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July 24, 2007

Health

Officials offer ways to avoid West Nile

There is one case of the virus in Texas, and Health Services helps students stay informed.

Story by: J. Blankenship

The Shorthorn staff

The West Nile virus has entered Tarrant County, and while it isn’t knocking down dorm doors, students should take safety precautions now.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials confirmed one human case in Texas this month. The Texas Department of Health also confirmed mosquitoes carrying the disease were found in Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in late June.

Tarrant County health officials said abundant rain this year produced ample standing water to serve as mosquito breeding grounds.

“You can’t catch it from people,” said Holly Heid, nurse practitioner services director. “So, if patients come into our office with it, we won’t be issuing a campuswide alert.”

Patients with West Nile fever will be referred to a nearby hospital for more in-depth testing than the campus clinic can provide, she said. The illness has mild to life-threatening flu-like symptoms.

“It’s a virus, so we can’t treat anything more than just its symptoms,” Heid said. “And it’s more likely to infect someone in a debilitated or rundown state.”

West Nile fever strikes without impacting the victim’s nervous system, yet it remains what health officials call a “reportable” illness because it runs the risk of more severe levels, such as meningitis and encephalitis.

West Nile meningitis becomes a severe disease affecting the victim’s nervous system with membrane inflammation around the spinal cord. Meningitis has long been recognized as prevalent in campus environments, where students frequently lack sufficient sleep or regular nutrition to keep their immunity systems strong. Health Services has meningitis brochures in its clinic lobby and through its Web site to help students understand its prevalence and impact.

West Nile encephalitis is another severe neurologically invasive disease that inflames the brain. Both meningitis and encephalitis can leave victims impaired or cause death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness is closely watched, particularly after it reached epidemic levels in 1999 in New York.

Heid recommended everyone on campus take preventive measures to reduce their risk and enhance their summer comfort. She said to wear long sleeves and pants; avoid high grass, standing water and shrubs; wear mosquito repellent containing DEET; and avoid dusk and dawn hours when mosquitoes are most active.

Because West Nile virus, like so many flues, has also been found in birds, Heid offered one more suggestion:

“Stay away from dead birds. Don’t touch them,” she said. “Just let campus officials know when you find one.”