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CNN Live Today

Federal Government Beefing Up Aid to Fight West Nile Virus

Aired August 09, 2002 - 12:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Calling it a "serious problem" for the nation, the federal government is beefing up aid to fight West Nile Virus. It is giving an extra $10 million to states to fight infected mosquitoes.
CNN medical correspondent Rea Blakey joins us from Washington with more on the outbreak there and how they are handling this. Rea, if more money is on hand, D.C. still isn't moving in the direction of any spraying, are they?

REA BLAKEY, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, they will not be spraying in the District of Columbia. They are using larvacide instead. They say in a large urban center like this, there are too many people who might have respiratory problems to go around spraying insecticide, and they are concerned about the environment as well.

You mentioned the dollar figures, Fredricka. That brings the total the CDC is spending on this effort to $27,000,000. So that is a significant amount of money.

We have updated figures for you. So far this year, 121 human cases of West Nile Virus. Louisiana reporting 71. Mississippi now up to 34. Texas reporting 12. Illinois two cases. Alabama has one case. And of course that case in D.C. now confirmed with the CDC. Five deaths all told, all in Louisiana.

Let's take a look at a map, which also needs to be updated. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia are reporting the presence of the virus, and that's in humans, horses, birds, mosquitoes. Just moments before we came to the air live, activities confirmed now in Vermont. So far, again, no documented activity west of line that extends roughly from Winnipeg, Canada to Houston, Texas, but West Nile Virus is expected to continue spreading west.

Still, it is extremely important to keep this outbreak in perspective. Most people who are bitten by mosquitoes are not at a major risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HOOD, LOUISIANA HEALTH SECY.: One percent or less of mosquitoes will be infected with West Nile. Out of the 150 people who get bit by a mosquito and actually get infected, only one is going to have very serious symptoms. The rest are probably going to recover, and are then going to develop a natural immunity for the rest of their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLAKEY: Now possible symptoms that should send you to the doctor for a checkup include severe headache, sensitivity to light, fever, sometimes there's a rash, and if there are any sings of mental confusion, you should immediately report to a health care professional.

Now, as for weather trends that are possibly feeding the spread of West Nile Virus, the CDC says warmer weather seems to promote these outbreaks, and hot weather seems to be ideal for the kinds of mosquitoes that seem to transmit this disease.

Though West Nile Virus seems to be getting the lion's share of media attention, there are other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes in the U.S., malaria, dengue, yellow fever, all of which could be as dangerous, Fredricka, as West Nile.

WHITFIELD: Thanks very much, Rea. Boy, pretty amazing that South Carolina would be the only state along the eastern seaboard so far that is not directly effected, because that is the one state that was not highlighted along the eastern seaboard in your map.

BLAKEY: That's right, they seem to have their own natural immunity, I don't why.

WHITFIELD: Yes, lucky them. All right, thanks a lot, Rea.

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