- Hello Jeff - Last weekend I found a dead bluejay in my
backyard. I would, therfore, like to make a suggestion about downed birds.
I suggest that people, especially those living in areas where West Nile
Virus is heavily infected should call health departments and find out what
to do with dead birds. I know that New York has had enough birds turned
into the wildlife pathologist therefore I immediately buried the bird.
-
- If people call their health agencies prior to finding
the bird it will enable them to act quickly should they find a dead bird.
If your health department does not want to collect dead birds, then prompt
burial is needed.
-
- The longer that a bird stays in the open environment,
the more likely it will become a source of further infection. If birds
are not wanted by wildlife pathologist, then bury any dead birds as quickly
and safely as possible...
-
- USA Update
-
- [1] Date: Thu 24 Jul 2003
- From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
- Source: Office of Animal Health Services, Louisiana
- Department of Agriculture and Forestry,
- Thu 24 Jul 2003 [edited] <www.lvma.org>
-
- Louisiana: WNV Update from the Office of the State Veterinarian
---------------------------------------------------
-
- West Nile virus (WNV) has been found in 3 horses in Caddo
and Lafourche Parishes. These are the first 3 that have been confirmed
positive by the laboratory.
-
- I would like to remind veterinarians that this is a reportable
disease (to our office) when you FIRST suspect WNV or any other encephalitis
as a differential. Test the suspect horses, call, email or fax our office
to report the suspect case, and submit blood work to the laboratory. We
are part of the state and nationwide data base now. I have to forward all
known cases to several people within the state and the USA.
-
- Important information that I need is the following: Name
of owner, Address of owner, City and Zip code, Name of Horse, Breed, Sex,
Age, Address of Horse, location, City, Parish, Zip code, vaccination status,
Any other pertinent data or comments. Please help us by collecting as many
of these data as possible! Nationwide, from the meetings I attended at
AVMA meeting, this data is very much needed.
-
- -- M. A. Littlefield-Chabaud, DVM, MS Assistant State
Veterinarian Office of Animal Health Services Louisiana Department of Agriculture
and Forestry 5825 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70806 PO Box 1951 Baton
Rouge, LA 70821-1951 <malc@ldaf.state.la.us>
-
- ******
- [2] Date: Fri 25 Jul 2003
- From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
- Source: Sun-Sentinel, Associated Press report, Fri 25
Jul 2003 [edited] http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-
- 725virus,0,7750682.story? coll=sfla-news-florida
-
-
- Florida: First 2 Human Cases of West Nile Virus Infection
in 2003 ---------------------------------------------------------
-
- West Nile virus has been detected in 2 Florida residents,
marking the state's first human cases of the deadly mosquito-borne virus
in 2003. A 76-year-old Marco Island man and an 85-year-old Panhandle woman
have been diagnosed with the virus, health officials said Thu 24 Jul 2003.
-
- State health officials placed Collier County under a
medical alert, urging people (especially those older than 50 with weakened
immune systems) to take extra precautions to avoid getting bitten. The
alert also allows the state to spray insecticide if necessary. Officials
in Okaloosa County said the woman diagnosed there was recovering at home.
The 2 cases come early in the rainy season, when the freshwater mosquito
that carries the virus thrives.
-
- The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has reported
12 human cases of West Nile so far in 2003 in 8 states, numbers that do
not include the 2 Florida cases. In 2002, more than 4000 people in the
United States had symptoms of the virus, and 284 died. Hardest hit was
Illinois, with 884 cases and 64 deaths. Florida had 28 cases and 2 deaths
last year.
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- [This is the second state (the other was Colorado) reporting
confirmed cases of human infection following prior detection of West Nile
virus in blood donations. This suggests that surveillance by blood banks
can provide early warning of overt disease in the human population. - Mods.MPP/CP]
-
- ******
- [3] Date: Tue 29 Jul 2003
- From: H.Larry Penning
- Source: Florida Today, Associated Press report,
- Mon 28 Jul 2003 [edited]
-
-
- Florida: Another Blood Donor Tests West Nile Virus-Positive
-
- --------------------------------------------------
-
- State health officials confirmed the first human case
of West Nile virus contracted in Brevard County on Mon 28 Jul 2003. The
confirmation came one week after the Central Florida Blood Bank [detected
West Nile virus nucleic acid] in the donated blood of a 36-year-old Rockledge
man.
