March 26, 2003 | KU Radio News Line

Audio



Aug. 6, 2002: KU researchers still on lookout for West Nile Virus in Kansas


Contact: Oliver Komar, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, (785) 864-4065; Frank Barthell, University Relations, (785) 864-8869.

Radio News Line text:
KU researchers still tracking dead birds in Kansas for West Nile virus

OLIVER KOMAR AND TOWNSEND PETERSON WANT TO KNOW IF YOU SPOT ANY DEAD BIRDS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. PETERSON IS A PROFESSOR OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS AND CURATOR OF BIRDS AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTER. KOMAR IS A GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOW IN THE DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM.

SINCE OCTOBER 2001, THE PAIR HAVE ASKED KANSAS RESIDENTS TO NOTIFY THEM OF ANY SIGHTINGS OF DEAD BIRDS. THEY'VE WORKED WITH THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AND THE WEST NILE DEAD BIRD SURVEILLANCE PROJECT AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY TO MONITOR MORTALITY EVENTS IN BIRD POPULATIONS.

KOMAR WARNS PEOPLE NOT TO HANDLE DEAD BIRDS DIRECTLY. USE GLOVES AND PLASTIC BAGS, HE SAYS, BECAUSE BIRDS INFECTED WITH WEST NILE SHED THE VIRUS THROUGH FECES AND ORAL SECRETIONS. HE SAYS YOU CAN REPORT A DEAD BIRD SIGHTING TO THE K-U MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY WEB SITE, HTTP://WWW.NHM.KU.EDU/BIRDS.

KOMAR SAYS IT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR ALL BIRDS TO BE TESTED FOR THE VIRUS.
Komar: "When West Nile Virus hit, a lot of birds started dying around people's houses. And that's unusual. Most people don't see dead birds frequently. Dead-bird reporting by the public is actually the quickest way to alert the public health officials of where there's higher human risk for the disease." (15 sec.)

THE WEST NILE VIRUS APPEARED IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1999. KOMAR SAYS THAT STRAIN WAS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO A WEST NILE VIRUS STRAIN ISOLATED IN ISRAEL IN 1998. KOMAR SAYS IT'S POSSIBLE THE VIRUS WAS CARRIED BY A HOST BIRD OR MOSQUITO ONBOARD A SHIP TO THE UNITED STATES.

KOMAR SAYS IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THE WEST NILE VIRUS WAS INTENTIONALLY RELEASED FOR THE PURPOSES OF TERRORISM.
Komar: "And it's scary to people who aren't sure what is the threat to their health, but if you were a terrorist I think you could find much more dangerous or damaging substances to people." (10 sec.)

LAST YEAR IN KANSAS THERE WERE 22 REPORTED CASES OF HUMANS CONTRACTING THE DISEASE. NONE WERE FATAL.
Komar: "Very few people who become infected with the virus actually get seriously ill. And if you're healthy, and you don't have any kind of immune deficiency, you're probably better off if you do get the virus and form antibodies. If people are fearing that their lives are at stake, I'd say that's blown out of proportion." (17 sec.)

KOMAR SAYS THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROTECTION AGAINST CONTRACTING THE VIRUS IS TO ELIMINATE MOSQUITOES.
Komar: "The best way to do that is to eliminate mosquito breeding areas around their homes, any standing water around their house, check to see if there's any accumulating water in your basement. When you go outside, either use mosquito repellant or make sure you cover your bare skin area with long sleeves and long pants." (19 sec.)

ONE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT SOME OF THE MAJOR OUTBREAKS OF WEST NILE VIRUS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DROUGHTS OF TWO MONTHS OR LONGER.
Komar: "In some areas, droughts actually cause mosquito outbreaks. So areas around running streams that normally weren't particularly good for mosquito breeding become standing pools of water that are great for mosquito breeding." (14 sec.)

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