Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Mosquito onslaught hits Dallas area hard

By Minnie Payne

DALLAS — Nearly anyone who takes a daily walk has felt it lately: the sting of pesky mosquitoes, bringing to mind the deadly West Nile virus.

West Nile Virus season does start in May, but for now you can rest easy. According to Jacqueline Bell, Public Information Officer, Dallas County Health and Human Services, the mosquito that's currently leaving a whopping sting and whelp is the Aedes vexans, also known as the "floodwater mosquito."

It's showing up, she says, because of the recent heavy rains. Their larvae have been dormant for two years but, because of the rain, they're beginning to hatch.

"Because of the sheer number of these mosquitoes, the public should be on the defense," she says. Good defensive behavior includes wearing dark-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and wearing DEET.

"Records show that 75% of people who contracted West Nile Virus were found not to wear DEET, or not on a regular basis," she says.

According to Rutgers University’s Entomology Department, Aedes vexans eggs have been known to survive for three years when kept moist. Mature male Aedes vexans feed on the nectar of flowers; the female feed on blood. Females feed in shady areas during daylight hours; however, they are very active at dusk, with peak activity occurring 30 to 40 minutes after sunset.

The West Nile virus is carried by the Culex pipiens mosquito, a common urban mosquito. It thrives during periods of drought, which explains the outbreak in the summer of 2006.

"Dallas County had 101 West Nile Virus cases last year, with four deaths," Bell says. That compares to 2005, when there were 43 cases and one death.

The Culex pipiens mosquito becomes infected when it bites a disease-bearing bird and then infects humans.

According to the Norwalk, Conn. Department of Health, mosquitoes carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Malaria, Yellow Fever, and dog heartworm. They breed in stagnant water from May until the first frost. Bell recommends draining any standing water.

Don R. Read, M.D., of Dallas, said he developed West Nile Virus meningoencephalitis and polio-like paralysis in July 2005, and almost died from it.

“It was seven months before I could return to work, one hour per day initially, gradually increasing to six to eight hours per day over the next year,” he said. “I still have residual weakness in both legs, requiring braces."

Read started a West Nile Support Group last year after meeting with four other West Nile survivors. The group meets monthly at Medical City Dallas Hospital.

"It has been very helpful to hear other survivors' stories and to be able to visit patients in the hospital with West Nile Virus, so that we can give them hope for recovery," he says.

Dr. Read can be reached at readcrs AT yahoo DOT com.

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