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(8/18/2006)

South Dakota Reports First West Nile Death

70+ age victim from Brookings County

PIERRE, S.D. - The Department of Health today reported a Brookings County resident died of West Nile virus (WNV) associated causes, the state's first WNV related death this season. The individual was in the 70 year old age group. Twenty-one new human WNV cases are also being reported by the Department of Health, bringing the total for the year to 40.

Twenty-five of South Dakota's 66 counties, or 38 percent, have now had WNV detections. Eighty-five percent of cases are in the eastern third of the state.

"We are now in the peak transmission season for West Nile virus. Personal protection and local mosquito control programs combined are the most effective way to prevention West Nile," said Dr. Lon Kightlinger, State Epidemiologist for the department. "We strongly encourage people to protect themselves and their families by using repellent and avoiding the outdoors when mosquitoes are most active. It’s also important that communities intensify their mosquito control measures."

Provisional data shows that the median age of the South Dakota cases is 49 years, with the range from 12 to 78 years old. Ninety-two percent of cases to date have been white and 8 percent have been American Indian. Sixty percent have been male and 40 percent female. Thirty-seven percent of cases have had WNV neuroinvasive disease and 63 percent have had WNV fever.

Total South Dakota detections to date include:

• Human disease (40 cases) - Beadle (1), Brookings (5), Brown (8), Clay (1), Davison (1), Day (1), Fall River (1), Grant (2), Jones (1), Kingsbury (1), Lake (3), Lawrence (1), Lincoln (2), Marshall (1), Minnehaha (3), Moody (1), Pennington (1), Spink (2), Todd (1), Turner (2), and Ziebach (1) Counties.

• Asymptomatic blood donors (4 donor) – Brookings (1), Brown (1), Grant (1) and Lincoln (1) counties.

• Positive mosquito pools (60 pools) – Beadle (1), Brookings (6), Brown (5), Codington (3), Davison (2), Hughes (11), Lincoln (11), Minnehaha (15), Pennington (4), Shannon (1) and Spink (1) counties.

• Positive birds (10) – Brookings (1), Brown (1), Kingsbury (1), Minnehaha (1), Roberts (4), Shannon (1) and Todd (1) counties.

The department recommends the following precautions to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of WNV: Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and cover as much skin as possible with loose-fitting clothing. Limit time outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Eliminate standing water that gives mosquitoes a place to breed. Support local mosquito control efforts. Elderly persons, pregnant women, diabetics, transplant patients, individuals with high blood pressure, and those with a history of alcohol abuse should be especially mindful to take precautions. People with a severe or unusual headache should see their physician.

For more information about West Nile, visit the Department of Health web site at http://WestNile.sd.gov or call 1-800-592-1861. Information is also available from the SDSU Cooperative Extension Service at http://sdces.sdstate.edu/westnile/ and the South Dakota Animal Industry Board at www.state.sd.us/aib.