-
- Health officials plan to take another blood sample from
the Rockledge man in a few weeks to make sure he has fully recovered from
the viral infection. He was thought to have been infected by the virus,
which is spread by mosquitoes, while outside on the 4th of July. The man
recovered from a brief illness by the time he gave blood on 15 Jul 2003
at the blood bank's Rockledge branch. The health department is also testing
another positive [test result] for West Nile virus that the blood bank
reported late last week in a 40-year-old Stuart donor. The blood bank found
the 2 men's infected samples among 15 000 donations it has tested since
30 Jun 2003, using a new machine that identifies [viral nucleic acid].
The Stuart man, who suffered no significant illness, was working outside
in the Rockledge area between late May and early July; he gave blood on
6 Jul 2003.
-
- There have been no medical alerts in Brevard in 2003
for mosquito-borne illnesses. But state health officials issued alerts
for West Nile virus infection for 2 counties earlier in July after an 85-year-old
female in Okaloosa County and a 75-year-old male in Collier County contracted
the disease. Both are recovering.
-
- In 2002, West Nile virus killed 284 of 4156 people infected
in America. 2 of 28 people infected in Florida died.
-
- -- H.Larry Penning <hlpenning@yahoo.com>
-
- ******
- [4] Date: Fri 25 Jul 2003
- From: ProMED-mail
- Source: Lincoln Journal Star, Fri 25 Jul 2003 [edited]
http://www.journalstar.com/latest_reg.php?story_id=66107
-
-
- Nebraska: 2 suspected Cases of West Nile Virus Infection
(One Imported) -------------------------------------------------
-
- x 2 suspected [human] cases of West Nile virus infection
have been reported by local health officials in Nebraska. A 63-year-old
Fremont man has been confirmed to have contracted the virus by the Three
Rivers Public Health Department. And preliminary tests show that a 19-year-old
Lincoln woman could have West Nile virus infection, said Tim Timmons of
the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. Neither case has been confirmed
by the state Health and Human Services System. Spokesman Bill Wiley said
the system is awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta.
-
- The Lincoln woman, a Nebraska Wesleyan University student,
became ill last week. She reported that she had been bitten by mosquitos
while on a July 4th boating trip in northern Kansas and is recovering.
-
- In 2002, there were 174 known cases in people in 48 of
Nebraska's 93 counties. Most of those cases were in July, August, and September.
8 people have died from the virus in Nebraska so far in 2003 [sic: should
read 2002. There have been zero human cases reported so far from Nebraska
in 2003, see: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/surv
- &controlCaseCount03.htm. CDC human totals for Nebraska
for 2002, updated as of 7 Jul this year, 2003, are 152 cases & 7 deaths,
see: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/
- surv&controlCaseCount02.htm> - Mod.JW].
-
- ****** [5] Date: Thu 31 Jul 2003 From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Colorado Department of Health, Associated Press report, 31 Jul
2003 [edited]
-
-
- Colorado: 13 More Cases of West Nile Virus Infection
Confirmed ---------------------------------------------------
-
- 13 more cases of West Nile virus infection have been
confirmed in humans in Colorado, and many more are expected as the exotic
disease takes hold, state health officials said on Wed 30 Jul 2003. The
latest human cases bring the total to 18, with 10 more suspected cases.
The disease has been found in humans in 12 counties on the Eastern Plains
and along the Front Range. West Nile first appeared in in the state in
2002, infecting 13 people. None of the Colorado cases has been fatal.
-
- Dr. Ned Calonge, the state's chief medical officer, said
the number of West Nile cases will rise but other diseases, such as [influenza],
affect more people, he said. Influenza kills about 800 Coloradans each
year. Calonge said that the number of West Nile virus cases is expected
to decline after the disease has been in the state a few years.
