Chatham County reports two human West Nile cases; health officials urge vigilance

Chatham County officials told the Board of Commissioners that two human cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed in the county and urged residents to take basic precautions.

Dr. Ruston of the Coastal Health District said the cases were reported to the health department and emphasized that most infections are mild: "About 80 percent of people who get West Nile won't have any symptoms," he said, while noting a small number of people can develop severe neurologic illness. He added there is no vaccine for West Nile and treatment is supportive. Terry Carlson, director of mosquito control, described county surveillance and control measures, including larviciding of storm drains and trap monitoring. Carlson said the program treats about "9,500 to 10,000 catch basins a year" and advised homeowners to "tip and toss" small containers that hold water to reduce mosquito breeding.

County staff also described the county's public-notification systems for aerial adulticide missions: residents can sign up for reverse-911 alerts and the county runs a MyChatham app service-request queue for targeted responses. When asked by Commissioner Anthony Wayne Noah where cases were located, Dr. Ruston said he could not disclose specific human-case locations for privacy reasons but referred commissioners to surveillance maps and summarized that West Nile is endemic in the area and circulating now, which warrants increased vigilance rather than alarm.

The health department recommended that people especially over age 65 and those with chronic medical conditions avoid peak mosquito hours (dusk and dawn), use EPA-registered repellents and repair screens and doors. Mosquito-control staff said they expect a possible late-season increase in mosquito activity and described an equipment upgrade plan for aerial operations intended to maintain safety and effectiveness.