West Nile is here, so is time to take precaution

Andrew Edwards

West Nile virus has made its way to Laguna, according to Orange

County Vector Control, which means locals should keep an eye out for

standing water and take other safety precautions.

“West Nile virus is definitely there [in Laguna Beach],” vector

control spokesman Michael Hearst said.

Blood tests of eight live birds captured in Laguna in the past

three months have returned positive for West Nile virus, Hearst said.

Birds cannot transmit the disease to people, and the animals were

released before blood analyses were completed.

No dead birds carrying West Nile have turned up recently in Laguna

Beach, according to Hearst and Laguna animal control officer John

Thompson. Laguna’s animal control department also patrols Laguna

Woods, where a dead hummingbird carrying the virus was found about

two weeks ago.

There have been six confirmed cases, one fatal, where Orange

County residents have contracted the virus, according to the Orange

County Health Care Agency. Public concern over the illness has kept

officials busy responding to calls asking for pickups of dead birds.

“We get 200 calls a day,” Hearst said.

County vector control officials will take residents’ dead bird

calls, but have responded to the heavy amount of calls by stopping

pickups in some areas. In Laguna, local animal control officials want

people to call for pick ups.

“That’s basically the whole point of this,” Thompson said. “For

people to call us as soon as possible with reports of dead birds.”

However, people should not rely on accounts of dead birds as

indicators of the presence of the virus in an area, Hearst said.

Birds, and the mosquitoes that carry West Nile, can fly from city to

city.

“There’s a lot more disease out there than a few dead birds,”

Hearst said.

SYMPTOMS AND PREVENTION

There’s no cure for West Nile virus, Hearst said. Early symptoms

of disease can include unusual fatigue, headaches and a rash. About

80% of people exposed to the illness will develop no symptoms, and

about 1% of people who catch the potentially fatal virus will have

severe symptoms.

Preventive practices are the best protection against West Nile

virus, Thompson said. People can guard against mosquitoes by wearing

long sleeves and pants, keeping window screens in good repair and

wearing mosquito repellent containing an active ingredient called

DEET.

The best way to control mosquitoes, officials said, is to

eliminate standing water, where the insects breed.

“We’re really counting on the public to let us know where they see

the standing water, it’s stagnant and it’s a breeding ground,” said

Grant McCombs, a vector control trustee representing Laguna Beach.

Laguna’s Public Works Department cleans up standing water on city

land, but doesn’t have the authority to go on private property for

cleanups, City Engineer Steve May said.

Residents can contact vector control officials to clean up pools

of water in their yards, Hearst said.

“Give us a call,” he said. “We’ll take care of it.”

Orange County Vector Control can be reached at (949) 654-2421.

The Laguna Beach Animal Services Section can be reached at (949)

497-0701.