West Nile claims Mountain Home man's life

A 77-year-old Mountain Home man who died last week was the latest victim of West Nile virus in Idaho, which currently is the nation's leading state in the number of reported West Nile cases.

The man's name was not released due to privacy considerations.

He joined a woman, also in her 70s, from Lincoln County, who died from the virus this year, and a youth from Massachusetts who died while attending a summer camp in Gooding. The youth also had contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a disease rare in the Rocky Mountain region but common in the eastern United States.

As of Monday, there were 68 cases of West Nile reported in Idaho, including a military retiree in Elmore County who currently has been diagnosed with a mild case of the disease, and two other unidentified individuals who were reported over the weekend with the disease.

That makes six cases total in Elmore County so far this year, plus another six in Owyhee County. In addition, two horses and six birds have been identified with the virus.

Of the 68 cases reported statewide, nine involved the more extreme form of the disease, known as the neuro-invasive form, which almost always requires hospitalization. Three of those cases have come from Elmore County and at least one of those victims is still undergoing rehabilitation due to neurological problems caused by that form of the disease.

According to Tom Shanahan with the Central District Health Department, about 80 percent of those people who are infected with West Nile show no symptoms. About 20 percent develop symptoms similar to the flu, such as fever, headaches and muscle aches and pains, fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash.

Symptoms can last from several days to several weeks.

Shanahan noted that of those who display the symtoms, only "a small percentage go to the doctor." Any physician who diagnoses West Nile is required to report the case to the state.

"Our advice," Shanahan said, "is if (the symptoms) interfere with your daily routine, go to you health care provider." Because the disease is a virus, doctors can treat the symptoms, but not the disease itself.

People who acquire the disease and survive, develop an immunity to it. In humans, fatalities are considered rare.

West Nile first appeared in the United States in 1999 in New York, and rapidly moved across the country, arriving in Idaho in 2002. The number of cases in Idaho has increased each year, and although state health officials thought last year would be the peak of infection (the disease tends to taper off after several years in an area), this year has been the worst so far and the CDHD is concerned that next year might be as bad or worse, before the number of cases begin to decline.

Shanahan noted that "once you get it (West Nile) in your ecosystem, you can't get rid of it."

The disease is carried by birds, which are then bitten by mosquitoes, who then transfer the disease to humans. The wet spring and high river waters have made this a banner year for mosquitoes.

But while most mosquitoes die in the fall, with the first freezing weather, some survive into the next season, renewing the epidemic. CDHD officials said reports from mosquito abatement districts around the state have indicated this is a particularly bad year for mosquitoes, and in particular the specific kind that most commonly carries the virus.

"The recent spike in activity concerns us because we're not sure the public is getting the message that they need to 'Fight the Bite' and protect themselves from mosquito bites and West Nile disease," said Nikki Sakata, manager of the CDEHD epidemiology program.

Those measures include avoiding mosquito areas, especially at dawn and dusk, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and sprying with an insect repellent containing DEET. In addition, citizens are urged to check their property for areas that can help breed mosquitoes, such as any standing water.

Some parts of Mountain Home are worst than others for mosquitoes. The area around Tiger Field is particularly heavy with the insects this year, as are some areas on the west side of town.

There is no vaccine for humans for the disease. A vaccine is available for horses, which are particularly suseptible to West Nile. About 30 percent of all horses who contract the disease must be put down.

Most common household pets, such as cats and dogs, are not suseptible to the disease, but birds are highly vulnerable.