First human case of West Nile on North Coast

Lake County resident recovering at home, contracted virus from mosquito

By MIKE GENIELLA
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A Lake County resident who contracted West Nile virus from an infected mosquito is the first confirmed human case on the North Coast, a sign the disease is spreading across Northern California.
The diagnosis comes less than two months after the Aug. 2 discovery of a dead bird in Lakeport marked the arrival of West Nile in Lake County.
``The appearance of the West Nile virus in Lake County is not a surprise. We have had several indicators before this case,'' said Dr. Craig McMillan, the county's public health officer.
Health officials disclosed the case after a private lab confirmed the virus in the unidentified person following blood tests. Officials refused Friday to identify the patient's age, gender or place of residence.
``We have clear indications that the virus is present around the county. In a small, rural county like Lake we see no purpose in subjecting an individual or a community to public curiosity,'' McMillan said.
He said the individual lives near a mosquito-infested pond.
The patient ``remembers being bitten by mosquitoes while talking to a neighbor at the end of a very warm day, when the air was very still,'' McMillan said.
He said the incident occurred sometime at the end of August or early September.
The patient was treated by a doctor after coming down with serious flu-like symptoms about four days later, McMillan said.
He said the individual is recovering at home but is still feeling ``very tired.''
State health authorities said they're conducting their own tests in the Lake County case, but the results are not in.
To date, 558 people in 17 counties across the state have contracted the virus this mosquito season. On Thursday, it was announced that a 50-year-old San Jose man was the first to have contracted the virus in the Bay Area.
So far 15 people have died this year in the state, most in Southern California. On Thursday, state officials said the most recent death was a Tehama County man.
The virus has shown up this year in 56 of the state's 58 counties. On the North Coast, only remote Del Norte County near the Oregon border has escaped detection of the virus.
In Sonoma County, state records show 25 submitted birds died from the virus. Lake County has recorded 15 bird deaths, Mendocino six, and Humboldt four.
Regional health officials said they're hopeful virus-related problems this year will subside as the days grow cooler, signaling an end to the mosquito season.
``By the end of October, we should not be encountering the problems we face now,'' said Art Cowell of the Lake County Mosquito Abatement District.
Lake officials have found infected mosquitoes at 11 watery areas across the county, Cowell said. The disease first spread to birds, then horses and now humans.
``Birds are the most sensitive indicator of the disease, but because they travel some distances, it's very hard to pinpoint the problem areas,'' Cowell said.

McMillan and other health officials are predicting the North Coast and other Northern California counties may be hit even harder by the West Nile virus next year.
``It's clear that the virus is spreading toward the warm, moist regions of Northern California,'' he said.
Some experts told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that Northern California's hot interior, numerous wetlands and tens of thousands of acres of rice fields are hospitable to mosquitoes that carry the virus. In addition, the vast Central Valley, and to some extent coastal regions, are in the path of the Pacific Flyway, a route used by migratory birds that can spread the virus.
Nevertheless, McMillan said the scope of the disease needs to be kept in perspective. Four out of five people bitten by an infected mosquito won't have any symptoms at all. Only one of every 150 people bitten by an infected mosquito can develop encephalitis, which can be fatal. The people most at risk are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
``The risk of death is only slightly higher than other viral diseases,'' he said.
He said it's important to remember that it's virtually impossible for the virus to be transferred from human to human.
Still with the 160 virus-connected deaths reported last year in Colorado, including numerous children, McMillan said local health officials need to be ``cautious, and even paranoid.''
``Although the risks are minimal, we can't ignore a problem that is multiplying,'' he said.
On Friday, another horse in Lake County tested positive for West Nile virus. It was Lake County's second horse in a week to come down with the mosquito borne-virus.
A total of four horses on the North Coast have contracted the disease in the last two weeks. A Santa Rosa horse infected with West Nile was euthanized Wednesday because it was so sick the attending veterinarian determined there was little chance of recovery.
The two horses in Lake County and a horse from Mendocino County are receiving supportive care. Veterinarians are optimistic the horses will recover.
Lynn Gallagher, operations manager at the Middletown Animal Clinic, said state agricultural officials Friday confirmed Lake County's second horse case. The horse is a 7-year-old Arabian stallion from Cobb.
Gallagher said the Arabian stallion had not been vaccinated for West Nile virus.
California's horse population is being hit hard by the virus. As of Friday, 327 horses, an increase of 73 horses in a week, have tested positive for West Nile. A total of 141 horses have died or been euthanized after infection.
The disease has hit horses in 27 California counties.

Staff Writer Tim Tesconi contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Mike Geniella at 462-6470 or mgeniella@pressdemocrat.com.

Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District 800-231-3236 (toll free) 707-285-2200 (office) 595 Helman Lane, Cotati, CA 94931-9736

First human case of West Nile on North Coast

Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District
800-231-3236 (toll free)
707-285-2200 (office)
595 Helman Lane, Cotati, CA 94931-9736