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For Release Friday, 30th
August, 2002 |
CONTACT:
Rob Hayes |
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PHONE:850-245-4111
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TALLAHASSEE—The Florida Department of Health (DOH) announced today that the second human West Nile (WN) virus infection of 2002 in Florida has been confirmed. The patient is a 71-year-old resident of Miami-Dade County who recently received an organ transplant from a Georgia donor.
“We are currently in contact with Georgia officials and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to investigate the cause of this case,” said DOH Secretary John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A. “This case does not indicate an increased risk for residents of Miami-Dade County; however, people should continue to take measures to guard against mosquito bites.”
Yesterday, due to an increase of additional findings of West Nile (WN) virus detection in animals and birds, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) extended a previous Medical Alert to include Brevard, Flagler, Osceola, Seminole and St. Johns counties. Medical alerts are also currently in effect for Escambia, Lake, Marion, Orange, Sumter and Volusia counties. Health officials want all citizens living in the 11 counties under the Medical Alert to take precautions against mosquito bites.
Agwunobi recommends people take the following precautionary measures to guard against mosquito bites:
- Avoid outdoor activities when mosquitoes are active, especially at dusk and dawn;
- If you must be outdoors when mosquitoes are active, cover up by wearing shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt;
- Use mosquito repellant containing DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) according to manufacturer’s directions; and
- Eliminate stagnant water in birdbaths, ponds and other receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed.
The Department of Health laboratories provide testing services for physicians treating patients with clinical signs of mosquito-borne (arboviral) disease. These signs may include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion. Physicians should submit serum and, if available, cerebrospinal fluid samples to either the Tampa or Jacksonville Department of Health laboratories. People over the age of 50 are at the greatest risk of having severe disease from an arbovirus infection.
DOH continues to conduct statewide surveillance for arboviruses, including West Nile (WN) virus, Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) and St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE). Residents of Florida are encouraged to report dead birds by calling the West Nile Virus Hotline at 1-800-871-9703, or via the Web site
www.wld.fwc.state.fl.us/bird/. For more information on WN virus, visit the DOH Bureau of Epidemiology’s Web site at
www.doh.state.fl.us (click on Epidemiology, then Health Topics), call the Bureau’s hotline at 1-888-880-5782 for recorded information, or call your local county health department.
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