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Scientists work to solve mystery of N.Y. insect-borne virus

From Medical Correspondent Holly Firfer

September 28, 1999
Web posted at: 11:21 a.m. EDT (1521 GMT)

Mosquito
KNOWN WEST NILE FEVER AREAS
  • Africa
  • Middle East
  • Asia
  • VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
  • Malaria
  • Yellow fever
  • Lyme disease
  • VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES REEMERGENCE FACTORS
  • Insecticide and drug resistance
  • Population growth
  • Urbanization
  • Global travel
  •  VIDEO
    VideoCNN's Holly Firfer reports on the occurrence of encephalitis in New York City.
    Windows Media 28K 80K
     

    (CNN) -- Public health officials continued efforts Tuesday to correctly identify and contain the mosquito-borne virus which has killed four people and infected at least 33 others in the New York City region.

    The virus, first misidentified as St. Louis encephalitis, has never before been seen in the Western Hemisphere and is causing great concern for both public health officials and New York residents.

      MESSAGE BOARD
    Bugs, bugs, bugs
     

    The Centers for Disease Control has reclassified the cases as West-Nile-like virus. It is known to exist mainly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, but has now affected dozens of people in the New York area. Health officials do not know how this usually mild though sometimes fatal disease came to be in the United States.

    "Whether it got here on an airplane, a boat, an exotic bird that came in, or whatever, we don't know, and we're hoping the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will look into those matters and find out where that came from," said Westchester County Executive, Andrew Spano.

    In Westchester County, immediately north of New York City, officials on Monday announced the county's first death in the mysterious disease outbreak, and said the number of confirmed cases had doubled to eight. The fatality was a woman in her 60s from New Rochelle who died about two weeks ago.

    The West Nile-like virus is part of a family of vector-borne diseases, which need a blood-sucking insect to carry them to humans. The group includes malaria, yellow fever and lyme disease.

    The CDC says vector-borne diseases were responsible for more human disease and death between the 17th and early 20th centuries than all other causes of death combined. The discovery of insecticides brought these diseases under control in most parts of the world.

    But since 1970, the number of vector-borne diseases has increased. Drug and insecticide resistance, unprecedented population growth, unplanned and uncontrolled urbanization and increased global travel have all contributed to the increase.

    Although climate change such as global warming and drought influence transmission, it has not been scientifically proven that these events cause a resurgence of the diseases, according to CDC researchers.

    West Nile fever was reported in France from 1962-1965, and a severe outbreak in Romania sickened hundreds and caused more than a dozen deaths in 1996. Even more recently, the virus was reported in the Czech Republic.

    Scientists in the U.S. discovered the rare strain of encephalitis in birds that died in and around the Bronx Zoo. They believe the birds may have carried the disease that was then spread as mosquitos fed on the infected birds. More than 520 dead birds have been found in the New York City region, according to state health commissioner Dr. Antonia Novello.

    "The birds, in the Western Hemisphere, never having been exposed to this before may be more likely to have a bad outcome because they have not developed any historic immunity to this virus. So it is conceivable that the bird kills that we are being confronted with are going to continue, and could conceivably be quite extensive," said Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Harold Adel.

    More dead birds means more opportunities for mosquitos to pick up the disease and spread it.

    While New York health officials and the CDC continue the investigation, authorities are asking residents to report dead birds to the Emergency Management Office.

    Scientists are continuing lab tests looking for the virus in brain samples, blood and spinal fluid. More than 100 cases will be re-examined as authorities admit the health toll may be greater than first thought.



    RELATED STORIES:
    Virus unseen till now in U.S. killed 3 in New York City
    September 27, 1999
    Bird virus blamed for New York encephalitis death
    September 26, 1999
    New strain of encephalitis identified in New York birds
    September 25, 1999
    N.Y. disease outbreak called a global warning
    September 21, 1999

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