West Nile turns up in Maricopa County
Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic
Associated Press
Sept. 17, 2003 08:24 PM
A sparrow tested positive for West Nile virus in Maricopa County, the first
confirmation that the virus has reached the county, health officials said
Wednesday.
The sparrow was dropped off by a Chandler resident last Thursday and sent
to Tucson for testing.
The bird was confirmed to have the mosquito-borne disease Wednesday.
The announcement comes after health officials announced Tuesday that the
West Nile virus had been found in mosquitoes in Yavapai and Pima counties
for the first time. State health officials said mosquitoes trapped Aug. 14
between Chino Valley and Paulden tested positive for the virus.
Ten of Arizona's 15 counties have reported the presence of the virus, although
only one human case has been reported. And health officials believe the Graham
County man contracted the disease in Colorado or Wyoming. So far, 3,541 people
across the country have been infected with West Nile virus, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This year is the first that West Nile has been found in Arizona. Arizona
was one of the last states to report the presence of the disease.
About 80 percent of those who are infected will not show symptoms. Most others
will display only mild symptoms, although the disease can be deadly in a
few cases. Overall, the risk of contracting the West Nile virus is minimal,
health officials say.