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M/SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: NW at 12 mph Saturday, April 26, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 2, 2003 West Nile virus is expected to arrive in Oregon Residents can reduce the risk of being bitten by ridding their premises of standing water By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune When it comes to Oregon mosquitoes and the West Nile virus, Eugene Papineau has two predictions. "It will be a good mosquito year — for the mosquito," said the manager of the Jackson County Vector Control District. "We’ve had a lot of rain this year." The second is that the virus, a mosquito-borne disease, definitely will arrive in Oregon this year. The state is now only one of four in the lower 48 that has yet to find evidence of the disease within its borders. "Oregon has all the ingredients for West Nile: lots of migratory birds, lots of mosquitoes that can carry it from birds to humans, a large horse population and lots of water," Papineau said, noting that horses are particularly susceptible to the flu-like disease. "There is really no reason why it shouldn’t be here this year." But there is also no reason why Oregonians can’t dramatically reduce the risk of being bitten by a disease-carrying mosquito, he said. "The best thing to do now is check around your home for sources of mosquitoes," he said. "Emptying containers that hold water can help a lot — buckets and barrels, ornamental pots, swimming pools that aren’t used. Old tires are also notorious." The district has distributed pamphlets at county offices, libraries and city halls that offer advice for ways to reduce local mosquito populations. The virus was first found in the United States in 1999, when a few East Coast residents were infected. Although it is estimated that less than 1 percent of mosquitoes carry the disease, it has spread rapidly to the West Coast. For its part, the vector control district will resume its annual spray and West Nile virus surveillance programs. Surveillance programs include placing five sentinel chicken flocks around the county. The chickens’ blood is periodically tested for the virus. The district also will resume its dead bird surveillance project later this spring, Papineau said. In that program, the district, working with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and its federal counterpart, tests dead birds of the corvid family for signs of the disease. The corvids include crows, ravens, jays and magpies. Local residents are asked to report any dead birds found on their property but not to pick up or handle the birds. Although 20 dead birds were found last year, none had the virus when they were tested in a laboratory, Papineau said. The district will give out mosquito larvae-eating fish again this year, beginning in a week or two, he said. The tiny fish are placed in ponds to reduce the mosquito larvae population. "There are already some mosquitoes out there now," Papineau said, noting that includes "tree hole" mosquitoes that sometimes survive the winter. "When it warms up in the early spring, they start moving around and look for a blood meal," he said. "We are seeing a few moving around now. That’s not unusual for this time of year." But the mild winter likely will increase that early spring mosquito population, he said. "When we have a mild winter and a lot of rain, all the insects that overwinter survive at higher rates," he said. "We can anticipate more surviving this winter." For more information, check out www.jacksoncountyvectorcontrol.org on the Web. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] About West Nile virus The West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Besides horses and birds, the virus can infect people and other animals, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The virus is not transmitted from person to person or from animals to people. Although the virus causes no more than a flu-like sickness in most people, it can kill elderly people or those with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC. The virus strikes horses harder than humans: It's fatal in 30 to 40 percent of equine cases, but only about 5 percent of human cases are serious enough to be reported. The Oregon Department of Human Services has established a toll-free telephone information line at 866-703-4636 or 866-703-INFO. The recorded messages, both in English and Spanish, include disease facts, symptoms and ways to reduce the risk of infection. Additional information can also be obtained through the department’s Web site at: http://www.dhs.state.or.us/publichealth/acd/wnile/index.cfm Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S