DIRECTOR OF Health Promotion and Protection at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Deanna Ashley, has said that the Ministry was continuing its surveillance programme for the West Nile Virus (WNV) in Jamaica, with more emphasis being placed on the Culex species of mosquitoes, transmitters of the virus.
Dr. Ashley was responding to questions regarding a recent report put out by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) in the United States, which said that neutralising antibodies of the WNV were found in resident birds from two parishes in Jamaica.
Clarifying the report, Dr. Ashley said: "This is a particular study that was done through the Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre and the New York State Department of Health Laboratory, and the specimens referred to tests done on birds in 2002 in three areas in Jamaica (St. Catherine, Manchester and St. Elizabeth), and specimens taken from
birds in Westmoreland and Manchester showed that some local birds had positive anti-bodies against the West Nile Virus".
She said that the Ministry has taken further steps to find out if the WNV was also present among mosquitoes, with the Ministry sending off samples taken of birds and mosquitoes within the last two months, to the New York Laboratory for testing.
Dr. Ashley could not say how soon the results of these tests would be available.
The WNV is maintained in nature between birds and the culex species of mosquitoes.
POSSIBILITY OF INFECTION
Commenting on the possibility of infection, if the virus is found in the culex mosquitoes, Dr. Ashley said: "The first thing we don't understand yet is the cycling and how it cycles in Jamaica, assuming that the virus came into the island at some point in time...whether it is circulating only between mosquitoes and birds. We certainly have not seen any evidence of it in the human population, so we are trying to better understand how the mosquito/bird cycle is operating and therefore, how much risk there is to infection in the human population or in the horse population".
Asked if there is cause for concern, Dr. Ashley responded that the country should remain vigilant. "The West Nile Virus actually affects a very small percentage of the human population and less than one per cent would get any serious illness, such as encephalitis (brain swelling). In the bird population, it can be very dangerous and can devastate your bird population, and horses are particularly sensitive, as well," she said.
Dr. Ashely also added that members of the public have a role to play in containing the virus, should it reach Jamaica.
"Around the home, you must remove containers that can collect water and breed mosquitoes; and you must make sure that there is no stagnant water in the vicinity of your home, so that you reduce the risk of mosquitoes carrying the virus," she said.
She also advised members of the public that if they saw dead birds, to call either their local health department or the veterinary officers in their area, so that they could be tested. She also informed persons not to touch these birds with their bare hands, but to use a plastic bag and then to wash their hands with soap and water.
The WNV is an example of an infectious disease without boundaries. It is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. Usually, the mosquito becomes infected when it bites infected birds and then stores the virus in its salivary glands. During blood feeding, the virus is injected into the animal or human, where it may multiply and cause fever, body aches, encephalitis, coma, paralysis or death.
In 2000 there were 21 confirmed human cases of illness due to the WNV, including two deaths. These cases occurred in New York City, Connecticut and New Jersey in the United States.
