Fla. Health Officials Find West Nile In Human
Officials Say Final Test Results Due At Week's End
Health officials say that the unidentified patient lives in Madison County, Fla. Results will be confirmed by the end of the week.
Due to the increased activity of Eastern equine encephalitis, a medical alert that was issued last month for Holmes, Washington and Jackson counties has been extended to include Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, Gadsden, Wakulla, Leon, Jefferson, Madison and Taylor counties.
The department of health is urging all Floridians to take precautions against mosquito bites.
"Even though the risk of contracting West Nile virus and other arboviruses by humans is still low, people need to use protective measures to reduce their risk of getting the disease," Department of Heath secretary Robert G. Brooks said. "There is no reason to panic, but it is important to take the necessary measures to guard against mosquito bites."
Brooks recommends that residents:
- Avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are likely to be most active
- Cover up by wearing shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts
- Use mosquito repellant
- Eliminate stagnant water in birdbaths and any other receptacles where mosquitoes might breed
In addition to the one possible human case of West Nile, the latest surveillance by the department of health shows that the following counties have animals that have tested positive for the virus:
- Jefferson - three crows, one mockingbird, one bluejay and one horse
- Madison - two crows
- Washington - one crow
- Taylor - two crows
- Okaloosa - one bluejay
- Duval - one sentinel chicken
- Leon - one hawk, one crow and one finch
The West Nile virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and can cause a range of symptoms. In the most serious but rare cases, infection can result in swelling of the brain.
