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Modified:
Feb 25, 2005
What''s Going On with the West Nile Virus

Historical Summary
By State and Country (O-Z)

  • Ohio: (Updated Oct 21 2002) In 2002, WNV has been detected in all 88 counties in Ohio. On Aug 14, the first 2 human cases were reported in Cuyahoga Co and Franklin Co. On Aug 15, another human case was reported in Cuyahoga Co. As of Oct 21, 371 human cases were confirmed by CDC with 17 fatalities:
    1) 88-year-old male for Cuyahoga Co
    2) 79-year-old male from Clermont Co
    3) 75-year-old male from Cuyahoga Co
    4) 80-year-old female from Clinton Co
    5) 81-year-old male from Erie Co
    As of Oct 18, 1,041 of more than 5,528 dead and live birds tested, 619 of 1,094 horses tested, 1,562 mosquito pools of 157,540 mosquitoes tested were found WNV-positive. About a third of the horses died or were euthanized.
    The first confirmation of WNV in Ohio was announced Aug 1 2001 in a blue jay found in Lake Co (NE OH). Total WNV-positives in 2001: 280 birds (226 crows, 54 blue jays) of 942 dead birds tested; 6 live birds from 3 counties of 1,848 live birds tested; 26 mosquito pools pools of 91,590 mosquitos tested. All 969 horses and 274 humans tested were negative.

    [OH DOH--WNV: http://www.odh.state.oh.us/odhprograms/zoodis/wnv/wnv1.htm]

  • Oklahoma: (Updated Oct 21 2002) As of Oct 11, WNV had been detected in at least 63 counties. According to the OSDH 8 human cases
    1)69-year-old Washington Co man
    2) 12-year-old Tulsa Co boy
    3) 62-year-old Ottawa Co man
    4) 71-year-old Muskogee Co woman
    5) 69 year old woman from Muskogee County
    6) 50 year old man from Okmulgee County
    7) 67 year old man from Pushmataha County
    8) 69 year old woman from Oklahoma County)
    In 2002, 353 birds from 30 counties, 349 horses from 63 counties and 19 mosquito pools were confirmed WNV-positive. Bird surveillance for 2002 ends on Oct 14. WNV was detected for the first time ever in Oklahoma on July 17 2002 in a crow in the city of Tulsa (Tulsa Co, NE OK), announced July 18.
    [OK DOH--WNV: http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/cdd/ow/index.html, http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/acd/wnile/home.htm]

  • Oregon: (Website checked Nov 1 2002) Oregon Health Services conducted surveillance for mosquito-borne encephalitis in 2002, with no WNV-positive findings. A Michigan woman visiting OR became ill while on her trip, but had contracted WNV elsewhere (ann Sept 6).
    [Oregon Public Health Services, WNV page: http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/acd/wnile/index.cfm]

  • Pennsylvania: (Updated Oct 21 2002) In 2002, WNV has been detected in at least 63 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The first human case in PA this year was reported in a 66-year-old Lancaster Co man (ann Aug 31). There have been 47 human cases with 6 fatalities:
    1) 87-year-old male from Allegheny Co (ann Sept 13; died)
    2) 84-year-old male from Lancaster Co (ann Sept 19; died)
    3) 73-year-old female from Philadelphia Co (ann Sept 19; died)
    4) 88-year-old female from Philadelphia Co (ann Oct 3; died)
    5) 70-year-old male from Allegheny Co (ann Oct 9; died)
    6) 88-year-old female from Allegheny Co (ann Oct 11; died)
    In 2002, 658 of 14572 mosquito samples, 736 of 1398 dead birds and 153 of 3299 sentinel and vet samples tested WNV-positive. On May 3 2002, PA DOH confirmed the first WNV-positive dead crow in Doylestown Township, Bucks Co (found Apr 29), which is 3 months earlier than in 2001.
    In 2001, the first case of WNV in PA was reported Aug 1, and was detected in most of PA: Erie Co in the NW, bordering Lake Erie and Western NYS; Fayette Co in the SW, bordering West Virginia; Centre Co, site of State College in central PA; and in the cluster of counties in and around Philadelphia in the SE corner, bordering NJ, Delaware and Maryland. In 2001, 3 Pennsylvania residents, the first human cases of WNV in PA were confirmed (ann Sept 19): a 60-year old Philadelphia Co man, a 49-year old Delaware Co woman and a 60-year old Fayette Co man. It was not yet determined whether these individuals contracted the virus within PA because the Fayette Co man and the Delaware Co woman had both recently traveled outside the state. Testing for WNV was done on 189 people in PA showing clinical symptoms of encephalitis.
    In response to the findings of human infection, the State DEP and the Philadelphia County Health Department applied pesticides [apparently adulticides, but not specified] to the marshy, wet areas near the I-95 corridor in SW Philadelphia and worked with Delaware and Fayette counties to identify mosquito-breeding areas, applying larvicide where appropriate (because it is colder in Fayette Co, the populations of mosquito adults had already declined).
    By the close of 2001, tests had confirmed WNV in 361 birds (first finding announced Aug 1 and including detection in birds at the Philadelphia Zoo.), 7 horses and 43 mosquito pools (first one announced Aug 29 from Erie Co). The first horse had recently traveled to PA from FL, and at the time of the announcement (Aug 15) officials were investigating in which state the horse contracted WNV.
    [PA West Nile Surveillance Program: http://www.westnile.state.pa.us/]

