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61 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 28, 2004 Local woman gets West Nile She had no symptoms, but the virus was found in a screening process when she donated blood By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune A 47-year-old blood donor from White City has tested positive for the West Nile virus, marking Jackson County’s first human case of the mosquito-borne illness. The woman donor, who lives near the mosquito-rich Denman Wildlife Area, had no symptoms of illness when she gave blood Sept. 13 at the local American Red Cross Center, county health officials said. A national screening process implemented more than a year ago detected the West Nile virus and pulled her blood from the donation pool. "The system worked," said Dr. Jim Shames, a Jackson County health officer. "It focused down to one donor and that blood was held." The case marks Oregon’s second detected incidence of the virus in humans. A teenage boy in Malheur County tested positive for West Nile on Sept. 10, state Department of Human Services officials said. Advertisement The incident underscores the need for people — especially vulnerable adults, the elderly and children — to protect themselves against mosquito bites, health officials said. Like nearly 90 percent of those who come down with the virus, the woman wasn’t aware that she had been infected. But West Nile, which includes flu-like symptoms of fever and headache, can be debilitating or deadly. In serious cases, the virus can cause inflammation of the brain. "Eighty-nine percent of people have no symptoms, but a few people do get terribly ill and some people die," said Hank Collins, county health director. Officials have recommended precautions to avoid West Nile exposure since local birds and horses were confirmed infected with the virus this summer. So far, more than a dozen birds and nearly 30 horses have tested positive for the virus in Oregon. Many Jackson County residents have heeded the warnings, said Eugene Papineau, Vector Control manager. "People have mentioned that they’ve dumped out containers or they’ve gotten rid of tires," said Papineau, who added that complaints about possible mosquito-breeding sites have doubled from 25 to 60 calls annually in the last year or so. A single unused, untreated swimming pool with a couple of feet of water in it can breed enough mosquitoes to endanger an entire neighborhood, Papineau noted. Cleanup of such sites is especially important now because Culex mosquitoes, the primary carrier of West Nile virus, can survive the winter. "There’s a misconception that they’re killed at the first hard freeze, but that’s not true," said Collins. "These Culex mosquitoes go into a ‘diapause’ and they kind of hibernate like bears do." Still, few people have adopted some of the behavior changes recommended to avoid mosquito contact. Few people wear long sleeves in 90-degree heat and fewer still will stop walking the dog at dusk, for instance. "People aren’t altering their habits because of it," he said. "Just to have some dead birds or a couple human causes is not a cause for panic." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Some recommended precautions Public health officials recommend the following precautions to limit exposure to mosquito-borne West Nile virus: Wear long sleeves and pants, especially at dusk. Use mosquito repellent, preferably one that contains DEET, while outdoors. Follow instructions for use. Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes. Eliminate mosquito-breeding sites by removing old tires, cans and other containers that may store water around your home. The first North American case of West Nile occurred in New York in 1999. More than 14,000 human cases and 586 deaths have been reported from the virus in the United States. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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