West Nile Virus-Infected Mosquitoes Found on AU Campus; Public Urged to Minimize Exposure

AUBURN, Ala. — Surveillance teams have discovered mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus (WNV) on the Auburn University campus, an AU entomologist said today.

“We began our West Nile campus surveillance program the first week of May and first detected the virus in mosquito collections on July 14,” entomology professor Gary Mullen said. “Since then, five additional collections of mosquitoes have tested positive for WNV, indicating active transmission of this virus among mosquitoes and birds in the local area.”

And with the recent heavy rains, Mullen said, the mosquito population likely will be increasing in the coming weeks.

The campus surveillance is conducted primarily along the south side, along South Donahue, near the Wire Road-Shug Jordan Parkway intersection and at the AU Horse Unit on Wire Road, across from AU College of Veterinary Medicine. Mullen said all of the WNV-positive mosquitoes his research team has identified have been the Southern house mosquito. Known scientifically as Culex quinqefasciatus, the Southern house mosquito is a common backyard pest that breeds in standing polluted water, bites primarily at night and is limited to a short flight range.

Detection of WNV does not mean the public should be alarmed, Mullen said.

“The good news is that, even under epidemic conditions, only 20 to 30 percent of individuals infected with WNV from a mosquito bite develop apparent symptoms, generally nothing more than a low fever,” Mullen said, adding that only one in 150 cases of infection results in severe neurological disease.

Mullen's advice is area residents, incoming students and campus visitors take appropriate precautions to avoid, or minimize, mosquito bites, such as wearing insect repellent that contains DEET; wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors; and avoiding outdoor activities in the pre-dawn and early evening hours. Residents should take steps to mosquito-proof their homes and property, such as by installing or repairing screens and eliminating standing water, where mosquitoes breed.

This is the fourth consecutive year in which Mullen's research group has been involved in the national surveillance program, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered through the Alabama Department of Public Health, to detect and monitor mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses in the U.S. West Nile virus activity was first detected in Alabama in 2001, with the peak year for activity in terms of dead birds and human and horse cases in Alabama following in 2002. Last year, a significantly lower number of cases were reported in Alabama.

The West Nile virus “season,” Mullen said, typically starts in July and runs through October. He said he expects the level of virus transmission to increase in the coming weeks.

West Nile is a mosquito-borne virus that causes ailments ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to a lethal inflammation of the spinal cord and brain. It typically affects horses, humans and a wide range of bird species, though other mammals also have been documented with the virus. The virus is spread by female mosquitoes that contract the virus after feeding on the blood of an infected bird. Ten days to two weeks after a mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected host, the virus can then be transmitted to other birds and mammals.

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Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
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Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu

07/30/04

For immediate release