  • Rhode Island: (Updated Oct 21 2002) The first human case in RI occurred in a 66-year-old woman from Providence Co who was probably exposed to mosquitoes during Labor Day weekend (ann Oct 2). As of Oct 11, WNV had been found in 161 birds from 24 communities in all 5 counties. WNV had been found in Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens in Bristol and Providence. The first WNV-positive bird was found the week of Jun 16 in Kent Co (Central RI). WNV surveillance resumed May 28, 2002.
    Total WNV-positives in 2000 (first WNV-positive Aug 14, 2000): 88 birds (70 crows, 18 blue jays) of 356 birds tested, 0 mosquito pools of 1,113 mosquitos tested, 1 horse. Total WNV-positives in 2001: 245 birds, and 14 mosquito pools from 9 separate communities (first WNV-positive July 31, 2001). No mosquito pools were detected after mid Sept. WNV-positive bird were reports increased from 50 ann Sept 17, 2001 to 211 reported Oct 17, 2001, distributed across 31 communities.
    [RI DOH--West Nile: http://www.healthri.org/disease/communicable/wnv/home.htm]

  • Romania: (Updated May 31 2002) Human illness were reported at end of July 2001 [More]. With more than 500 clinical cases (mortality almost 10%), the 1996-97 outbreak in and near Bucharest, Romania was the largest arbroviral illness in Europe since the Ockelbo-Pogosta-Karelian fever epidemic in the 1980s, which was caused by the Sindbis virus.

  • South Carolina: (Updated Oct 21 2002) As of Oct 21 2002, WNV had been detected in 20 of SC's 46 counties and in one human case of 279 humans tested. As of Oct 18, 6 horses of 19 tested, and 38 birds of 736 tested have been confirmed WNV-positive. To conserve resources, SC will not be testing birds in counties that have already confirmed WNV-positive cases. A dead blue jay found Aug 6 in Lexington Co (central SC) was confirmed WNV-positive (ann Aug 13). This is the first record of WNV in SC, which had been the only state east of the Mississippi River with no cases of WNV since the outbreak began in 1999 [More].
    In 2001, 48 humans, 19 horses, 244 dead birds, and 48,472 mosquitos were tested for WNV, with negative results.
    [SC DOH--WNV: http://www.scdhec.net/news/releases/2001/html/nrwestnile01.htm]

  • South Dakota: (Updated Oct 21 2002) As of Oct 21 2002, WNV has been detected in all 66 counties. Thus far, 37 human cases have been reported with no fatalities. The SD DOH ann Aug 21, the first probable human case of WNV in a 64-year-old resident of Carthage in Miner Co who remains hospitalized in serious condition. As of Oct 21, 1 mosquito pool, 657 horses and 92 birds had been confirmed WNV-positive. If 5 or more birds had been confirmed WNV-positive in a county, WNV is considered established and hence, testing of birds in these counties is discontinued. WNV is detected for the first time ever in a bird from Aberdeen (Brown Co, N. SD) found July 22 [More].
    In 2001, 1,911 mosquitos and 2 birds tested WNV-negative.
    [SD DOH: http://www.state.sd.us/doh/WestNile/index.htm]

  • Tennessee: (Updated Oct 21 2002) In 2002, WNV has been detected in 74 counties in Tennessee. There have been 44 human cases from 9 counties with 6 fatalities and an age range of 17-99 with a mean age of 74. The first bird tested positive May 30, 2002. As of Oct 14 2002, 773 birds out of 1370 birds tested have been confirmed WNV-positive in 72 counties. There have been 109 WNV-positive horses out of 266 tested. Of 577 mosquito pools tested, 195 WNV-postive pools were found in Shelby Co.
    In 2001, USGS CINDI reported 46 WNV-positive birds from Shelby (44, far western TN-Memphis), Rutherford (1, central TN) and Humphrey (1, central TN) counties. A horse in Greene Co (ann Oct 25, 2001) was the first confirmed equine case of clinical WNV infection in TN. The horse, an 8-year-old mare, was euthanatized on 6 Oct 2001 after 2 days of illness. There was no history of travel or vaccination for WNV.
    [TN DOH: http://www.state.tn.us/health/]

