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County Receives $1,000 for West NileAugust 29, 2003 The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Monday released a plan for distribution of the $500,000 awarded to Colorado by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fight West Nile virus. Kiowa County Nursing Service will receive $1,000 of that amount. The funding provided to each county was based on the number of human cases of West Nile virus reported, and on surveillance data indicating how severe the problem is in a county. Kiowa County has not reported any human cases of the virus, however a horse which died in July tested positive for West Nile virus. County Health Nurse Renay Seifried said Monday that she will work with the Kiowa County Commissioners to determine the best uses of the funds in combating the spread of the disease. CDPHE is allowing individual counties to decide what measures to implement with the money, however most are expected to use the money to pay for additional mosquito control spraying from ground vehicles. While there are no reported human cases of the disease in Kiowa County, Seifried indicated that there had likely been local human infections, however doctors are not testing for West Nile virus in humans. Forty-four of Colorado’s 64 counties will be sharing the funds, with most of the money being distributed to counties along the Front Range, as well as the Arkansas River valley. Every Eastern Slope county will receive some funding, while only Western Slope counties with virus activity reported in humans will receive a share. Other area counties receiving $1,000 grants include Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, and Lincoln counties. Prowers County was awarded $3,000.
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The first human case of West Nile virus in 2003 was in South Carolina, and was reported July 8 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of West Nile have grown steadily since the initial outbreak in 1999, in which 62 cases were report. In 2002, 4,156 cases were reported, including 284 deaths. So far this year, Colorado has reported 638 case of human West Nile virus, along with nine deaths. The most recent fatality due to the disease came Tuesday when an 85 year old Pueblo man died. According to the CDC Director Julie Gerberding, Three simple actions can help prevent infection: avoiding mosquito bites by using insect repellants with DEET and wearing light, long-sleeved clothing, mosquito-proofing your home by emptying standing water and installing screens, and helping your community by reporting dead birds to local health authorities. For children, Seifried recommends using a repellant with no more than 10 percent DEET. Many of the available repellents contain 50 percent or more DEET, which can be harmful to small children, so read the label carefully before purchasing a product. Only about two persons of every 10 who are bitten by an infected mosquito will experience any illness. Although illness from West Nile virus is usually mild, serious illness and death are possible, particularly for persons over the age of 50. More information on West Nile virus can be found on the internet at www.FighttheBiteColorado.com or by calling the Colorado Health Education Line for the Public at 1-877-462-2911. The statewide, toll-free hotline, which is staffed by trained operators, is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week.
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