West Nile, La Crosse Virus Cases Up In Tennessee

NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Department of Health says there have been 19 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus and 11 of La Crosse virus infection in Tennessee so far this year, as mosquito-borne illnesses are on the rise statewide.

‘’We typically see an increase in mosquito-borne illnesses caused by West Nile Virus and La Crosse Virus in our state this time of year,’’ said Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner. ‘’There are no vaccines for these illnesses, so it’s important to use insect repellent on skin and wear ‘long, loose an light’ clothing to make it harder for mosquitoes to bite and easier to spot them. Buying or properly treating clothes with permethrin, which is like body armor against mosquito bites, is also a good idea for higher-risk situations.’’

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Eight of 10 people who contract West Nile show no symptoms at all and one in five will develop a fever accompanies by headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About one in 150 people who contract West Nile virus develop a severe central nervous infection, which may develop into encephalitis or meningitis, the symptoms of which include:

• Symptoms of severe illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.
• Severe illness can occur in people of any age; however, people over 60 years of age are at greater risk. People with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants, are also at greater risk.
• Recovery from severe illness might take several weeks or months. Some effects to the central nervous system might be permanent.
• About 1 out of 10 people who develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system die.

La Crosse virus is also often asymptomatic, but some patients experience a fever usually lasting two to three days, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and lethargy. Severe cases infecting the nervous system are more, which could develop into encephalitis, are most common in children under the age of 16. Seizures are common, but less than 1 percent of all cases are fatal.

With cases on the rise, the health department is urging Tennesseans to increase their efforts to avoid mosquitoes and cut down on mosquito breeding grounds by "tipping and tossing" standing water and covering areas that may collect standing water.

In addition, the Department of Health recommends the following:

• Use EPA-approved insect repellants containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 on your skin. Follow all label recommendations for use. Pay particular attention to recommendations for use on children and never apply any of these products around the mouth or eyes at any age. Talk with a health care provider if questions arise.
• Use products containing permethrin, a highly effective insecticide, for clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear. Permethrin-treated clothing repels and kills ticks, mosquitoes and other pests and retains this effect after repeated laundering. Some commercial products are available pretreated with permethrin. As a caution, however, do not use permethrin directly on skin.
• Wear ‘’long, loose and light’’ clothing. It’s best to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants. Loose-fitting clothing helps prevent bites through the fabric. Light-colored clothes are less attractive to many insects and help make them easier to spot and remove.

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