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IA: Fourth and fifth cases of West Nile confirmed

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  • IA: Fourth and fifth cases of West Nile confirmed

    Fourth and fifth cases of West Nile confirmed


    LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Lincoln health officials have confirmed two cases of West Nile virus in the city.

    A Lincoln man and a Lincoln woman are recovering from the virus, one after a short hospitalization. One is age 50 to 59, the other 70 to 79.

    Both are believed to have contracted the illness after being bitten by mosquitoes in south Lincoln, said Steve Beal, assistant director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. But there is no way to pinpoint the source.

    "This is the time of the season this is really going to start to pop," he said of the virus, which is spread by birds to mosquitoes.

    Nebraska has not seen a serious outbreak of West Nile since 2003, when 129 cases were reported across the state.

    The three other cases confirmed in Nebraska this year are: A 50-year-old Platte County woman confirmed to have the disease in the last week of June; A 55-year-old Saline County woman confirmed July 6; and a Douglas County man between 40 and 50 years old confirmed July 19.

    Last year, 188 human cases of the virus were reported in Nebraska with five deaths. That compares with 57 cases in 2004, 2,366 in 2003 and 174 in 2002. There were no recorded cases before 2002.

    Around the country, about 35 cases had been confirmed as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most are in the Midwest, West, Texas and Mississippi.

    West Nile fever includes flulike symptoms such as fever and muscle weakness. Symptoms of West Nile encephalitis include inflammation of the brain, disorientation, convulsions and paralysis.

    Most people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes never have symptoms, said Tim Timmons, health department communicable disease program supervisor. Timmons said that since the illness comes from a virus, the best treatment is prevention.

    Avoid mosquito bites with repellent and by staying away from heavily mosquito-infested areas. And, get rid of standing water in bird baths, pools and other water collection areas.

  • #2
    Re: IA: Fourth and fifth cases of West Nile confirmed

    Five Members Of Same Family Contracted West Nile Virus

    By Art Swift
    n
    PARMA -

    How much West Nile Virus is out there?

    We spoke with an equine doctor who says he's gotten 20 to 30 West Nile cases in horses in the last two weeks. At the Mount Royal Ranch Day Camp in Parma, it's business as usual, as children learn to ride horses. Ranch owner Donna Weston says her horses are vaccinated and safe.

    "We heard that there's been an outbreak in this area," KBCI CBS 2 News asked Weston.

    "Uh-huh," she replied.

    "What do you know about that?"

    "We've been exposed here, but it hasn't been our horses, it's been our kids," Weston admitted.

    Her horses are healthy, but most of her family has contracted the disease.

    "I have six kids, my four-year-old, my seven-year-old, my 14-year-old, and my 16-year-old all got it, and my husband," Weston said.

    Donna and her husband moved two months ago from Eagle to Parma and never expected this to happen.

    "With our four-year-old our biggest concern was seizures," Weston said. "We were deathly afraid that we would develop a seizure, she started to shake. She had a restless time sleeping, she was always moving and twitching in her sleep."

    "I got bit by a mosquito and I got a headache," four-year-old Lexie Weston told KBCI CBS 2 News. "And I got a ... Fever."

    Lexie wasn't able to ride her favorite horses. Donna was afraid the disease would get into Lexie's brain, but she was able to stop the spread of West Nile in her family through natural means.

    "We do believe in homeopathic remedies here," Weston said. "We do believe in doctors and science. If you have a strong immune system. So take your vitamins. You know, there's multiple things you can take but if your body is strong you're less likely to get sick."

    But while the Weston's cases were confirmed by a doctor, they weren't reported to health authorities, and that suggests there are many more cases of West Nile than anyone realizes. A mother watching her daughters at the horse camp says she's on alert for the disease.

    "Yeah, I worry about that," Kay Smith of Marsing told KBCI CBS 2 News. "I've been watching for mosquitoes and I haven't seen any today."

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