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- ******
- [6] Date: Fri 1 Aug 2003
- From: Ami Logan
- Source: New Mexico channel.com, Fri 1 Aug 2003 [edited]
http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/health/2370858/detail.html
-
-
- New Mexico: First Human Case of West Nile Virus Infection
-
- ---------------------------------------------------
-
- A Valencia County woman is the first human case of West
Nile virus infection in New Mexico. Until now, only horses and birds had
been infected with the virus there. The woman had not traveled outside
of New Mexico, so that means she was bitten by infected mosquitoes in this
state. She was seen by her physician with symptoms of fever, headache,
and a rash. She did not develop meningitis, which can be fatal.
-
- The state health department says residents of Valencia
County, as well as all New Mexicans, are encouraged to take precautionary
steps to avoid mosquito bites. In the meantime, the state has set up surveillance
sites around the state to check for West Nile virus.
-
- So far in 2003, West Nile virus has been found in a horse
in Sierra County, a horse in Chavez County and a golden eagle in Santa
Fe County.
-
- -- Ami Logan <SweetSunflower29@msn.com>
-
- ******
- [7] Date: Sat 2 Aug 2003
- From: ProMED-mail
- Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
- Fri 1 Aug 2003 / 52(30);713-714 [edited] http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5230a7.htm
-
-
- United States: West Nile Virus Activity; Thu 24 Jul to
Wed 30 Jul 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- This report summarizes West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance
data reported to CDC through ArboNET as of 3 a.m., Mountain Daylight Time,
30 Jul 2003.
-
- During the reporting week of 24 to 30 Jul 2003, a total
of 32 human cases of WNV infection were reported from 7 states (Alabama,
Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Texas). During
the same period, WNV infections were reported in 277 dead corvids (crows
and related species), 70 other dead birds, 36 horses, one dog, one unidentified
animal species, and 352 mosquito pools.
-
- During 2003, a total of 44 human cases of WNV infection
have been reported from Texas (n = 11), Louisiana (n = 10), Alabama (n
= 6), Colorado (n = 4), Florida (n = 4), South Dakota (n = 4), Iowa (n
= one), Minnesota (n = one), Mississippi (n = one), Ohio (n = one), and
South Carolina (n = one). Among 43 (98 percent) cases for which demographic
data were available, 27 (63 percent) occurred among men; the median age
was 55 years (range: 5 to 87 years), and the dates of illness onset ranged
from 29 May to 19 Jul 2003. In addition, 828 dead corvids and 220 other
dead birds with WNV infection were reported from 36 states; 90 WNV infections
in horses have been reported from 19 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado,
Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas,
Wisconsin, and Wyoming), one infection was reported in an unidentified
species (Florida), and 2 WNV infections were reported in dogs (Florida
and South Dakota).
-
- During 2003, WNV seroconversions have been reported in
86 sentinel chicken flocks from 6 states (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana,
North Carolina, and Nebraska). South Dakota and Louisiana each reported
3 seropositive sentinel horses; 679 WNV-positive mosquito pools have been
reported from 18 states (Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska,
New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin).
-
- Additional information about WNV activity is available
from CDC at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/surv&controlCaseCount03.htm
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm and
http://www.cindi.usgs.gov/hazard/event/west_nile/west_nile.html
- http://westnilemaps.usgs.gov/
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- [The reports above of the first human case in New Mexico
and the suspected case in Nebraska are additional to the data included
in the CDC-ArboNET report for the period 24 to 30 Jul 2003. - Mod.CP]
-
- CANADA
-
- Date Sun 3 Aug 2003
- From: ProMED-mail
- Source: Health Canada, West Nile Virus Surveillance,
- Thu 31 Jul 2003 [edited]
- http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/wnv-vwn/mon_e.html
-
-
- West Nile Virus Surveillance Data as of Thu 31 Aug 2003
- -------------------------------------------------------
- Human ---- One confirmed case in Saskatchewan; WNV detected
in blood donation [see: West Nile virus, blood donor - Canada (Saskatchewan)
20030726.1842].
-
- Equines ------
-
- 5 confirmed equine cases; Ontario (1), Manitoba (2),
Saskatchewan (1), Alberta (1).
