The Bureau of Epidemiology is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for consultation at our main number (SunCom 205-4401 or 850/245-4401) PLEASE NOTE: Consultation after 5 p.m. & on weekends is intended for emergencies.

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Department of Health has confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) in one crow from Jefferson County, state health officials announced today. This is the first time WNV, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, has been identified in the state. Although there are no reported human cases of the disease, Florida Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Robert G. Brooks, M.D., urges all Floridians to be aware of the possible risks and to follow personal protection measures. Dr. Brooks explains:

"In anticipation of this event, the Department has developed an interagency response plan in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Consumer Affairs and Florida universities. Our well-established arboviral surveillance system will enable us to move quickly to further define the current situation. In the meantime, we encourage the public to follow established preventive measures to reduce their exposure to mosquitoes."

While the human risk for WNV encephalitis remains low since the virus was first identified in New York City during 1999, Secretary Brooks recommends the following to reduce the risk of any mosquito-borne viral disease:

• Avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are likely to be looking for blood meals;
• If you must be outdoors when mosquitoes are active, cover up by wearing shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts;
• Use mosquito repellant; and
• Eliminate stagnant water in birdbaths and any other receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed.

Prior to August 1999, WNV had never been reported in the Western Hemisphere. From 1999 to 2000, a total of 82 cases of disease and nine deaths occurred in the New York City and New Jersey metropolitan areas. Mosquitoes spread the virus by feeding on the blood of infected birds, which circulate the virus in their system. The disease cannot be spread from person to person.

The Department of Health laboratories provide testing services for patients with clinical signs of arboviral encephalitis. These signs may include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion. Physicians should submit serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid samples to either the Tampa or Jacksonville Department of Health branch laboratories. For the year-to-date,

there have been no human encephalitis cases due to West Nile, St Louis encephalitis or eastern equine encephalitis viruses in the state.

Like all mammals, rodents can become infected with rabies virus; however, naturally occurring rabies in rodents is extremely rare, playing a negligible role in the epidemic. Tens of thousands of squirrels have been tested for rabies at the Department of Health Branch Laboratories. Only two were reported positive -- a squirrel in 1913 and, the most recent, a flying squirrel collected from Pinellas County in 1961. Grey squirrels have not been identified with rabies.

• Squirrels are not natural hosts for rabies virus
• Squirrels are rarely reported with rabies out of thousands tested
• Rabies postexposure treatment is not recommended after provoked squirrel bites

Bites from squirrels are common as people hand feed these animals or handle young animals (considered provoked bites). In these cases, people are urged to wash the wound thoroughly, to seek medical care as appropriate for the bite (e.g., for tetanus vaccination) and to discontinue handling or feeding wild animals. Only in truly unusual circumstances is rabies postexposure treatment recommended for squirrel bites.

On Friday, June 15, 2001, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Animal Industry, initiated an animal disease investigation following the identification of 3 horses diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Holmes County within 7 days. This trend exceeded the expected activity levels for equine EEE in the county, which is approximately 4 per year. In addition to the large animal investigation, the Department of Agriculture dispatched a team of entomologists to conduct intensive surveillance to determine vector levels. Preliminary reports identified large numbers of Culiseta melanura and Coquellitidia perturbans across the Holmes county area.

Cs. melanura is the mosquito responsible for circulating the virus in nature among birds while Cq. perturbans is a "bridge vector" responsible for transmitting EEE to other mammals outside the mosquito-bird cycle. It is an aggressive biter during the hours between dusk and dawn.

Sentinel chickens located in south Walton County have not demonstrated seroconversion to EEE. However, samples submitted from three wild birds collected (one each on 4/28, 5/1 and 5/7) in south Walton County demonstrated titers to EEE from 48 total birds.

By Wednesday, June 20, 2001, the regional equine case count had reached nine, including two cases in Jackson County. As a result of this reported activity, the Department of Health issued a Medical Alert for Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties. County Health Department staff mobilized to educate the public on personal protection measures against mosquito bites by limiting their exposure to mosquitoes between dusk and dawn, using appropriate mosquito repellant and eliminating mosquito breeding receptacles. In addition, CHD staff contacted the medical community to provide information regarding clinical signs of EEE and to offer arboviral testing for these patients, as appropriate.

Through June 26, 2001, there have been 20 equine EEE cases identified throughout the tri-county area. No human cases have been identified at this time.