EVANSVILLE — Vanderburgh County health officials said its teams are fully mobilized to continue fighting West Nile virus locally after authorities said Wednesday Indiana's first death from the virus this year came in Vanderburgh County.
County Health Department officials said vector control units will continue fogging South Side neighborhoods where mosquito activity has been high at least through Friday, and two volunteer teams will be distributing information pamphlets about the mosquito-borne virus in the same area today.
"There is no reason for the public to panic," said Health Officer Dr. Ray Nicholson. "There is every reason for the public to get rid of all standing water and help us out in any way they can to eliminate the mosquito population."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 people have died from the virus this year, most coming in Texas.
Some 693 cases of the virus have been reported in humans so far, the CDC said, the highest through the second week of August since West Nile was first detected in the United States in 1999.
Health officials declined to release any information on the victim, including the victim's hometown. Those officials — including State Department of Health spokeswoman Amy Reel — said they could only confirm the death occurred in Vanderburgh County.
The state agency reported Indiana has six other confirmed cases in five counties: Fulton, Hamilton, Jackson, Marion, and Monroe.
"That was the only case in Vanderburgh County," Reel said regarding the fatality.
There's no vaccine or cure for the disease. Officials say it usually causes a milder form of the illness that can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands and rash.
"Most people do not die," Nicholson said.
Nicholson said the local and national deaths prompted him to declare a health emergency Tuesday, the first time he's done so in his five year-tenure as health officer.
The declaration essentially calls local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) volunteers to execute an information canvassing mission in the fogging area.
CERT program manager Bryant Garibay said about a dozen members were out Wednesday and about 20 will be out today to revisit neighborhoods bounded by Pollack Avenue, I-164, Boeke Avenue, and U.S. 41.
"They'll be passing out literature to educate the general public on the West Nile virus," Garibay said.
That literature will likely include the following tips:
n Use insect repellent when outdoors, especially near dusk and dawn. Follow the label directions during application.
n Make sure screens on doors, windows and porches are in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside.
n Reduce mosquito breeding habitat by emptying buckets, removing discarded tires and changing the water in wading pools and bird baths once a week.
Health Department PIO Chris Allen said that area was targeted for factors including complaints and positive West Nile pool tests.
But residents there shouldn't be the only ones concerned.
"There's a little delay between the time of testing and the time we find out about it," Allen said. "So to be safe, I would assume it's pretty much everywhere."
Health officials said efforts are ongoing and may expand.
"We are very vigilant," Allen said. "And we are going to continue spraying and canvassing the neighborhoods with information as long as necessary."
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