COVID, monkeypox, now West Nile? New outbreak reminds us to listen to SC disease experts
Just as it seems COVID is fading away in the Midlands, the West Nile virus says ‘hold my beer.’
Monkeypox only just strolled into South Carolina a couple months ago.
All these diseases hanging around are another reminder that we should be thankful that the state has infectious disease doctors looking out for us.
Without the doctors and researchers at the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, residents of Richland County might not even know about an outbreak of West Nile. The agency announced the outbreak Sept. 9, and The State reported on it that day.
Mosquitoes carry the West Nile virus and transfer it through bites to humans.
Fortunately, the number of known West Nile cases was relatively small at 11 as of Sept. 12, though that’s still considered an outbreak, according to DHEC. Of those, nine cases were in the Midlands and six in Richland County. Unfortunately, it appears at least one Midlands resident died from the disease already, The State’s Morgan Hughes reported.
The department provided these tips to help prevent West Nile:
▪ Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, birdbaths, old car tires, and pet bowls.
▪ Repellents help keep mosquitoes from biting. Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, or 2-undecanone according to label instructions.
▪ Wearing light-colored clothing that cover skin reduces the risk of bites.
▪ Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes.
“Most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms,” said Dr. Linda Bell, DHEC’s top epidemiologist. “However, the risk of serious illness such as encephalitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the brain, though it occurs in less than one percent of people infected, is reason enough for residents in Richland County to take this alert seriously and take the precautions advised.”
Bell recommended contacting your health care provider if you develop fever or other symptoms after being bitten by a mosquito.
Bell said that 70-80% of people won’t develop any symptoms if they contract West Nile.
“About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue, weakness or other complications can last for weeks or months,” DHEC said.
“Less than 1% of people who are infected will develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues). The symptoms of neurologic illness can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures, or paralysis,” DHEC reported, citing information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The people in charge at DHEC don’t always get it right. The agency was criticize for withholding some demographic COVID information early in the pandemic.
Eventually, Bell and the team of DHEC doctors became a reliable anchor in unstable times as COVID set in, providing South Carolinians with needed and life-saving information.
They’re here for South Carolina for another outbreak.
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 10:51 AM.