Zero Cases of West Nile in San Gabriel Valley: Could a Bad Economy Change That?

Though the West Nile virus has once again turned up in dead animals found in the San Gabriel Valley, no human cases of the disease have been reported in the region this year, vector control officials said this week.

Former City Councilman Dan Kirby, now Monrovia's representative at the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, told the City Council that the valley has steered clear of West Nile. So far.

"The great thing to talk about today is in 2010, ... so far we have not had one human case of West Nile in the San Gabriel Valley," Kirby said during the Oct. 19 council meeting.

The virus has been found in dead animals, however. In August, a dead bird in La Puente tested positive for the virus, as did a chicken in Claremont. The virus has also been detected this year in Covina, West Covina and Glendora, according to a vector control district report.

Kirby said that cases of West Nile have been low so far this year because of favorable weather conditions that did not aid in the breeding of mosquitoes.

But the risk of West Nile remains high because of the poor economy, he said. Standing water in abandoned homes and swimming pools has created more potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which transmit the disease to humans.

"With the economy, this has become and increasing problem," Kirby said.

The vector control district completed its annual helicopter flyover patrol this summer and discovered 528 stagnant swimming pools, more than any other prior year, according to a district report.

Kirby reminded residents to empty out any standing water on their property to limit the breeding of mosquitoes.

Common symptoms of West Nile include fever, headache and fatigue, but about 80 percent of people who contract the disease do not have any symptoms whatsoever, Kirby said.

A small percentage of those who do suffer symptoms can develop more serious problems, Kirby said. In those people, the virus can cause brain disease, infection of the nervous system, paralysis or the loss of motor function.