August 24, 2004

State health officials today have confirmed the second human West Nile Virus (WNV) case for Michigan in Wayne County.

A 65-year-old Wayne County man currently hospitalized in an Oakland County hospital has tested positive for the disease, said Janet Olszewski, Director of the Michigan Department of Community Health. He was first hospitalized approximately two weeks ago.

Although activity in humans has been light so far for 2004, 193 birds in 56 counties also have tested positive for WNV. Last year, Michigan was lightly impacted by WNV in 2003, with only 19 human cases and two deaths reported. Nearly 10,000 cases were reported nationwide, with most U.S. cases occurring in the central mountain and plains states.

Physicians are urged to test patients for WNV if they present with fever and signs of meningitis or encephalitis, or sudden painless paralysis in the absence of stroke in the summer months.

In a continuing effort to ensure the ongoing safety of the blood supply, in 2003, blood collection agencies nationwide began screening all donated units of blood for WNV. This resulted in very few cases of WNV being acquired through blood transfusion in the U.S. in 2003. Blood donor screening for WNV will continue in 2004.

Michigan residents are encouraged to:

• Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes out of buildings.
• Drain puddles in the yard, emptying water from mosquito breeding sites such as buckets, troughs, barrels, cans, old tires, or similar sites.
• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active (dawn and dusk) and Wear light colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
• Apply insect repellants that contain the active ingredient DEET to exposed skin or clothing, always following the manufacturer’s directions for use. (Avoid applying repellent to children less than two years of age, and to the hands of older children because repellents may be transferred to the eyes or mouth potentially causing irritation or adverse health effects).