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The first and only case of the West Nile virus was confirmed in Santa Clara County when an East San Jose resident spotted a dead crow on June 28. While the chance of the virus spreading to humans is low, Santa Clara County Vector Control is taking more than usual precautions, including stricter surveillance of dead birds called in and increased testing for the disease in mosquito pools. There has been no indication so far that the pools have the virus, said Teresa Chagoya, public health marketing coordinator for Santa Clara County.
Local hospitals are also ready in case the virus should spread. Camino Medical Center has placed postings on its website with preventive measures, and the hospital has been screening for the virus for the past 10 months, according to infectious disease physician Carol Kemper.
And so are veterinarians. While West Nile is confined mainly to birds, horses can also be afflicted.
"This has been a disease we have been looking to come to California for a long time, and it is here now for real," said Santa Clara County equine veterinarian Douglas Novick. Symptoms of West Nile in horses include facial tremors and apaxia, which resembles drunken walking.
While there are two "very effective vaccines" available for horses, Novick estimates that more than one-third of horses in California have not received the medication. If untreated, there is a 30 percent mortality rate in horses. With the vaccine, the rate plummets to 5.8 percent.
While there is no vaccine available yet for humans, officials stress that likelihood of people getting the disease is small.
"It's very rare that anyone bit by an infected mosquito will get the virus," Chagoya said. "If folks are healthy and get bit, they shouldn't have to panic."
West Nile is transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected bird and then bites a human. It cannot be spread through direct person-to-person contact. About 20 percent of people bitten by an infected mosquito will develop West Nile fever, a flu-like illness including fever, rash and headache, but symptoms generally last less than two weeks and have no apparent long-term effects.
Less than 1 percent of individuals affected by the virus will develop a more severe form of the disease.
"Very few people will ever show any symptoms at all," said vector control official Kriss Costa.
But this doesn't mean individuals should ignore the virus.
There are a number of steps people can take to protect themselves—avoid going outside at dawn or dusk and should wear long-sleeved clothing and closed-toe shoes. When outside, wear insect repellent containing DEET.
"The public can be a big help and big partner in fighting West Nile by checking for standing water," said Costa.
Any standing water should be discarded immediately, or people can call vector control at 408.792.5010 for assistance.
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