A central North Dakota man has been diagnosed with the state's first case of human West Nile virus this year, the Health Department said Friday.
On July 17, a man between the ages of 51 and 64 complained of fatigue, muscle aches, fever and generalized neurological symptoms, said Melissa Casteel, the state Health Department's West Nile virus surveillance coordinator.
The victim, who has been hospitalized and is in fair condition, had a pre-existing health condition that may have contributed to the illness, she said.
To protect the victim's identity, the Health Department isn't releasing any additional information, including more specific symptoms or where the man is from, Casteel said.
Instead, the Health Department said the person is from one of the following counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux.
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Also Friday, South Dakota's Health Department reported four more human cases of the virus, bringing the total in that state to five. Minnesota reported its first human case last week.
The virus first appeared in the Upper Midwest last year and is transmitted to horses, humans and birds via mosquitoes.
Elderly people and those with pre-existing health conditions are more likely to be severely affected by the disease. Most healthy bodies can fight the disease as they do the common flu and other viruses.
Last year, the virus infected 17 North Dakota residents, and two died.
So far this year, 57 North Dakotans have been tested for the virus and one has come back positive, Casteel said.
Five horses and 46 birds statewide have been diagnosed with the virus; one horse and 12 birds have tested positive in Cass County.
To protect yourself from the virus, the Health Department recommends:
E Limiting outdoor activities between dawn and dusk,
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E Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when possible,
E Getting rid of standing water, mowing long grass, and eliminating other potential mosquito breeding areas,
E Using screens on windows and doors,
E Using insect repellant with DEET.
Two types of mosquitoes that are known for spreading the disease are the Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens, said Kristi Biewer, Cass County's mosquito control director.
Normally the tarsalis are prevalent in July, but they haven't been this year in Cass County, she said.
"We've had great cooperation from the weather here," Biewer said.
Other North Dakota counties have seen much higher tarsalis counts, she said.
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The pipiens, known as "house mosquitoes," usually hang out in the tree tops, Biewer said.
They're part of the reason the county decided to spray aerially, she said.
Unless human cases of the disease are diagnosed close to Cass County, Biewer said she doesn't plan on increasing the county's mosquito meter rating.
"Right now we have a lot of pest mosquitoes, and the numbers are declining," she said.
For more information about West Nile virus, visit the North Dakota Department of Health's Web site at ( www.ndwnv.com ), or call the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at (888) 246-2675 for English, (866) 874-2646 for hearing impaired, or (888) 246-2857 for Spanish.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Lisa Schneider at (701) 241-5529
