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OC Woman is State's 1st to Die From West Nile in 2008
Subheadlines Also Said To Suffer
August 25, 2008, 3:18 PM PDT 
ORANGE COUNTY -- A 72-year-old Buena Park woman has become the
first confirmed person in California this year to die of West Nile virus infection,
according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.The woman, whose name was not released, died earlier this month after being hospitalized. Testing by the California Department of Public Health confirmed the infection, said Deanne Thompson of the HCA. Earlier this month, representatives of vector control agencies from four counties gathered in Garden Grove to warn that the risk of contracting West Nile virus from mosquito bites is the highest it has been in four years. This was the first West Nile virus-related death in Orange County since 2004. Statewide, there have been 112 human cases of West Nile virus infection reported this year, including 97 symptomatic cases. In Orange County, there have been 26 symptomatic cases and four cases where people who donated blood were told that they had been infected, but suffered no symptoms. Health officials say that people over the age of 50 are at increased risk of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease, the more serious form of West Nile virus infection. However, this year, there have been several cases reported in individuals under the age of 50, including one juvenile, said Thompson. "West Nile virus activity is very high in Southern California this year and this unfortunate death shows how serious West Nile virus infection can be," said Dr. Eric G. Handler, county Health Officer. "It is very important that people take the necessary steps to prevent mosquito bites and minimize their risk of West Nile virus infection." Recommendations include: -- empty standing water on property to reduce areas where mosquitoes breed; -- keep window and door screens in good condition; -- use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or products containing IR3535; -- limit outdoor activity at dawn and dusk; -- wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. In 2004, there were 710 human West Nile virus cases in Southern California, with 21 fatalities, officials said. About 70 percent of the West Nile victims in the Southland this year have contracted the more serious, neurological form of the disease, called West Nile neuroinvasive disease, officials said. Victims have been between the ages of 6 months old and 96 years of age, officials said. www.westnile.ca.gov. Copyright © 2009, KTLA
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