A Savannah doctor says he’s encountered the first 2012 human case of mosquito-borne acute West Nile virus in Chatham County.
Dr. Richard S. Roth said the patient, a middle-aged Savannah man who works outside, spent four days at Candler Hospital.
Roth, senior partner at Savannah Infectious Diseases, said the man, whom he is treating, will need “prolonged convalescence,” but likely will recover fully.
Roth, an infectious disease specialist consulted by the victim’s primary care doctor, said the man initially suffered from symptoms such as headache and fever.
Later he experienced symptoms associated with meningitis, among them nausea and vomiting, Roth said.
The doctor said two blood tests by an outside special diagnostic lab confirmed a case of acute West Nile virus infection.
Because the victim “is not too old, not too young and doesn’t have a weakened immune system,” prospects for full recovery are “very good,” Roth said.
Dr. Diane Weems, chief medical officer for the Coastal Health District and Chatham County Health Department, said on Friday no human West Nile cases have been reported to her.
“We rely on reports from the hospitals or the doctors,” Weems said. “But the fact that we haven’t received such reports doesn’t reduce our level of concern.”
She and Roth said people should do what they can to avoid mosquito bites.
“We know that the risk is out there and there are steps each of us can take to reduce it,” Weems said.
They include staying inside at dawn and dusk, wearing pants, long sleeves and insect repellent when outside and draining pools of water where mosquitoes hatch.
The health district includes Chatham, Bryan, Camden, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long and McIntosh counties.
“We know that mosquitoes don’t respect county lines,” Weems said.
Chatham County Mosquito Control officials say mosquitoes in various parts of the county have tested positive this year for the West Nile virus.
Chatham County had 10 confirmed cases of the virus last year, health department spokeswoman Sally Silbermann said recently.
Three additional cases were reported in Glynn County, two of which resulted in probable West Nile virus-related deaths, Silbermann said.
“Most people who get the infection never know it,” Weems said. “They have mild, flu-like symptoms or might not be aware of any symptoms.”
Georgia’s Department of Public Health said Friday it has identified 29 confirmed cases of West Nile virus, including three deaths, in the state.
In 2003, nine people were reported ill with the disease in Chatham County. One of them, an 83-year-old woman, died.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Coastal Health District/Chatham County Health Department officials recommend people follow the five D’s of prevention:
• Dusk: Mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus usually bite at dusk and dawn.
• Dawn: Avoid outdoor activity at dusk and dawn if possible. If you must be outside, be sure to protect yourself from bites.
• Dress: Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to reduce the amount of exposed skin.
• DEET: Cover exposed skin with an insect repellent containing the chemical DEET, which is the most effective repellent against mosquito bites.
• Drain: Empty any containers holding standing water because they can be excellent breeding grounds for virus-carrying mosquitoes.
ON THE WEB
• To learn more about the West Nile virus and other notifiable diseases, go to health.state.ga.us/epi/disease/report.asp.
• To view a national map showing West Nile virus cases, including those in Georgia, go to diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_us_human.html.