PAGE - 8 2005 Welcome Hunters!
FAST FACTS ABOUT WEST NILE VIRUS
Q. What is the West Nile virus?
A. West Nile virus is a flavivi-
rus commonly found in Africa, the
Middle East and West Asia. It was
first detected in the United States
in 1999. Since then it has spread
to almost every state including Or
egon.
Q. How is it spread?
A. West Nile virus is spread by
the bite of an infected mosquito.
The virus is known to have infect
ed people, birds, horses, cats, dogs
and some other animals such as
chipmunks, bats, skunks, squirrels
and domestic rabbits.
Q. Do all mosquitoes carry the
West Nile virus?
A. No. Of the 53 known mos
quito species in the northwest
United States, only a small num
ber have the potential to carry
West Nile virus. The mosquito
species responsible for transmit
ting the West Nile virus, such as
Culex species and Aides species,
are not common to wetlands. In
stead, they prefer highly organic
watery areas, such as leaf-clogged
gutters and unattended birdbaths.
Q. What are the symptoms of
illness associated with West Nile
virus?
A. Current estimates indicate
that only about 20 percent of peo
ple who become infected will de
velop any type of illness. Mild
symptoms (called West Nile fever)
can include fever, headache and
body aches, sw ollen lymph
glands, and a skin rash. Severe
symptoms (called West Nile en
cephalitis, meningitis and menin
goencephalitis) can include high
fever, headache and neck stiffness,
disorientation, coma, trem ors,
convulsions, muscle weakness,
and paralysis. The incubation pe
riod in humans (the time between
being infected and the onset of
symptoms) is 3-14 days.
Q. How do I protect m yself
from infection?
A. Preventive measures you can
take include using a mosquito re
pellent containing DEET that pro
vides protection for the amount of
time you will be outdoors. You
should be sure to follow all appli
cation instructions to avoid irritat
ing your skin, eyes and mouth, or
using too much on young children.
When outdoors it’s also a good
idea to wear long-sleeved shirts
and full-length pants. However,
mosquitoes can bite through thin
clothing, so you also may want to
spray your clothing with a repel
lent. It’s also a good precaution to
place mosquito netting over infant
carriers.
Q. Can I get infected by han
dling or caring for a sick animal?
A. There currently is no conclu
sive evidence that West Nile virus
can be spread from animals to peo
ple. However, you should contact
your veterinarian on infection con
trol precautions when caring for a
sick animal.
Q. Are duck and other wild-
game hunters at particular risk for
getting infected?
A. Hunters (as well as all other
outdoor recreators) may be at risk
if they become bitten by mosqui
toes in areas where West Nile vi
rus is known to be active. There
currently is no conclusive evi
dence that West Nile virus can be
transmitted to humans by consum
ing infected birds or other animals.
However, hunters always should
follow the usual safety precautions
when handling and cleaning ani
mals to prevent blood exposure to
bare hands, and always should fol
low procedures for fully cooking
meat to prevent infections from
both viruses and bacteria.
Q. Should I report dead birds ?
A. You should immediately re
port dead birds to your local or
state health agency or ODFW of
fice. Those agencies will deter
mine if the situation meets the cri
teria for testing the birds for the
presence of West Nile virus.
For more information, contact
your local health department or
ODFW office.
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