For Immediate Release:
August 15, 2003
Contact:
Karen Yates
573-751-6113
Missouri’s
first probable case of West Nile virus reported;
Eastern Equine Encephalitis case found to
be false positive
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced today that the state’s first probable case of West Nile virus (WNV) has been reported in a six-year old girl from Putnum County.
This case was reported in July as a mosquito-borne illness of either WNV or St. Louis encephalitis, two diseases with very similar symptoms. Lab specimens were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for further testing to define which virus the girl had. The results were returned this week to show the girl probably has had West Nile virus, although complete CDC confirmation cannot be achieved without a post-recovery blood sample.
“Now that we have had our first WNV case reported, I think Missourians need to be reminded that the virus is here in the state and that, regardless of where they live, people should take the proper measures to protect themselves and their families,” said Dr. Howard Pue, State Public Health Veterinarian. “We are just now entering mosquito-breeding season, so female mosquitoes will be looking for blood meals, which means they will be biting more. August and September are the height of mosquito season and nearly all of the 168 cases we had last year were infected during that time, with some infections happening in October. Now is the time to be even more careful about mosquito control and protection.”
At about the same time as the Putnam County West Nile virus case was reported, DHSS also reported that a 54-year old woman from Butler County had Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), another mosquito-borne virus, but one that is rarer and causes much more serious health affects, including a higher risk of death. Further testing by CDC revealed that the case was actually negative for EEE, making the original test a false-positive and meaning that the woman did not have EEE.
Pue said that even though this case turned out to be a false positive, EEE has been seen in other parts of the country, including Illinois. Because of this, Missouri public health officials will continue conducting surveillance of mosquito pools in southwest Missouri to make sure any sign of the virus can be caught early.
For more information on the West Nile virus, contact your local health department or the Department of Health and Senior Services at 1-866/628-9891 or 573/751-6113, or visit the DHSS web site at www.dhss.state.mo.us/WestNileVirus/index.html.
For more information about Eastern Equine Encephalitis and other mosquito-borne diseases, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention web site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/.
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