State and Regional News

Human West Nile cases in Alabama rise to 24

By Phillip Rawls
Associated Press Writer
09-20-2002

MONTGOMERY The human cases of West Nile virus in Alabama have grown to 24, with two more cases in Montgomery County and the first illness recorded in Etowah County. All of the new cases are in women, and they are recovering, Assistant State Health Officer Charles Woernle said Thursday. So far, Alabama has had one fatality: an 80-year-old Montgomery County woman, whose death was announced Monday. Of the 24 cases, 10 have been in Montgomery County. Woernle said health officials have no explanation for the concentration, but they do not believe it is due to better testing or reporting of cases in the capital. In Montgomery County, most of the cases have been in people who live inside Montgomery's bypass, but most of the county's population is within the bypass, too. The new cases involve women ages 85 and 55 in Montgomery County and a 54-year-old woman in Etowah County. The Etowah County case is only the second human case this year north of Jefferson County, but health officials say there is no explanation for the geographic distribution because the mosquito-borne virus has been detected in mosquito pools, birds or horses in 60 of Alabama's 67 counties. Bill Johnston, state public health veterinarian, said the virus has been found in 63 mosquito pools, 429 birds and 39 horses. Fifteen of those horses have died, he said. "We consider the West Nile virus is probably in everybody's back yard," Johnston said. Last year, the virus was detected in 13 counties, and Alabama recorded two human cases, one of which was fatal. In addition to the 10 human cases this year in Montgomery County, there have been two cases each in Dale, Marengo, and Mobile counties. One case has been diagnosed in each of these counties: Chambers, Coffee, Dallas, Etowah, Houston, Jefferson, Limestone, and Tuscaloosa. So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 1,640 human cases nationwide, with 80 deaths. Among Alabama's neighboring states, Georgia has reported five deaths, Mississippi and Tennessee four each, and Florida none.