-
- Mosquitoes -- correction ---------
-
- The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) has
been advised that as of Tue 15 Jul 2003 the report of one West Nile virus
positive mosquito pool (in Ontario), which was posted on 24 Jun 2003 is
incorrect. The sample taken 18 Jun 2003 which was tested by a private laboratory,
upon further confirmatory testing, has proven negative for West Nile virus.
-
- As of 31 Jul 2003, 4 pools of mosquitoes have tested
positive; Quebec (1), Ontario (1), Manitoba (1), Alberta (1).
-
- Wild Birds -------
- Test Results by Province:
-
- Province/No. submitted for testing/No.tested/No. confirmed
positive/
-
- Newfoundland and Labrador/ 30/ 29/ 0/ Prince Edward Island/
207/ 192/ 0/ Nova Scotia/ 478/ 461/ 0/ New Brunswick/ 491/ 467 1/ Quebec/
1079/ 998/ 14/ Ontario/ 1242/ 1086/ 74/ Manitoba/ 833/ 750/ 82/ Saskatchewan/
819/ 644/ 27/ Alberta/ 707/ 691/ 8/ British Columbia/ 1422/ 1395/ 0/ Yukon/
7/ 6/ 0/ Northwest Territories/ 10/ 10/ 0/ Nunavut/ 1/ 1/ 0/
-
- -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
-
- [The totals for Canada for 2003 so far are 7329 birds
submitted for testing, 6733 birds tested, and 206 confirmed West Nile virus-positive.
In addition there were 1989 sightings of dead birds recorded. This represents
an increase of 952 birds tested and 73 more birds confirmed positive since
the last update on Thu 24 Jul 2003.
-
- Equine cases (5) and a human case are reported fro the
first time, and the number of positive mosquito pools has increased by
2.
-
- No positive West Nile virus results have been reported
yet from the peripheral provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince
Edward Island, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories
and Nunavut -- not surprising for the last 3 areas since it is still pretty
cold up there around the Arctic Circle, & mosquitoes aren´t flying
there yet. - Mod.CP/JW]
-
-
- Now, for a very interesting article and one that leaves
many questions unanswered. I am wondering how and why UK birds would have
immunity to NY99 West Nile LIKE virus. I understand that birds in the UK
would probably build up immunity to the central African strain and even
Israeli strain, (i.e as birds migrate from Africa to the UK) but wonder
why UK birds would build up immunity to NY 99 WNV when birds in the Americas
have not built up immunity that that strain of WNV.
-
- Patricia Doyle
-
- WEST NILE VIRUS, BIRDS: ANTIBODY - UK (02) ******************************************
- A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
-
- Date: Wed 30 Jul 2003 From: Graeme Kirk <Graeme_Kirk@ipcmedia.com>
Source: Cage and Aviary Birds, Sat 2 Aug 2003 [edited]
-
-
- Research Suggests West Nile Virus is Endemic in the UK
- ---------------------------------------------------
- [The following are edited extracts from an article written
by Graeme Kirk for the 2 Aug 2003 edition of the weekly "Cage and
Aviary Birds" - Mod.CP]
-
- The UK bird population would appear to be safe from attack
by West Nile virus (WNV), according to new research, because the vast majority
of birds have already been exposed. A new study [see: West Nile virus,
birds: antibody - UK 20030719.1772], carried out by researchers from the
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), examined more than 350 wild-caught
and farm birds of 30 different species, from blackbirds and carrion crows
to song thrushes and robins. Most of the birds had blood samples taken
before being released, while brain tissue samples were also taken from
crows and magpies caught and destroyed as part of pest control programmes.
-
- The samples were tested for antibodies against up to
3 WNV types: NY, isolated in New York State, USA, in 1999; DAK, isolated
in Central African Republic in 1967; and Is, isolated in Israel in the
early 1980s. The results were startling, showing that 84 (59.6 percent)
of the 141 samples tested for WNV-Is, 233 (66 percent) of the 353 samples
tested for WNV-NY and a staggering 157 (91.3 percent) of the 172 samples
tested for WNV-DAK had antibodies against the virus and had, therefore,
been exposed to WNV at some time. Tests were also carried out to try and
find active WNV in the samples taken -- without success -- although researchers
were confident that it would be found if enough birds were tested.
