Fifth human West Nile case reported

Fifth human West Nile case reported The Department of Health reported July 14 an additional�West Nile�human case bringing the total number of cases in the state to five.

The newest case has been detected in�Charles�Mix�County.���

One human case each has been reported in Brown,�Butte, Charles Mix,�Douglas�and�Stanley�counties. Bird or mosquito detections have also been made in Brookings, Hughes, Minnehaha and Lyman counties.

The case�s ages range between 19 and 43 years old. Three cases are male and two are female.�One case had neuroinvasive WNV disease and four had WNV fever.

Nationally, 26 states have published WNV detections in 2005.�Twenty-five human cases of�West Nile�disease have been reported to the CDC from 11 states as of July 12.�The states include�Arizona,�California,�Colorado,�Georgia,�Indiana,�Kansas,�Missouri,�New Mexico,�Ohio,�South Dakota�and�Texas.�There has been one published WNV-related death in 2005.

Fifteen other states have also published animal detections of WNV, including the neighboring states of�Minnesota,�Iowa�and�Wyoming.

The Department of Health recommends the following personal precautions to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of WNV:

?�Use mosquito repellents containing DEET or picaridin.

?�Wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to limit mosquito exposure.

?�Limit time outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

?�Eliminate standing water that gives mosquitoes a place to breed.�

?�Support local mosquito control efforts.

Personal precautions are particularly important for the elderly, pregnant women, and transplant patients. People with a severe or unusual headache should see their physician.

Dead crows, blue jays and hawks are a signal that�West Nile�virus is present and these birds should be sent to the State Public Health Laboratory for testing. Contact the local�SDSU Cooperative Extension Service office for help in submitting birds for testing.��

For more information about�West Nile�visit the Department of Health Web site at�http://WestNile.sd.gov�or call 1-800-592-1861. Information is also available from the�SDSU Cooperative Extension Service at�http://sdces.sdstate.edu/westnile/�and the South Dakota Animal Industry Board at�www.state.sd.us/aib.