Pima County reports first case of West Nile Virus

VIRUS CASE OF THE SEASON.OFFICIALS TELLS KGUN NINE --THE PERSON HAD NOT TRAVELEDOUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.

NINE ONYOUR SIDE'S CIARA ENCINASSHOWS US THE WORK THE COUNTYDOES TO KEEP UP WITH THEMOSQUITO POPULATION.WE SEE THEM AND DWEEFINITELYFEEL THE BITES THEY LEAVEBEHIND.

MOSQUITOES BITES CANLEAD TO ILLNESSES LIKE WESTNILE VIRUS.

THE COUNTY REPORTITS FIRST CASE FRIDAY.

"IT'S ACYCLICAL DISEASE MEANING WE'LLGET SOME YEARS WH ITNO CASESIN SOME CASES WITH QUITE AFEW.

IT REALLY DEPENDS."ANISSA TAYLOR IS ANEPIDEMIOLOGIST FOR THE COUNTYAND SAYS MOST PEOPLE INFECTEDMAY NOT KNOW BECAUSE THEYDON'T SHOW SYMPTOMS BUT FORTHOSE THAT DO "YOU MAY HAVESYMPTOMS LIKE FEVER, HEADACHE,RASH, JOINT PAIN.

IF YOU'RESUSPECTING ANY OF THESESYMPTOMS ARE RELATED TO BEINGBITTEN BY A MOSQUITO, YOU CANCONTACT YOUR DOCTOR FOR ATEST, AND THEN THERE'S OSTHEWHO HAVE SEVERE SYMPTOMS ANDTHAT'S PRETTY RARE." BUT HOWDOES THE COUNTY KEEP UP WITHTHE MOSQUITO POPULATION (NATSOF GRABBING TOOLS) TESTING ANDSURVEILLANCE HAPPENS HERE INTHE COUNTY'S VECTOR LAB.

"IHAVE TWO SAMPLES, I'M IN THEPROCESS OF TESTING FOR WESTNILE RIGHT NOW."RE GGGBUSTAMANTE HAS BEEN WORKINGWITH MOSQUITOS FOR SEVERALYEARS.

HE GOES FROM ZIP- CODETO ZIP CODE TRAPPING THE BUGSTHEN COUNTS THEM.

"BASICALLY,WE SET THEM ON A WHITE PIECEOF PAPER, AND THEN WE PUT THEMON A COLLECTION CUP.

EITHERGLASS OR PLASTIC AND PUT THEMUNDERNEATH THE MICROSCOPE, WEHAVE WHAT'S CALLED ASTEREOSCOPE OR IT'S PLUGGEDINTO A MONITOR, IDENTIFY WHATTYPE THEY COUNT HIM OUT AND GOFROM THERE." HE SAYS SO FARTHIS YEAR THE COUNTY HASCOUNTED FIFTEEN TO TWENTY-THOUSANDOS MQUITOES.

"WE'VEHAD AOT L BECAUSE OF THE RAIN.UNLIKE LAST YEAR WHERE IT WASDRYSTANDING WATER, POOLS THATWERE STAGNANT." STANDING WATERIS WHERE MOSQUITOS BREED IFYOU FI AND BREEDING GROUND YOUCAN CONTACT THE COUNTY IN THEMEANTIME THE COUNTY LEAVESTHIS ADVICE FOR RESIDENTS."THE BEST THING IS TO MAKESURE THAT YOU'RE WEARING LONGSLEEVE CLOTHING WHEN YOU'REOUTDOORS OR DOING OUTDOORACTIVITIES, REDUCING STANDINGWATER." CIARA ENCINAS, KGUN 9ON YOUR SIDE.