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CNN Sunday Morning

Atlanta Launches a Campaign Against West Nile Virus

Aired August 19, 2001 - 07:00   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: We begin here in Atlanta, that is ground zero in the fight against the West Nile virus. The city has launched an all-out campaign to kill mosquitoes that can transmit the potentially deadly virus.

Atlanta officials have even called in West Nile virus experts from New York. All of this coming after health officials confirmed an Atlanta woman died of West Nile, becoming the first known human victim in the U.S. to succumb to the virus this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE (voice-over): Health workers in Atlanta intensified efforts to battle the mosquito-spread disease. Crews dispersed insecticide pellets into standing water, where the bugs breed.

According to health officials, the death of the 71-year-old woman earlier this month is the first ever human fatality in the state of Georgia. Authorities declined to identify the victim, saying only she was admitted to hospital July 31st with encephalitis-like symptoms.

But it wasn't until Friday morning, six days after her death, that the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that it was West Nile virus.

The victim reportedly lived in the heart of downtown Atlanta, near the park built to celebrate the Olympic games in 1996. Saturday, health workers focused on communities near the park and areas surrounding elderly housing, spreading information as well as insecticide. Older residents and children are believed to be most at risk for the disease.

MAYOR BILL CAMPBELL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA: This is no time for panic. It's a time for caution. It's a time to understand the necessary ingredients as to how we can protect ourselves.

SAVIDGE: Until now, the West Nile virus had only shown up in the state in animals, mainly birds. But health officials say at least six other people in Fulton County surrounding Atlanta are being tested after showing symptoms of the disease. Still, officials downplay the danger.

In a given area, a very, very small percentage, perhaps one percent of the mosquitoes, are actually infected with the virus. DR. SCOTT WETTERHALL, METRO ATLANTA WEST NILE TASK FORCE: If a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, the chances of becoming ill is very, very small.

SAVIDGE: Monday, Atlanta area health officials will meet to compare notes with health experts from New York City. From 1999 to 2000, at least nine deaths and 73 other cases were reported in the New York City and New Jersey metropolitan areas.

For now, Georgia residents are being encouraged to roll down their sleeves, in the battle against a bug that has suddenly become more than just a nuisance.

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