State reports of West Nile virus are down sharply this year with only nine confirmed cases and no deaths.
Last year in Oklahoma, there were 107 cases of the mosquito-borne virus; eight were fatal.
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Oklahoma public health authorities said weather is the likely reason for the good news.
"What we do know is that the 2008 West Nile virus season is turning out to be almost the polar opposite of what Oklahoma experienced in 2007,” state epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley said Monday.
Last year, Oklahoma had heavy rains and flooding in some areas in June and July, then a drying-out period. That was the right mix of weather ingredients for the worst season of the virus for human illness and death since the virus entered Oklahoma in 2002, Bradley said. This year has been different.
"During August we experienced a lot of rainfall and this appeared to suppress the virus spread that normally accelerates in that month,” Bradley said.
Bradley said most cases this year have been milder West Nile fever instead of life-threatening West Nile encephalitis.
Officials warn people to protect themselves from mosquitoes, especially in the morning and evening.
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KEY FACTS
West Nile
→WHEN: The West Nile season lasts until November. Most West Nile infections are reported in August and September.
→WHO: People 50 and older or with chronic health problems have more trouble fighting off the virus if they are bitten and infected.
→HOW IT SPREADS: Mosquitoes often pick up the virus from birds they bite and then spread it to people.
→SYMPTOMS: About one in five infected people get sick. One in 150 victims will develop severe symptoms including neck stiffness, disorientation, coma and paralysis.
→FIRST CASE: West Nile virus was first reported in the United States in 1999 in New York. The virus then gradually spread across the country.
What you can do
→Stay indoors, especially between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are more likely to bite.
→Drain standing water from buckets, cans, pool covers, and flowerpots.
→Use insect repellent on exposed skin and clothing when you go outdoors. Insect repellents that contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus provide the best protection against mosquito bites.
Source: State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley.
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Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.