West Nile Virus

West Nile virus not likely to hit county By DON WORTHINGTON / Staff Writer see also: To report dead birds Although Washington County has a large population of migratory crows, it is not a high-risk area for an outbreak of the potentially fatal West Nile virus, area public health officials say. Dead crows are used to track the spread of the virus because they are highly susceptible to the virus, said Joey Scaletto, West...

julieg@herald-mail.com The Washington County Health Department is taking an aggressive approach to fighting West Nile virus, which appears to be moving west through the county, a health official said Tuesday. With frost expected to arrive soon, health officials plan to hold off on spraying until the next mosquito season starts next spring, Environmental Health Director Laurie Bucher told the Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday. The hope is that the frost will eliminate the mosquito population this fall, she said.

Franklin County gets grant to study West Nile Virus Chambersburg, Pa. By STACEY DANZUSO chbbureau@innernet.net Franklin County will spend more than $90,000 in state grants this mosquito season to target the pests and check for West Nile Virus. The Franklin County Conservation District will use the funds to begin mosquito surveillance in April. Checking for the potentially deadly West Nile Virus will continue through October, according to Ernest Tarner, manager of the agency.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Monday the first confirmed case of human West Nile virus in Franklin County this year, a 75-year-old woman who was hospitalized in early September. The unidentified woman has since been released from the hospital and was recuperating at home, said Jessica Seiders, a department spokeswoman. This year, however, the state has seen a precipitous drop in the number of West Nile cases in humans, Seiders said. The woman was only the seventh confirmed case of the disease in Pennsylvania, compared to 237 in 2003, eight of whom died, she said.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com marlob@herald-mail.com Two more crows found in Washington County have tested positive for West Nile virus and a dead crow found in Greencastle, Pa., last week tested positive for the disease, health officials said Monday. Test results Monday confirmed two new cases of West Nile virus in crows found in Washington County, bringing to three the number of birds with the disease found in the county, said Rod MacRae, spokesman for the Washington County Health Department.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com A Berkeley County resident has the first confirmed case of West Nile virus in the state, but health officials said there is no need to panic. "It is not contagious person-to-person. You have to be bitten by the mosquito," said Sandra LeMaster, nurse director for clinical services at the Berkeley County Health Department. Citing privacy concerns, LeMaster would not give the person's name, age or gender. She said she was not sure of the prognosis or whether the person is in a hospital, because she had not spoken to the person's doctor Friday.

A Franklin County, Pa., woman is recovering from meningitis related to West Nile virus, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said Monday in a news release. The woman was hospitalized for the infection that was attributed to West Nile virus, the news release stated. The woman is now recovering from the illness, according to the release. “Due to an unprecedented level of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus, the Department of Health strongly urges residents to minimize their exposure to mosquitoes,” officials wrote in the news release.

charlestown@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A crow found in a nearby subdivision has tested positive for the West Nile virus, making Berkeley County the third county in the Eastern Panhandle to show presence of the virus, health officials said Tuesday. The crow was found about two weeks ago by a property owner in the Equestrian Center subdivision, which is off Whitings Neck Road in the northern part of Berkeley County, said Jim Barnhart, a sanitarian for the Berkeley County Health Department.

To report dead birds Public health officials are encouraging Tri-State residents to report any dead birds, especially crows, they find. Crows are highly susceptible to the West Nile virus. Do not handle the dead birds without gloves. Not every dead crow is worth testing. West Nile virus can only be isolated from relatively fresh carcasses, dead 24 hours or less. In Pennsylvania, call the state Department of Health at 1-877-724-3258. In Maryland, call the state's Nile Virus hotline at 1-888-584-3110.

andrews@herald-mail.com Four Washington County residents have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the county health department. The first confirmed blood test was reported Aug. 28. Subsequent positive tests on other people were reported Sept. 8, Sept. 18 and Oct. 1. Washington County Health Department spokesman Rod MacRae said Monday that the patients are recovering at home. The department is not identifying the patients by name, age or hometown. West Nile virus, which largely is spread by mosquitoes, affects the central nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.