  • Texas: (Updated Oct 21 2002) WNV was reported in Texas for the first time June 19 2002, in 2 crows from NW Houston (Harris Co) and has now been detected in 155 counties. As of Oct 21 2002, 132 human cases (6 fatalities ann Aug 19) have been confirmed or are presumed WNV-positive. The first fatality was a 52-year-old Houston woman whose preliminary tests indicate she was WNV-positive (hospitalized since Aug 8, died Aug 16, ann by UP Aug 19). The first human case was a 50-yr-old man from Orange Co (E. TX, on Louisiana border), confirmed July 23. Houston has tested 536 people infected with meningitis or encephalitis of unknown causes since 2001.
    As of Oct 21 2002, 733 horses in 144 counties had been confirmed WNV-positive in counties as far west as the Deaf Smith Co, reaching the 103rd meridian. A total of 247 mosquito pools in 13 counties and 337 birds in 44 counties tested WNV-positive. Dead bird surveillance ended Oct 15, 2002.
    In 2001 Texas DOH released preventative information (e.g., Oct video clip to run on news media: "Recent rains have flooded much of the state and that means a bumper crop of mosquitoes is now on the loose. With that, the chances of seeing our first illness due to West Nile virus is increasing." Also an Aug 24 disclaimer saying that WNV had not been found in Texas: "The Texas Department of Health (TDH) is getting calls from the Houston area prompted by bogus e-mails claiming the encephalitis-causing West Nile virus has been found in Texas and that people can become ill by breathing air around dead birds or by touching the birds. TDH officials say the e-mails are wrong."
    [TDH WNV Information: http://www.tdh.texas.gov/zoonosis/diseases/Arboviral/westNile/westnile.asp]

  • Utah: (Website checked Nov 1 2002) As of Sept 26 2002 (last update), Utah health department surveillance had not detected WNV, Western equine encephalitis (WEE), or St. Louis encephalitis (SLE).
    [Utah WNV information: http://www.health.state.ut.us/els/epidemiology/wnv/index.htm]

  • Vermont: (Updated Oct 21 2002) On Aug 6, 2002, the first case of WNV in VT since 2000 was confirmed in a dead blue jay in the Canadian border town of Highgate (ann Aug 8). The first probable human case was a Franklin Co man (ann Sept 10) and the second probable case was a Windham Co woman (died; ann Oct 2). Since August, 49 birds (Chittenden, Franklin, Washington, Addison, Lamoille and Orange counties), 3 horses (Franklin, Addison and Orleans counties) and mosquitoes (Franklin and Grand Isle counties) have tested WNV-positive. In Oct 2000, a hermit thrush found dead in southern VT became VT's first documented case of WNV. The DOA and VDH created a WNV Surveillance and Response Plan in Aug 2001 [More]. WNV was not detected in VT in 2001.
    [VDH WNV: http://www.HealthyVermonters.info/hs/epi/idepi/westnile/westnileinfo.shtml]

  • Virginia: (Updated Oct 16 2002) WNV has been detected in at least 79 of VA's 96 counties in 2002. As of Oct 16, 23 confirmed or probable human cases with 2 fatalities had been detected in VA. A dead crow found in S Arlington Co Apr 8, 2002 was confirmed WNV-positive Apr 16, this is the first appearance of WNV in 2002. In 2002, 180 mosquito pools have tested WNV-positive from 9 regions though mostly in Arlington Co (103). WNV has also been found in 812 birds (645 crows, 128 jays, 17 raptors, 22 others) and 17 horses.
    As of Aug 7, 2002, there are 185 WNV-positive birds from Alexandria (17; DC Metro Area), Arlington Co (10; DC Metro Area), Culpeper Co, Fairfax Co (57; DC Metro Area), Fauquier Co, Fredericksburg, Hanover Co (1; E. Central VA), Henrico Co (2; E. VA, Richmond Metro Area), Loudoun Co, Norfolk (1; SE VA), Patrick Co, Portsmouth City (2; SE VA, on NC border), Prince William Co (8; N VA), Richmond City (28; Central VA), and Shenandoah Co. Fairfax Co and Alexandria have stopped collecting and testing birds because WNV is well established there.
    In 2001, the first WNV-positive bird was not found until mid-July, 3 months later than the first detections in 2002. Tally for 2001 were 215 birds, 6 horses, and 1 mosquito pool. The 6 2001 equine cases (from USDA APHIS) were in 5 counties: Chesapeake, Madison ( Blue Ridge Highlands), Rockingham (Blue Ridge Highlands), Southampton (SE VA, on North Carolina border) and Suffolk (first equine case was reported Sept 7, 2001 from Rockingham Co in the Blue Ridge highlands. An additional equine case, from Wakefield Co in SE Virginia was not listed in the USDA APHIS end-of-year summary for 2001 [More].
    WNV was first detected in VA in the fall of 2000.
    [VA DOH: www.vdh.state.va.us/epi/wnv.htm]

