West Nile virus found in Bluffs

The West Nile virus has been detected in Council Bluffs, health officials said Friday.
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Four of the city's eight sentinel chickens have tested positive for the virus, said Donn Dierks, director of the city's Public Health Department.

Meanwhile, Nebraska officials reported the first human case in the state this season, a Dawson County man in his 20s. The man was not hospitalized.

Mosquito pools in Dawson, Douglas, Garfield, Lincoln, Madison and Richardson Counties also have tested positive for the virus, along with a bird in Boone County, said Dr. Joann Schaefer, Nebraska's chief medical officer.

Iowa has had no human cases so far this season. The virus also has been confirmed in three sentinel chickens in Polk County and one in Woodbury County, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

West Nile is a mosquito-borne virus that mainly infects mosquitoes and birds, but mosquitoes can transmit the virus to people. Human cases have been reported in Iowa every year since 2002.

Mild forms of the disease may cause headache, nausea, diarrhea and pain. Severe forms may cause the brain to swell, resulting in confusion, coma and death.

Health officials in Iowa and Nebraska recommend these steps to avoid exposure:

� Apply mosquito repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

� Wear long-sleeve shirts and pants and socks.

� Avoid going out at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.

� Eliminate standing water to reduce mosquito breeding sites.

Insect repellents containing up to 30 percent DEET have been shown to be the most effective and are safe for adults, including pregnant women, and children older than 2 months.