
- Up to 20 percent of people infected with WNV will experience mild symptoms approximately 3-14 days after the bite. "These symptoms are fever, headache, body or muscle aches, nausea/vomiting, rash (rarely). The symptoms typically resolve on their own without medical attention," King said.
- Less than 1 percent of people infected with WNV will experience serious symptoms that usually results in hospitalization.
There is currently no comprehensive treatment for someone infected by West Nile, which makes severe diagnoses all the more frightening. Patch spoke to one Texas man who survived a West Nile infection in 2006, and has dedicated himself to educating the public about the potentially debilitating disease.
“I was told point blank that I would never walk again - to forget it,” said Donnie Manry, of the Bryan County Police Department in Texas. “It was devastating.”
Manry, who was 43 at the time, said that within five days of being stung, encephalitis and meningitis left him paralyzed. Through rehabilitation, Manry was able to regain control of his body again, and now uses a cane to walk.
From Birds to Bugs to Humans
West Nile has also been detected in bird populations, notably in Central Michigan. “Certain types of birds serve as a reservoir for West Nile Virus,” Kuhn said. An infected bird can pass the virus along to an uninfected mosquito when bitten. That’s why Wisconsin has launched a hotline for people to report dead birds in the area.
Many states have begun testing mosquitoes for West Nile, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and California all reporting positive detection in certain counties. After the virus was detected in California, LA County began overnight aerial spraying to stop the spread. Residents are cautioned to remain indoors during the spraying.
"Most counties in Georgia do not have the resources to provide effective mosquito control," Nydam said. Those programs require sustainable funding. Any county that has programs in place have been providing mosquito control for years, long before West Nile Virus was present in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. This control is to protect against nuisance mosquitoes.
"Current changes in the regulation of pesticide application have placed a burden on mosquito control programs and may cause some to discontinue their control efforts," Naydam said.
Prevention and Symptoms
The CDC recommends using an EPA-certified mosquito repellant if you’re going to be outdoors, and lists some additional prevention tips on their website.
King offers these preventative measures as well:
"Avoiding WNV means preventing mosquito bites, and the best methods for that is to use an insect repellent when outdoors (guidelines on insect repellents use and effectiveness are at http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/#searchform), especially at dawn and dusk, and wear long sleeves and long pants.
"Also, mosquito-proof your home by making sure window and door screens are in good repair and by getting rid of standing water out around the home, including shallow water from areas such as flowerpots, birdbaths and gutters," she said.
"Also bear in mind that in 2012, the majority of cases were reported in August and September, although there was a peak in number of cases in July, so be residents should be very diligent during these months," King said.
With the 2012 mosquito season was the highest on record, health officials are cautioning people to take immediate action if you believe you’ve been infected. The CDC website lists varying degrees of symptoms.
The North Georgia Health District 1-2 works to educate area residents, including those in Cherokee County.
"We share WNV printed materials such as posters, flyers and brochures with the public through our public health offices, at community meetings and at health fairs, and we post messages on our website and on our social media sites," King said. "We also include WNV information when invited to speak to groups and we provide WNV articles to the media."