-
- While it will take some time for the full repercussions
of the work to be explored, one initial conclusion is that the UK bird
population is not at risk from WNV by virtue of its herd immunity, built
up over many years. While no work has been done to verify this, it is also
likely that all captive bird populations with access to open-air flights
will have been challenged by WNV at some stage by virtue of the virus's
transmission methods. Whether or not imported birds from the Americas could
prove vulnerable if exposed to WNV from the UK population is yet to be
seen, but the current high numbers of bird deaths in the USA and Canada
show that there is no in-built immunity to WNV on that continent, leaving
American stock open to challenge from the virus.
-
- The apparent herd immunity against WNV found in UK birds
is hardly surprising, considering the annual migration patterns of the
many species that overwinter in Africa. This is backed up by the fact that
antibodies to the Central African WNV-DAK strain proved the most prevalent
in the tests carried out by CEH. With migratory birds arriving back in
the UK each spring, the transfer of the disease to the native wild -- and
captive -- bird population was just a matter of the presence of the appropriate
methods of transmission, in this case mosquitoes and, to a lesser extent,
ticks and mites.
-
- It is impossible to tell when this process began, but
it is clear that migration has been going on for many thousands of years,
and it's therefore possible that WNV was in the UK bird population well
before any of the virus strains were isolated in the laboratory. Dr Ernie
Gould of CEH also suggests it's likely that some antibodies to WNV are
passed from mother to chick: "The egg is a rich source of antibodies,
but the levels of antibody we have recorded in adult birds mean this is
not likely to be the only source of antibodies in the chicks. I would go
as far as to say that the initial antibodies received from the egg are
sufficient to allow the young birds to fight off the virus when they are
exposed to it. This could be the reason why bird deaths from WNV have never
been seen as a problem in the UK."
-
- While Dr Gould and his team were unable to isolate any
active virus in any of the samples tested, he is positive it is there.
Tests on 69 juvenile spring-born birds caught and sampled during the summer
of 2002 showed that 35 of these had been exposed to the virus and had developed
antibodies. In each of these cases the source of infection had to be in
the UK.
-
- "We have to presume that the virus is circulating
harmlessly in the bird population at a sub-clinical (showing no symptoms)
level and is building herd immunity," Dr Gould said, "while we
have not physically isolated the live virus, we have found RNA from the
virus which suggests it is present. To draw another analogy with the human
population, measles virus is known to persist in the jejunum (part of the
small intestine) of people who have immunity to the virus. If you know
where to look you will find it. Purists say that until the virus has actually
been isolated, it cannot be considered to be in a population, but I am
convinced that if we do enough sampling, it will be found."
-
- One of the most worrying points about WNV is that it
can prove fatal to humans. Indeed it was deemed responsible for the deaths
of about 270 people in the USA during 2002. To date there have been no
human cases of WNV found in the UK. The Public Health Laboratories recently
studied brain samples from 150 unexplained brain encephalopathies and found
no evidence of the virus. Dr Gould said, however, that would be surprised
if there has been no cross-infection of WNV to humans in the UK. "Research
in the Volgograd region of Russia has shown that ticks can be important
in the transmission of WNV. While it's likely that this is one method of
infection at work in the UK, the spread rate is too high for ticks to be
responsible for the level of antibodies we have seen. The primary route
of infection has to be the mosquito."
-
- So, if UK mosquitoes are carrying the virus (something
Dr Gould hopes to start studying shortly), why haven't we seen cases in
the human and animal population? "Possibly because we've not looked
hard enough," Dr Gould says. In July, the Chief Medical Officer --
who had seen an early draft of the paper produced by Dr Gould and his team
-- suggested that medical professionals should step up their efforts to
test for WNV in the human population.
-
- -- Graeme Kirk Acting Deputy Editor Cage and Aviary Birds
<Graeme_Kirk@ipcmedia.com>
-
- [see also: West Nile virus, birds: antibody - UK 20030719.1772
2002 ---- Usutu virus, emergence in Europe (02) 20020918.5339 Usutu virus,
emergence in Europe 20020722.4838] ...
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging
Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
- Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
|
