Scientists are still uncertain of exactly how West Nile virus got to the United States. What they are absolutely sure of, though, is that it is here and a growing and concerning problem, including in Pueblo where it has claimed the city’s first victims of 2023.
The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment says the county’s first West Nile virus fatality occurred on July 22nd, but news of the death was only reported last week. Neither the name nor age of the victim of the mosquito borne virus was released.
West Nile virus was first identified in 1937 near the West Nile region of Uganda and had been isolated to the continent for decades before appearing in the northeastern United States in 1999. But by 2004 it had spread, and cases were reported in every state of the continental United States.
Pueblo Health Public Information Officer Trysten Garcia says the virus’s genesis in Pueblo follows the same pattern as the rest of the state.
“We have had historically high rainfalls,” he said. The rains, a departure from several consecutive years of light moisture and even droughts in parts of Colorado, have created countless breeding opportunities for the mosquitos.
Other areas of Colorado where the virus has been reported are primarily along the northern Front Range. But the mosquito’s impact has been felt in a number of other counties far removed from the state’s north-south dividing line. This year’s rains have touched every corner of Colorado and where the rains have fallen, the mosquito has taken up home.
Standing water, in everything from birdbaths to drains, are places where the mosquito lays its eggs. And while these nesting opportunities for the mosquito are ubiquitous, not all mosquito bites should be cause for alarm.
According to the Centers for Disease Control only about 1 in 5 who are infected develop a fever or other symptoms. And only 1 in 150 of those bitten cascades into a serious level of the virus. But there is no disputing that a serious level of West Nile can be an excruciating experience or worse.
A mild case of West Nile virus can mean nothing more than a short-lived fever or malaise. However, health officials say some victims have experienced convulsions, vision loss, paralysis and even death. In some victims the virus has found a long-term host and has created long-term health issues resulting in steep declines in quality of life. Since West Nile first arrived in the U.S., more than 51,000 deaths have been attributed to the virus.
Pueblo’s first West Nile virus fatality is the year’s first, but since the early 2000’s, the county has experienced a sporadic number of deaths. “This year,” said Garcia, “it (the fatality) was a bit jarring. It had been quite a bit of time” since the county’s last West Nile death.
Because of the early spring and summer rains, including a number of intense downpours, the city/ county health department had been alerting citizens of the virus’s dangers. “We started sharing our message early,” said Garcia of the potential of West Nile for creating a problem. One element of the message, he called, the ‘four D’s’: use an insect repellent with DEET, clean your ‘drains,’ of any standing water, and be especially vigilant around ‘dusk’ and ‘dawn,’ the two times of day when mosquitos are out in abundance.
Garcia and his agency are warning city and county residents not to let their guard down just because summer is coming to an end. August and September are the months when victim numbers spike.
