Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
West Nile Virus Claims a Victim in the U.S.
Aired August 18, 2001 - 08:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Well, starting off the news this morning, the West Nile virus has claimed its first human victim in the United States this year. The virus is native to Africa and is carried by mosquitoes.
It was first detected in North America in 1999. The virus is not generally dangerous to healthy people, but people with weakened immune systems and the elderly can be susceptible. Four cases of West Nile in humans have been confirmed so far this year. Two in Florida, one in New York, and now one in Atlanta.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Birds infected with West Nile virus have been found in the metro Atlanta area within the past couple of months. But confirmation of a human death from the disease took the city and the state somewhat by surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): According to health officials, the death of the 71-year-old woman earlier this month is the first confirmed fatality tied to West Nile virus in the country this year. And the first ever human fatality due to the mosquito-carried disease in the state of Georgia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of us want to express sadness and sympathy to the family.
SAVIDGE: Authorities are not identifying the victim out of respect for her families privacy, 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. Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell called on city residents to take precautions, but not to panic.
MAYOR BILL CAMPBELL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA: I think most of the common sense approaches. Again, try to avoid being out when mosquitoes are most likely to prey upon the seniors in particular. Use insect repellent. Try to avoid stagnant water. 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.
The head of the county health department says more confirmed cases of West Nile are almost a certainty, and that the disease is here to stay.
DR. ADEWALE TROUTMAN, FULTON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS: The experience of New York, New York and Pennsylvania, over the past two years, suggests that we will probably see other positive cases somewhere down the line.
SAVIDGE: The city of Atlanta says it will step-up attempts to spray for mosquitoes and is urging residents to get rid of stagnant water where the insects breed.
Saturday, those same officials will meet 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: With us now to explain more about this disease and what people should do to protect themselves is Dr. Scott Wetterhall of the Metro Atlanta West Nile Task Force. Thanks for joining us this morning.
DR. SCOTT WETTERHALL, METRO ATLANTA WEST NILE TASK FORCE: Thank you.
SAVIDGE: One of the things that should be stressed here is that, really, as much as there is concern, there should not be panic. That the percentage of really contracting this disease is very low.
WETTERHALL: We feel that there is an appropriate point of concern that people should have, but there really is no need for panic. This is something that can be prevented with appropriate personal practices in terms of wearing appropriate clothing, wearing insect repellent, not going out when the mosquitoes are biting, things like that. This is not a time for panic.
SAVIDGE: Another thing that is true is that a lot of people can be infected with this disease and yet never really feel as if they are sick.
WETTERHALL: This is true. There have been some studies that have shown that in a given area, a very, very small percentage, perhaps one percent of the mosquitoes, are actually infected with the virus. If a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, the chances of becoming ill is very, very small. The proportion of people who become actually ill once they've been infected is even smaller and it's a very, very rare event for someone to become severely ill and succumb to the illness.
SAVIDGE: And what's the course of treatment if a person does become ill?
WETTERHALL: Well, for the most part, since most people only experience flu-like symptoms, various cold remedies and symptomatic care is all that is needed. For somebody who develops a severe, debilitating disease, such as encephalitis, which is a swelling and infection of the brain, that usually requires more supportive measures within a hospital. Measures to support breathing functions, kidney functions, heart functions and things like that.
SAVIDGE: And we should point out, who is most susceptible to becoming very ill?
WETTERHALL: Basically, those at risk are the elderly, those persons who are older than 50 years of age, and those with weakened immune systems.
SAVIDGE: And is this a problem that is going to go away with, say, the first frost?
WETTERHALL: Well, since the disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and since hard frosts tend to kill the adult mosquito population, we would expect that there would be no longer transmission of the disease following a hard frost.
SAVIDGE: But does the threat come back the following summer, or when the weather warms up once in awhile?
WETTERHALL: The experience that we've had elsewhere in the United States is that once it's been introduced into an area, it's in all likelihood going to stay with us.
SAVIDGE: All right. Dr. Scott Wetterhall, thank you very much.
WETTERHALL: Thank you.
SAVIDGE: It is reassuring to hear that information.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
