Tracking West Nile Virus

Right now in Oklahoma, the West Nile virus is confirmed to birds. Health officials say no human cases have been found in Oklahoma. But how would health officials know if a person contracted West Nile?

Tuesday, August 6th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6


Right now in Oklahoma, the West Nile virus is confirmed to birds. Health officials say no human cases have been found in Oklahoma. But how would health officials know if a person contracted West Nile?

News on Six reporter Emory Bryan says as at the same time mosquitoes and birds are being monitored for the virus - people are being monitored too - through a complex system of reporting that involves hospital emergency rooms and even drug stores.

The Tulsa City-County Health Department monitors all this through a computerized network - the same kind of system used to track flu symptoms in the community. It relies on doctors and pharmacists to report symptoms they're seeing - and the drugs they're selling - even over the counter drug purchases are tracked.

Mosquitoes transmit West Nile - but people might not realize they have it - so if people began to buy drugs to treat West Nile symptoms - or if doctors starting treating cases that could be West Nile - it would show up in the system - and trigger a response.
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