Florida urges precautions on West Nile virus

Spread of the West Nile virus has been rapid along the Eastern Seaboard

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) -- State health officials announced Saturday they are contacting area hospitals to see if the West Nile virus, recently discovered in a dead crow found near here, could have spread to humans.

So far, there is no evidence of any human cases in Florida, said the State Department of Health Secretary Robert Brooks.

State health officials said Friday a dead crow tested positive for the sometimes-fatal West Nile virus, the first time the virus has ever been detected in the state.

Officials have issued a "response level one" urging people across the entire state to take precautions in order to avoid the mosquitos that could carry this potentially fatal virus, Brooks said.

The response level also requires more data collection to see if more animals have contracted the West Nile virus.

Brooks advised residents to "avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are likely to be looking for blood meals," wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, use mosquito repellent and get rid of standing or stagnant water near homes.

The West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999 in New York City. Since then, 82 cases of the disease have been reported in humans in New York and New Jersey, with nine deaths. The virus has a death rate of 5 to 15 percent, Brooks said.

Sentinel chickens were placed throughout Florida, after a case of the virus was reported recently in North Carolina. A sentinel chicken is one that is placed in a cage in areas known to have heavy mosquito populations. The chicken is tested periodically for mosquito-borne diseases.

"We were always concerned that the pattern was moving this way, and we've been working to try to prevent anything from happening here," said Florida Department of Health spokesman Frank Penela.

Mosquitoes spread the virus by feeding on infected birds and then biting humans. The disease does not spread from person to person.

The infected crow was turned into officials in mid-June by a Jefferson County resident, State Public Health Veterinarian Lisa Conti said, after signs were posted several weeks ago asking people in the state to send dead birds to the health department for testing.

Mosquitoes spread the virus by feeding on infected birds and then biting humans.

The dead bird was found in a rural residential area near Monticello, about 25 miles northeast of Tallahassee, said Jefferson County Health official Eanix Poole.

West Nile virus is in the same family of viruses as some forms of encephalitis and has similar symptoms, such as dizziness, headache, fatigue and mental confusion, according to Brooks. However, West Nile virus can also carry symptoms of muscular weakness and actual paralysis. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, West Nile virus is the main cause of encephalitis.

"This infection is one of many emerging infections we are seeing with increased worldwide travel," Brooks said. "We are seeing more cases in the U.S. of infections and illnesses that begin in other parts of the world."