WEST NILE "The Virus is (still) here' (Daily Bulletin May 07,2006) That Pesky Mosquito bite has become more then an annoyance for Millions!!

This is NO JOKE... Last year, my friends Horse was the only known Horse that survived the West Nile Virus. In Fact the horse caught the virus and got sick, and with the Illness, fell to the ground. When the Horse fell he struck either a fence or rocks, and when this happened it cracked his rear pelvis bone. My friend took the horse to the regular Vet. The Vet chewed her out and really felt that she had abused the horse. Well, this was really upsetting because the Vet. Not knowing the history of where the animal lives or the corral where it is kept, there is nothing that the horse could break the hip on other then falling on the ground. The Horse was taken to another Vet. Where a blood test was done and it was found to be Positive for West Nile Virus. Then the Horse was then treated for the broken Pelvis and the West Nile Virus, and luckily the horse survived. The horses surroundings on how it is kept and treated is how strong that horses will to survive was, so that saved the Horses life. Take care and Please if you have not had your live stock treated for West Nile Virus you better have it done as soon as possible. After all its our Livestock that stands out in the Mosquito weather all the time when we take concealment inside a house. Take care and I hope you don't have to go through this with any of your livestock. Its expensive.

BSRancher...

WEST NILE
`The virus is (still) here'

By Nikki Cobb Staff Writer

That pesky mosquito bite has become more than an annoyance for millions of Americans. It brings the possibility of a potentially fatal illness West Nile virus. Local public health officials say now that spring is here, the mosquitoes are probably on their way. They have started surveying for the virus in mosquitoes and in birds, who harbor the disease. But officials say they're expecting fewer cases of West Nile this year. Last year, dozens became sick or died from it in San Bernardino County and throughout California. "The virus is here, and people need to be aware that it's here," said Eric Frykman, public health director for San Bernardino County. "Some people are very excited about it, think it's going to decimate the world. That's not the case. They just need to take precautions when they go outside." Mosquito larvae have been lurking in standing water during the winter. And with the warm weather, they're beginning to emerge as adults. In cool weather it takes 10 days for a larva to grow to a mosquito, but as the air heats up, that transformation can be shortened by half. West Nile has yet to emerge in San Bernardino County this year. However, five mosquito samples taken in Riverside County last week tested positive for the virus, and 15 dead infected birds have been found in nearby counties. Experts won't speculate how many people might be sickened by West Nile this year. They'll only cite the pattern the virus has shown across the country. In 2003, just a few cases were reported in California, said Michelle Mussuto, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health Services. But 2004 hit Southern California hard. Last year, though, the majority of the cases were in Northern California. In 2004, 197 human cases of West Nile were reported in San Bernardino County, and five of those were fatal. In 2005, 35 people became ill countywide, and one person died of West Nile virus. Of the 830 people infected in 2004 statewide, 28 died. Last year, 935 Californians contracted the illness and 19 died. "The pattern seems to be the first year some not-so significant activity, then a really big jump the second year," Frykman said. "The third year the number of cases drops off, and continues to fall the fourth year." "That's the pattern we've seen as the virus moves across America" from the East Coast, where it first appeared several years ago, Frykman said. Mussuto also was hesitant to guess how hard-hit San Bernardino County could be this year. "There was a lot of heavy rainfall this past winter," she said. "There's a lot of standing water, so we will see a lot of mosquitoes. How this translates into the prevalence of West Nile I just don't know." Most people 80 percent who contract West Nile virus don't even know they have it. Others might have achy joints, a fever and other flulike symptoms. But those most vulnerable the elderly and those with compromised immune symptoms might contract encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis, inflammation of the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Though there is a West Nile vaccine for horses, there aren't any for humans. But Frykman said people can minimize their risk. "Put on bug spray, don't go out in the morning or evening," he said. "This is something that's not necessarily going to go away."