  • Washington: (Updated Oct 7 2002) WNV was first confirmed in Washington in a raven from Pend Oreille Co on Oct 2, 2002 (Pend Oreille Co is in NE WA, bordering Idaho). No human cases of WNV have been acquired in WA. A man visiting friends and family in Eastern WA was diagnosed with WNV following exposure in Louisiana. He developed only mild symptoms and recovered. This case does not indicate that WNV is circulating in the state of Washington.
    [WA DOH: www.doh.wa.gov, see press releases]

  • Washington DC: (Updated Oct 16 2002) The first human case of WNV in 2002 was ann Aug 7 in a 55-yr-old man from NW DC who was in serious condition with an immune system weakened by leukemia died on Sept 25 (ann Sept 25). Of the 67 human samples submitted for testing, 14 have tested positive, 9 probable, 14 negative and 30 pending.
    In 2002, 74 mosquito pools have tested WNV-positive in DC.
    A crow found May 1 on Connecticut Avenue NW, near the National Zoo was the first detection of WNV in 2002 (ann May 13). In 2002, 161 crows have tested WNV-positive in Washington DC out of 891 collected and 326 processed for testing. Most of the positive results are concentrated W. of Rock Creek Park along Connecticut Ave which changed from 2001 when the epicenter was in the Ward 5 Brookland area. Area codes with 5+ positive birds will no longer collect birds for testing.
    WNV has been detected in 3 birds in the captive collection at the US National Zoo. In hopes of preventing more bird deaths, the zoo's veterinarians are vaccinating the 300 or so birds in their captive collection with an experimental equine vaccine that was used already on the zebras and tapirs at the zoo. [More information on WNV vaccines]
    In 2001, USGS CINDI reported 3 mosquito pools and 357 WNV-positive birds, many from the NE corner of the city.
    [DC DOH: http://dchealth.dc.gov/index.asp]

  • West Virginia: (Updated Oct 16 2002) As of Oct 7 2002, 70 birds had tested WNV-positive. A total of 233 dead crows and 6,342 other dead birds had been sighted. WNV was detected for the first time ever July 12, 2002 in a eastern blue bird from Jackson Co (W. WV, on Ohio border). Active surveillance for WNV runs May 1 through Nov 30.
    At the beginning of the 2001 WNV season, only Eastern Panhandle counties were involved in dead bird active surveillance. Due to increased WNV activity in surrounding states, active dead bird surveillance is now expected to be expanded to include all counties. In 2001, 28 birds were submitted for testing, 25 were negative, and 3 were unsuitable for testing.
    [WV Infectious Disease Epidemiolog Program-WNV: http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/sdc/westnile.htm]

  • Wisconsin: (Updated Oct 16 2002) The first detection of WNV in 2002 was in a dead crow announced July 11, 2002 from Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co, SE WI), found on June 25, 2002. As of Oct 7, WNV has been detected in 55 of WI's 72 counties in 28 human cases, 64 horses and 302 birds. A West Nile Virus hotline has been set up for information regarding WNV at 1-800-433-1610. In 2001, 25 birds tested WNV-positive, mostly from Milwaukee Co (first cases ann Aug 31, 2001). WNV-positive birds were found in all quadrants of the city of Milwaukee.
    [Wisconsin Dept of Health and Family Services: http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/]

  • Wyoming: (Updated Oct 16 2002) The first confirmed residential human case in WY was an adult from Goshen Co who became ill on Sept 8 with a mild infection and recovered without being hospitalized (ann Oct 11). The first detection of WNV in the state was a horse in Goshen Co (SE quadrant on Nebraska border) (blood samples collected Aug 8-9, confirmed Aug 16). As of Oct 11, WNV has been detected in 84 horses and 17 birds in 12 of WY's 23 counties (Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Fremont, Goshen, Johnson, Laramie, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sheridan and Weston Counties).
    [Wyoming Dept of Health-WNV: http://wdhfs.state.wy.us/WNV/WNV.htm].
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ERAP's West Nile Virus education program has been supported by Smith-Lever funds from the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), through a grant from Cornell Cooperative Extension, and by a grant from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Office of Global Programs (NOAA-OGP) for the project "Climate Effects, West Nile Virus Vector Development, and Transmission Risk" (Sept 1, 2004-Aug 31, 2007).

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