Colorado officials try to convince residents of West Nile threat

DENVER (AP) — In the state hardest hit by the West Nile virus, puzzled health officials are having a difficult time convincing residents they could become ill or even die from a mosquito bite.

Two counties even declared health emergencies this week, in part to alert residents to the threat. But the pleas are a tough sell in a state where people love to bike, jog, camp and work outdoors.

"I don't even think about it," Lisa Carley said as she biked along the Cherry Creek Trail this week, wearing a helmet but no mosquito repellent. "If I was going to go camping I would consider using repellent."

The virus, first reported in Colorado a year ago, has exploded in the state over the past month, going from a handful of cases to 450 in a matter of days.

No one died from the virus here last year. Already this year, West Nile has killed seven people in Colorado, all women older than 65. And officials warn the peak season is coming in the next few weeks.

The virus is passed to humans by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. Only about one in 150 people infected will become seriously ill, with the worst cases developing potentially fatal encephalitis or meningitis.

Even so, the latest numbers are sobering. Children and the elderly have been infected this year, but so have more than 200 people ages 15-49, arguably the most athletic.

In Colorado, about two-thirds of those infected had not taken any precautions, such as using repellent, staying indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and wearing pants and long-sleeve shirts, state epidemiologist John Pape said.

"I don't stay indoors, either," he said. "I was out golfing last weekend but I went inside in the evening when the mosquitoes started biting."

In Larimer and Weld counties, with a total of four deaths, officials declared health emergencies to boost public awareness and seek state and federal help with battling its spread.

"We felt that it was in our best interest to declare a health emergency to encourage the public to take this seriously," Gaye Morrison of the Weld County Health Department said.

In nearby Larimer County, health department spokeswoman Ann Watson said, "Some of them even have outdoor jobs and say they have never used repellent."

There are residents concerned about the virus.

Loretta Aragon of Denver said she took the threat seriously as she sprayed mosquito repellent on her three grandchildren before a visit to the zoo.