Originally published July 30 2005
Atascadero County's first case of West Nile discovered
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Officials in Atascadero County, Calif. have found the first case occurring in 2005 of West Nile in a crow.
The county's first case of West Nile virus for 2005 was discovered in a crow found near Atascadero on July 6, public health officials said Thursday.
The news came the same day that state officials confirmed the first human death from the disease this year in California, an elderly man who died in Kings County.
West Nile, which can cause flu-like symptoms, is spread to humans by mosquitoes, but it's rarely fatal.
Those most likely to become ill are the elderly or those with weakened immune systems.
Based on trends seen in California and elsewhere in the nation, virus activity in the county could leap exponentially -- but experts hesitate to say that will definitely happen here.
"The first year is the 'establishment year,' and the second year you see activity," said state Department of Health Services spokeswoman Michelle Mussuto.
The "establishment" year in Southern California -- 2003 -- saw three human cases of West Nile virus in six counties.
"My crystal ball isn't perfect, but if the trends hold true in this county, then I expect our (infection rates) can go very high," said Curt Batson, environmental health director.
That money, a fraction of the $12 million set aside for mosquito abatement in the new state budget, would bolster the county's existing $260,000-per-year program.
That's important, because when the populations reach a certain size, the virus starts spreading to birds and then to humans and horses.
Because the virus has already established itself in the county, Batson said, the whole cycle can start up easier.
Weather plays a key role in sparking the cycle, too, with hotter weather leading to larger mosquito populations.
Twenty percent suffer milder symptoms such as headaches, fevers and nausea, but 80 percent of the time, people won't have any symptoms.
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