From the WebMD Archives
Aug. 26, 2004 — Peak season for West Nile virus is upon us, but a new survey shows only half of Americans say they’ve taken steps to protect themselves and their families from the potentially deadly virus.
A CDC report released today shows that 154 more cases of human West Nile virus illness were reported from Aug. 18-24, bringing this year’s total to 843 cases across 32 states.
Health officials warn that the worst may lie ahead in the coming weeks based on previous years when the epidemic peaked in September. But already this year’s epidemic is outpacing last year’s with 128 more cases of West Nile illness in humans reported through Aug. 24, 2004, than through Aug. 20, 2003.
Meanwhile, the survey shows that although most Americans are aware of West Nile virus and that it’s transmitted via mosquito bites, only 50% have taken steps to protect themselves or their family against the virus, and only a third have taken precautions to protect their pets.
Concern vs. Action Against West Nile Virus
The survey of 1,095 U.S. residents was conducted the week of Aug. 9, 2004, and showed that those who were most concerned about the threat of West Nile virus were most likely to take precautions to protect against infection. But concern was most likely to prompt action among people with children compared with those without.
Of those who took precautions to prevent West Nile virus infection, the most commonly reported measures were:
- Using insect repellents with DEET (73%)
- Removing areas of standing water around their home to reduce mosquito breeding (70%)
- Making sure family members wear insect repellents when outdoors (63%)
- Staying in during the peak mosquito hours of dusk and dawn (42%)
- Wearing long sleeves and light-colored clothing (42%)
“It is encouraging that so many women and parents are taking the threat of West Nile virus seriously,” says Allen James, president of Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, a pest control industry group that commissioned the survey, in news release. “But we must continue to encourage all populations to take preventative measures. This disease doesn’t discriminate. Everyone is at risk.”
West Nile Virus Threat Heading West
Officials say this year’s epidemic appears to be hitting the West particularly hard. Of the 843 cases reported so far this year, 36% (304) of them were reported in Arizona. And 234 cases have been reported in California.
In an interview with WebMD last week, CDC Director Julie Gerberding, MD, said the West Coast is the main area of concern for the spread of West Nile virus at the moment. After the first case was recently reported in northern California, Gerberding said it’s likely that the virus will move up the coast into Oregon and possibly Washington.
Gerberding says the spread of West Nile virus in the West is of special concern because many of those most vulnerable for developing West Nile illness — the elderly, very young children, and those with suppressed immune systems — live in that part of the country.
“Parts of the country that are the hotbed of West Nile activity this year are those with a disproportionate number of elderly people who are retired and outdoors — and also very young people,” Gerberding told WebMD.
With reporting by Daniel DeNoon.
