Thurston County
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 20, 2003

                                    Thurston Commissioners Adopt West Nile Virus Plan

OLYMPIA – Thurston County Commissioners today adopted the “Mosquito Borne Disease Response Plan.”  The plan is intended to help the county deal with the West Nile Virus illness, which is expected to impact Western Washington this year.  Last year the illness showed up in a few bird and horse cases but did not cause any human illnesses. 

Thurston County Health Officer, Dr. Diana Yu, reminds county residents that the chances of contracting West Nile Virus remain very low.  “The illness is transferred from birds to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.  Most people who are bitten by a mosquito carrier will not even know they have been exposed.  Some folks will manifest flu-like symptoms and will recover fully.  For a very small percentage, mostly the very young, the elderly and the immune challenged, there could be serious impacts including encephalitis.  That’s why it’s important for us to take personal responsibility to reduce exposure.”  Appropriate steps could include-

·        Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid mosquito bites.

·        Using a “deet” based insect repellant.

·        Staying away from mosquito breeding areas.

·        Limiting outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are more active.

·        Ensuring that doors and windows are covered by intact screens.

·        Eliminating mosquito habitat around the home by getting rid of standing water in cans, old tires, birdbaths or other incidental collectors of water.                                            

The plan also calls for surveillance of dead birds and mosquito habitat around the county.  Senior Environmental Health Specialist Darrell Cochran says county residents should report the deaths of certain birds, if they have died recently and the cause of death is not obvious.  “The birds we are concerned with in Thurston County include crows, ravens and jays.  If you find such a dead bird on your property, you can call me at 360-754-3355 Ext. 6659.  We may, or may not, come and pick up the bird for testing.  But it’s important for us to be able to track the locations of the birds.”

County residents who wish more information on West Nile Virus have a number of resources to choose from.  Persons can visit the Thurston County Web Site at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/westnilevirus.html.  Or they can visit the State Department of Health web site at http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/WNV/WNV.html.  People can also call the toll free statewide West Nile Virus hotline at 1-866-78virus.