WNV Activity Update (Aug 19, 2004)

[1] United States: CDC MMWR: WNV Activity, Aug 11-17, 2004 + Cumulative
[2] United States, Oregon: WNV Now Confirmed Throughout All of Lower 48
[3] Uruguay: Human Case of WNV Confirmed as Imported
[4] Canada: Surveillance Report, Through Aug 11
[5] Portugal: WNV Alert in Algarve

[1]
UNITED STATES: CDC MMWR, WNV ACTIVITY AUGUST 11-17, 2004 + CUMULATIVE
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) MMWR August
19, 2004. 53(31): 719-720
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5332a5.htm> [edited]

Aug 11-17, 194 cases of HUMAN WNV illness were reported from 17 states
(Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana,
Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South
Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia).
During 2004, a total of 27 states have reported 689 cases of human WNV
illness [20 fatalities] to CDC through ArboNET. Of these, 291 (42%)
cases were reported from Arizona. [California, 162; Colorado, 122; all
other states, less than 20 cases]

A total of 386 (56%) of the 689 cases occurred in males; the median age
of patients was 50 years (range: 1 month--99 years). Illness onset
ranged from April 23 to August 12.

A total of 55 presumptive West Nile viremic BLOOD DONORS (PVDs) have
been reported to ArboNET in 2004. Of these, 33 (60%) were reported from
Arizona, eight from California, three each from Florida, New Mexico,
and South Dakota, two from Colorado, and one each from Iowa, Missouri,
and Wisconsin. Of the 55 PVDs, two persons aged 66 and 69 years
subsequently had neuroinvasive illness, and 11 persons (median age: 55
years [range: 22--73 years]) subsequently had West Nile fever.

In addition, during 2004, a total of 2,530 dead corvids and 441 other
dead BIRDS with WNV infection have been reported from 36 states. [See
item 2 below re: expansion of range to Oregon]

WNV infections have been reported in HORSES from 25 states (Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois,
Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) and in one dog each from Nevada and
New Mexico. Two unidentified animal species with WNV infection were
reported from Illinois and Nevada.

WNV seroconversions have been reported in 393 SENTINEL CHICKEN flocks
from eight states (Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana,
Nebraska, Nevada, and Utah) and in two wild hatchling birds from Ohio.
Three seropositive sentinel horses were reported from Puerto Rico. A
total of 3,109 WNV-positive mosquito pools have been reported from 30
states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin).

Additional information about national WNV activity is available from
CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm and at
http://westnilemaps.usgs.gov.

----------

[2]
UNITED STATES, OREGON: WNV NOW CONFIRMED THROUGHOUT ALL OF LOWER 48

From: Excerpted from ProMED-mail <http://www.promedmail.org> ID
20040816.2275 submitted by Marianne Hopp <mjhopp12@yahoo.com>
Source: Oregon Dept Human Services, Fri 13 Aug 2004
<http://www.dhs.state.or.us/news/2004news/2004-0813.html>

Dead crow found in Vale has tested WNV-positive, public health
officials in Malheur County and the Oregon Department of Human
Services (DHS), confirmed Aug 13, 2004]. The testing was conducted at
Oregon State University's Veterinarian Diagnostic Laboratory.

This is the state's 1st sign of the virus...

Oregon officials have been monitoring mosquitoes and birds for the
appearance of WNV since 2001. Vector control districts throughout the
state routinely collect mosquito specimens and maintain flocks of
sentinel chickens, both of which are tested regularly by the Oregon
State Public Health Laboratory in Portland. [The Health Dept is]
"testing only dead crows, jays, ravens, and magpies, and they must be
dead for less than 24
hours."

[ProMED Moderator CP Comment: With the exception of Alaska and Hawaii,
Oregon is the last of the states to confirm isolation of West Nile
virus. West Nile virus can now be considered to be endemic/enzootic
throughout the USA. ]

-----

[3]
URUGUAY: HUMAN CASE OF WNV CONFIRMED AS IMPORTED
Excerpted from ProMED-mail <http://www.promedmail.org> ID 20040813.2241
Source: EFE in Tribuna, Brazil, Fri 13 Aug 2004 [in Portuguese,
summarized by ProMED Mod.JW]
<http://www.tribuna.inf.br/noticia.asp?noticia=ciencia05>

The Director of Health, Diego Estoll, announced that an imported case
of West Nile virus infection has been confirmed in Uruguay in a
person who became infected in the USA.

Submitted by Marcia Candido Carlos, Biologist, Federal University of
Rio de Janeiro. Brazil <marcan@bioqmed.ufrj.br>

[Apart from the original importation of West Nile virus into the USA
under unknown circumstances, the importation of human cases of West
Nile virus into non-endemic/non-enzootic regions has so far had no
public health implication. - Mod.CP]

------

[4]
CANADA: HEALTH CANADA SURVEILLANCE DATA
Date: Thu 11 Aug 2004
From: Edited from ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> Summary ID
20040812.2233
Source: <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/wnv-vwn/mon_e.html>

HUMAN: One probable case of WNV infection was reported in Ontario [see:
West Nile virus, human, suspected - Canada (Ontario)
20040807.2179], the 1st human case in Canada in 2004.

DEAD BIRDS : 185 dead birds from 4 provinces have been confirmed
WNV-positive of nearly 5000 tested.

Province / Tested / Presumed Positive / Confirmed Positive
Newfoundland & Labrador / 57 / 0 / 0
Prince Edward Island / 85 / 0 / 0
Nova Scotia / 346 / 0 / 0
New Brunswick /375 / 0 / 0
Quebec / 585 / 1 / 33
Ontario / 1122 / 7 / 125
Manitoba / 312 / 0 / 16
Saskatchewan / 296 / 0 / 11
Alberta / 496 / 0 / 0
British Columbia / 1082 / 0 / 0
Yukon / 11 / 0 / 0
Northern Territories / 8 / 0 / 0
Nunavut / 2 / 0 / 0 /

Canada Total / 4777 / 8 / 185

[An additional 385 dead birds have been tested since the figures
released 7 days ago on Wed 4 Aug 2004 and posted in the preceding
update. The number of confirmed West Nile virus-positive birds has
increased from 157 to 185 (plus 8 classified as presumed positives);
Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan remain the only provinces to
report West Nile virus-positive birds so far in 2004. - Mod.CP]

EQUINES and other domestic animals: The 1st 2 presumptive cases of West
Nile virus infection of equines in Canada in 2004 were reported; one in
Quebec and one in Alberta. A case of WNV infection of an unspecified
species of domestic animal was reported in Ontario.

MOSQUITO POOLS: 10 mosquito pools (an increase of 4) have tested
WNV-positive: one in Alberta, 3 in Manitoba and 6 in Ontario.

-----------

[5]
PORTUGAL: WNV ALERT IN ALGARVE

Excerpted from ProMED-mail 20040812.2228, Posted Aug 12, 2004
Source: Agence France Presse, Wed 11 Aug 2004

Portuguese health officials have issued a WNV warning for the southern
tourist region of Algarve after detecting the [virus] in
mosquitoes, but specified that no humans are known to have been
infected [ProMED note: but see below].

...Health officials reinforced monitoring for the disease in late July
after 2 Irish tourists who had traveled in the region fell ill [see
references below].

[see also:
West Nile virus, humans - Ireland ex Portugal 20040726.2044
West Nile virus, humans - Ireland ex Portugal (02) 20040805.2142]

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Received on Thu Aug 19 13:39:53 2004