Published Saturday, August 17, 2002
of West Nile
are expected
Herald Staff Writer
A second dead bird found in Mercer County has tested positive for West Nile Virus as the virus spreads across the nation and state, showing up in nine more Pennsylvania counties Friday.
There are confirmed positive tests in 31 of the state's 67 counties, nearly double the number that saw the virus last year.
But spokespeople for both the state Department of Health and the state Department of Environmental Protection said people shouldn't worry too much as long as they are aware of what to do about the virus.
"We don't want to downplay it. Be aware, take prudent precautions. But beyond that, don't worry too much about it," said Ron Ruman, information specialist for the DEP, which sprays areas with high concentrations of adult mosquitos in counties which have high positive confirmations of the virus.
A dead crow found in West Salem Township tested positive for the virus, officials said Friday. Thursday, a dead bird in Hempfield Township tested positive. It was the first sign of the virus in the county.
"I think there's more awareness and with more birds coming in, there will be more positives," said Richard McGarvey, spokesperson for the Department of Health. "Its also the height of the mosquito season. But there has been no human cases of the virus in the state so far."
Recently three cases of the virus were found in people living in the Cleveland and Columbus areas in Ohio. The nationwide death toll from the rapidly spreading virus climbed to 11 on Friday as two new victims were reported, one in Louisiana and another in Illinois.
"It takes four to 12 days before a person (who reacts to the virus) shows symptoms, which could be anything from minor cold or flu-like symptoms, muscle fatigue, swollen glands, a rash, or a low fever," said McGarvey, who reiterated that only one in 150 people exposed to the virus exhibit symptoms.
Both spokespeople said the biggest target should be standing water near homes. "A bucket near a sandbox, a birdbath, a trash can lid, anything can be a breeding ground for mosquitos. It doesn't take much. Pour it out," said Rumen. "If you have old tires (on your property), get rid of them."
Besides Mercer County, another dead bird tested positive in New Castle in Lawrence County. The nine counties that showed positive tests Friday are Allegheny, Berks, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Huntingdon, Mifflin, and Susquehanna. McGarvey said the majority of the positive tests have come from Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Results from testing done on a dead bird takes about five or six days before the results, if positive, can be posted, according to McGarvey.
The DEP has done some spraying to kill mosquitos, including Lawrence County, but so far has no plans to spray in Mercer County. "We will continue to do our surveillance," said Rumen, adding that spraying depends on how the situation unfolds.
In the meantime, people should wear mosquito repellent, long sleeves and long pants and stay out of mosquito-laden areas especially at dawn and dusk, said both Rumen and McGarvey. But, they said, don't stop living your life.
"West Nile Virus is here to stay. You need to think about it, but you can't stop your everyday life," McGarvey said. "Like doing a tick check because of Lyme disease, or being sure to cook your hamburgers thoroughly because of E Coli, its just another thing to put on your list of health concerns."
For more information, call (877) 724-4325 or check www.westnile.state.pa.us