N.D. Health Department Monitoring For West Nile Cases

The North Dakota Health Department is on watch for disease-carrying mosquitoes and are coordinating efforts to monitor for the presence of West Nile virus.

 

 

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The North Dakota Health Department is on watch for disease-carrying mosquitoes and are coordinating efforts to monitor for the presence of West Nile virus.

Epidemiologist Michelle Feist said her department looks at veterinary cases in addition to tracking human infections.

"We also look at veterinary cases, meaning if there's any horses that test positive, if there's any birds test positive," said Feist. "Sometimes that can be an early warning if we start seeing West Nile cases in animals, and in horses and birds, that can be an indicator that there's transmission occurring, that there are, in fact, infected mosquitoes out there and that people should be taking precautions."

Last year, four people were sickened by the virus. The state has not had any deaths since 2007, when three people died from West Nile virus.

(AP file photo)

 

Bonnie Amistadi

   

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