West Nile season ends with one bite

PROVO — Utah County came through the 2004 West Nile virus season with only one reported case — and that actually came in from another state, say officials.

But that doesn't mean the deadly virus that can be passed from an infected mosquito to birds, horses and humans isn't a very serious threat that could come back in full force next summer.

"We were lucky. We've had a really good year this year. We had no birds, no horses, no humans contract the virus. We had a real dry summer so the vectors weren't there," said Lewis Marrott, Utah County's mosquito abatement coordinator.

Marrott said the threat is probably over for 2004 because last week there were not even enough mosquitoes caught in the light traps to send for testing. However, he said it's imperative that the public and government officials remain vigilant and take steps to get rid of standing water and areas that will provide mosquitoes breeding ground next spring.

"Think about it. We didn't have it in our mosquito or chicken flocks but 47 states did. This is something that's going to be with us for a while," Marrott said.

The single case reported in Utah County involved a woman who had been in Arizona for nine of the 14-day incubation period.

"They didn't want it on their reports so it's been given to us when it's not really ours," said Dr. Joseph Miner, executive director of the Utah County Health Department.

Overall, Utah had nine patients test positive for the virus. Five were confirmed by a laboratory and those five were neuroinvasive or complicated with symptoms of meningitis and/or encephalitis.

Five horses in Utah also tested positive. One Utah County racehorse was euthanized after it contracted the disease in Scottsdale, Ariz., and came back to the Provo/Orem area in May where it developed symptoms. After more than a week of treatment with no success, the horse was put down. The infected horse was vaccinated against the virus last year but had not had booster shots this year.

None of the county's sentinel chickens — chickens put in position to contract the virus first — have tested positive, although 21 in Duchesne, Emery and Washington counties have contracted the virus. Three birds, a raven, a magpie and a scrub jay tested positive for the virus in Grand County, Kane County and San Juan County.