Warm weather could trigger West Nile cases

Warm weather could trigger West Nile cases

LOS ANGELES - State health officials have warned that heavy rains and warm weather could herald the entry of the West Nile virus this summer, although it is usually tough to predict the WNV season, which lasts from June to October.

However, Vicki Kramer, the head of the vector-borne infections division in state Department of Health Services said that the recent spate of warm weather should encourage people to fix up their screen doors and be ready to take preventive measures. "We certainly have a lot of standing water and the more standing water you have, typically, the more opportunities you have for mosquito breeding," Kramer said. WNV is passed onto humans through mosquitoes, which have been in contact with infected birds.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 80 percent of humans do not realize that they are infected, while 20 percent get flu-like symptoms. Only about 1 percent develop some lethal conditions like encephalitis or meningitis.

The CDC adds that West Nile cases have come down drastically since hitting 9,862 in 2003. Last year 2,949 cases were reported, while 2,539 cases came to notice in 2004. Robert Saviskas, who is in charge of the vector-borne disease control in west Los Angeles County is of the opinion that simple steps can ensure that WNV does not take hold. "It's things that we don't often think about," he said. The less the number of mosquitoes "the less likelihood there is for the disease to be transmitted," he added.