West Nile Virus sample confirmed in Grant County

GRANT COUNTY— One mosquito sample was reported as positive with West Nile virus Wednesday morning.

The sample was discovered by Grant County Mosquito Control District 1 south of Interstate 90, near Moses Lake.

District members found four samples in Grant County and sent them for further testing at a lab in University of California Davis. The control district is waiting for test results for two samples found on Laguna Drive in Moses Lake and one near Frenchman Hills Road, between Dodson Road and Potholes State Park.

“We should hear back soon about the other three samples,” said control district manager Dan Couture. “Right now we are treating them as if they are positive until they are confirmed.”

The West Nile virus is a mosquito-born illness. It’s spread to humans and mammals through the bite of an infected mosquito, explained Couture.

It is rarely spread through transfusions and transplants and can’t be caught through touching, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site.

“West Nile is rapid right now,” Couture said.

There was a case of West Nile virus last summer in Grant County. Two mosquito samples tested positive, but it didn’t spread to humans. Ten horses and one bird caught the virus, according to Couture and Ann Moser, a vector ecologist and field supervisor.

“The average of mosquitoes in Grant County is low compared to the neighboring districts in the state,” Moser said.

Washington has 160 positive mosquito samples. There are three in Adams County, 57 in Benton County and 100 in Yakima County, according to statistics from the Washington State Department of Health.

People develop symptoms between three to 14 days after they are bitten.

Severe symptoms may last several weeks and include a high fever, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC Web site.

Milder symptoms include vomiting, nausea, body aches and a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back, lasting for a few days.

Some people may experience no symptoms, according to the CDC Web site.

Couture flew around the Laguna and Westshore area Tuesday night to release AquaHalt, a spray aimed at killing the diseased mosquitoes. AquaHalt is released from a fan attached to the wings of an airplane. It settles in the air to kill mosquitoes, explained Couture.

“Only takes a tiny bit (of AquaHalt) to kill a mosquito,” Moser said. “It is designed to kill mosquitoes, not harm to animals or humans.”

Couture is flying in the area of Frenchman Hills Road Thursday and other places depending on need. His ability to fly depends on whether conditions.

“Because we are dealing with diseased mosquitoes, we are making this our number one priority,” he said.

There is another airplane flying in the mornings focusing on swamps and water. Couture flies from dusk to dark, the time when most mosquitoes are active, he said.

The control district traps mosquitoes alive in the field to send samples for testing.

“We are complaint driven but we also monitor for disease,” Couture said. “We are taking a pro-active approach to dealing with the mosquito and vector disease concern in Grant County.”

Couture said it is a good sign West Nile virus was detected before it spread to mammals and humans.

“People need to be aware and concerned,” he said. “But it is good we identified it at the source and can properly deal with it at the source.”

People should take precautions against the virus, said Moser.

Wear long-sleeves and pants outdoors, especially at night when mosquitoes are most active, suggested Moser.

The CDC Web site advises using insect repellent.

Residents are also cautioned to get rid of water from buckets, pots and bird baths.

“You should change bird baths and other water-carriers one a week because all these items hold mosquitoes,” Moser said.

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov or call Grant County Mosquito Control District 1 at 509-765-7731.