First Case Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Tulsa County This Year

The Tulsa County Health Department said Thursday it has confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in the county this season.

Thursday, August 21st 2014, 12:14 pm

By: News On 6

First Case Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Tulsa County This Year

The Tulsa County Health Department said Thursday it has confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in the county this season.

In a news release, health officials says this is the second case statewide. In July, state health officials announced the first case had been confirmed in a resident of Major County.

7/10/2014 Related Story: West Nile Virus Case Confirmed In Northwest Oklahoma

In Tulsa County, of the 486 trap samples tested so far this season, five different mosquito traps have been confirmed positive for the virus in Tulsa County to date. Approximately 13,000 mosquitoes have been collected so far this season.

The five traps where the West Nile Virus was found in mosquitoes are located:

One mile area between East 76th Street North and East 66th Street North - between Peoria and Lewis.
One mile area between East Pine and East Admiral Place - between Yale and Sheridan.
One mile area between West Archer and West 11th Street South - just northwest of downtown Tulsa.
One mile area between West 41st Street South and West 51st Street South - between South 129th West Avenue and South 113th West Avenue.
One mile area between West 91st Street South and West 101st Street South - between South Mingo and South Garnett.

Tulsa County West Nile Virus Mosquito Trap map [8/15/2014]

Officials say West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, which feeds on infected birds and then transmits the virus when biting humans, horses, and some other mammals.

If you are bit by an infected mosquito it can sometimes take weeks before West Nile symptoms show up, and sometimes they may not show at all.

"About 80 percent of people just don't show symptoms, that's just across the board, they just don't show symptoms," said Entomologist, Luisa Krugg.

Symptoms of the virus include sudden onset of fever, headache, dizziness, and muscle weakness. Long-lasting complications can include difficulty concentrating, migraine headaches, extreme muscle weakness and tremors, and paralysis of a limb. If one or more of these symptoms develop, especially after suffering mosquito bites within the previous two weeks, a health care provider should be contacted.

The Tulsa Health Department says it operates a mosquito surveillance program in order to confirm when the virus is present. Special mosquito traps are set in various locations throughout Tulsa County. Those samples are collected and tested weekly for the presence of West Nile Virus.

In Tulsa County the cases of West Nile Virus infection have declined over the last few years - in 2012 there were 31 people infected with West Nile. In 2013 there were 13 cases.

This is the first confirmed case of 2014.

"So the main peak season is from July to October so we are still in that window, we are not at the end or anything so that is not to say there won't be any more cases," Krugg said.

Prevention is key and if you have outdoor pets, don't let their water stay stagnant for more than a day and always wear a repellent with deet.

The department also works to control mosquito populations during the spring and summer by larviciding and adulticiding when necessary. To make mosquito complaint call 918-595-4219 or submit an online environmental complaint form on the Tulsa Health Department web site.

There were 84 cases of West Nile virus in Oklahoma last year, including eight deaths.