By JOHN NORTH

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A woman in the Asheville-Buncombe County area is being re-examined via follow-up blood tests for the potentially fatal West Nile Virus, according to Sue Ellen Morrison, supervisor of disease control at the Buncombe County Health Department in Asheville.

The woman, who the BCHD declined to identify, has had symptoms consistent with WNV, so the convalescent test was taken and the results are expected soon, Morrison said in an Sept. 4 telephone interview with the Daily Planet.

If the patient is found to have WNV, Morrison said that, since “it’s viral, we can look at (using) antibiotics.” Under direct medical supervision the patient may be required to drink more water as well as following other precautions, too.

Since WNV — the result of an infected mosquito bite — is incurable, “you can’t treat the disease, but you can address the symptoms,” she said. “You hope people recover, but there have been a number of cases in which those with WNV have died.

As of Sept. 4, Morrison said, “There were five cases (of WNV) in North Carolina last week. There might be more now. Two had died.”

She reiterated, “There is no cure ... There’s not a specific treatment. You treat the symptoms ... We’re still not sure why some (WNV patients) have more serious outcomes” than others. She said people who are older (over age 50), or those with weakened immune systems, tend to be in more danger of contacting the virus.

“The majority —  75 percent of the cases have been in Texas and Oklahoma” in the United States, and WNV has resulted in 66 deaths, Morrison said.

In the Buncombe County area, “we can say we’ve had West Nile Virus before because we had it back in 1999,” Morrison noted. Specifically, medical authorities determined that “we had birds test positive for West Nile Virus and we’ve (recently) had (human) cases in five different counties in North Carolina ... We’ve seen it in 48 states.”

She said it is “hard to predict” whether WNV will turn into a major epidemic in North Carolina, or if it will just be something to watch for closely. “It only takes one bite” from one infected mosquito to infect someone, Morrison noted.

“Right now, we’re monitoring what’s happening” with WNV in the Buncombe area. “We’ll see if this will continue.” 

When pressed about the possible ramifications of the virus, Morrison said, “In disease control, I’d say this is important ...” She said WNV is among the diseases that she is reporting and “it’s an emerging threat” because of the potential number of people who could be afflicted with the virus.

As for her advice for Buncombe residents and visitors, she noted, “To reduce risk, avoid mosquito-breeding grounds. Anything that would hold water, within reason.” With a laugh, she said if someone has a bird bath or dog water bowl, dump them out every few days, and refill them. 

However, Morrison said “kiddie pools and old tires” are classic breeding grounds for mosquitos. She suggested draining and refilling the kiddie pools every few days and disposing of old tires.

When one goes for a hike, “wear long sleeves and long pants,” she suggested. “Use DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) insect repellent for exposed skin. Some people want to use natural products,” but she noted it is important to avoid exposing young children to some products.

“People havea good bit of control to what they’re exposed to,” in a reference to personal responsibility, Morrison said. 

Meanwhile, Gaylen Ehrlichman, media coordinator and health promotion program supervisor for the BCHD, said on Sept. 4 that the closest North Carolina WNV cases to Asheville have occurred in Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties. “We would be the first confirmed mountain (WNV) case,” if the suspect case is confirmed, she added.

Further, Ehrlichman said BCHD experts had told her that because of the mild winter in the area, “it probably didn’t kill off the mosquito population” as it usually does “and, mix in the rain, and you have a bigger mosquito population — and you’ll (potentially) have more cases” of WNV.

The West Nile Virus came from the West Nile District of Uganda and has since spread to the U.S., Erlichman noted.

For more details, Erlichman referred the Daily Planet to the Center for Disease Control website, which stated that “West Nile Virus has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting a threat to public and animal health, the most serious manifestation of WNV infection is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. WNV has also been a significant cause of human illness in the United States in 2002 and 2003.”

In the Buncombe County area, “we can say we’ve had West Nile Virus before because we had it back in 1999,” Morrison noted. Specifically, medical authorities determined that “we had birds test positive for West Nile Virus and we’ve (recently) had (human) cases in five different counties in North Carolina ... We’ve seen it in 48 states.”

She said it is “hard to predict” whether WNV will turn into a major epidemic in North Carolina, or if it will just be something to watch for closely. “It only takes one bite” from one infected mosquito to infect someone, Morrison noted.

“Right now, we’re monitoring what’s happening” with WNV in the Buncombe area. “We’ll see if this will continue.” 

When pressed about the possible ramifications of the virus, Morrison said, “In disease control, I’d say this is important ...” She said WNV is among the diseases that she is reporting and “it’s an emerging threat” because of the potential number of people who could be afflicted with the virus.

As for her advice for Buncombe residents and visitors, she noted, “To reduce risk, avoid mosquito-breeding grounds. Anything that would hold water, within reason.” With a laugh, she said if someone has a bird bath or dog water bowl, dump them out every few days, and refill them. 

However, Morrison said “kiddie pools and old tires” are classic breeding grounds for mosquitos. She suggested draining and refilling the kiddie pools every few days and disposing of old tires.

When one goes for a hike, “wear long sleeves and long pants,” she suggested. “Use DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide)” insect repellent for exposed skin. “Some people want to use natural products,” but she noted it is important to avoid exposing young children to some products.

“People havea good bit of control to what they’re exposed to,” in a reference to personal responsibility, Morrison said. 

Meanwhile, Gaylen Ehrlichman, media coordinator and health promotion program supervisor for the BCHD, said on Sept. 4 that the closest North Carolina WNV cases to Asheville have occurred in Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties. “We would be the first confirmed mountain (WNV) case,” if the suspect case tests positive, she added.

Further, Ehrlichman said BCHD experts had told her that because of the mild winter in the area, “it probably didn’t kill off the mosquito population” as it usually does “and, mix in the rain, and you have a bigger mosquito population — and you’ll (potentially) have more cases” of WNV.

The West Nile Virus came from the West Nile District of Uganda and has since spread to the U.S., Erlichman noted.

For more details, Erlichman referred the Daily Planet to the Center for Disease Control website, which stated that “West Nile Virus has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting a threat to public and animal health, the most serious manifestation of WNV infection is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. WNV has also been a significant cause of human illness in the United States in 2002 and 2003.”