O.C. Man Is State’s First W. Nile Death

A 57-year-old Orange County man is the first person in California to die of West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease that is spreading through the state, health officials announced Thursday.

Authorities also revealed that the virus has appeared in eight more California counties during the past few weeks, bringing the total to 16. They expect that the disease, which is transmitted from birds to humans by mosquitoes, will soon reach all corners of the state.

“We are in for a significant West Nile virus season. We need to take the risk very seriously,” said Dr. Richard J. Jackson, California’s public health officer. “I would be surprised if this is the last death in the state.”

Orange County officials said the Fullerton man was admitted to a hospital June 17 with symptoms of encephalitis -- swelling of the brain -- and died a week later. Tests confirming that he had West Nile virus -- the first discovered in the county -- were completed Wednesday.

Dr. Mark B. Horton, deputy director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, said the man had preexisting medical problems that made him vulnerable to the most serious complications of the virus. Most people are unaffected by the infection.

Carolyn Cavecche, an Orange councilwoman who is a member of the Orange County Vector Control District board, said district officials reported that the man was from Fullerton. Authorities citing patient confidentiality declined to discuss details about the man or his medical history.

“It was inevitable that there would be human victims of West Nile virus, but the death of someone is something that is not easy to accept,” said Gerard Goedhart, manager of the Vector Control District.

Howard Sutter, a spokesman for the Orange County Health Care Agency, said officials have not notified the victim’s neighbors and are unlikely to unless a cluster of cases occurs in that neighborhood. Health officials are relying on general warnings to the public about West Nile.

So far, 35 people have been infected in California. Except for the Orange County case, all have been reported in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The virus also has been found in 980 dead birds, 30 horses, 171 mosquito-breeding areas and 75 chickens set out by health officials to test for the virus.

This week, Nevada officials confirmed the state’s first case: An infected dead crow was found in Carson City. And Thursday, health officers said, preliminary tests showed a person might be infected.

The disease was first detected in the United States five years ago in New York City. In 2003 and 2004, figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show more than 10,000 human cases have been reported in 46 states; about 270 have died. One of the worst outbreaks was in Colorado last year, when nearly 2,000 cases were detected.

Most people who become infected with West Nile virus do not experience symptoms or become ill. About 15% to 20% may develop mild headaches, fever and body aches within 10 days to two weeks of infection. Health officials say about one in 150 victims will experience the most serious complications, such as encephalitis and viral meningitis, an inflammation of membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Anyone with high fever, confusion, muscle weakness, severe headaches or neck stiffness should seek medical care immediately. People most susceptible to West Nile infection are older than 50 or have weakened immune systems.

Because there are no known antidotes or vaccines for humans to fight the infection, Jackson said, physicians can only treat the symptoms as the disease runs its course.

Health officials said Thursday that the state’s first West Nile death underscores the need for government and the general public to take all necessary precautions against infection.

Such measures include eliminating standing water where mosquitoes can breed, using insect repellent that contains DEET, and limiting outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.

People should contact the state Department of Health Services whenever they find crows, ravens, magpies or jays that have been dead for less then 48 hours. Infected birds carry the virus and transmit it to mosquitoes. The toll-free hotline is (877) 968-2473, or WNV-BIRD.

“Do not panic,” Goedhart said. “Be concerned and educated about the virus, and use common sense when going about your normal activities.”

Goedhart estimated that the Vector Control District has spent about $590,000 to control the virus, including mosquito-abatement programs.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has requested $977,000 in additional state funds to pay for monitoring and mosquito-control programs. Also on Thursday, state Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) said he has introduced legislation to create a temporary half-cent sales tax increase that might raise about $10 million for mosquito-abatement efforts.

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Times staff writers Stuart Pfeifer and David Haldane contributed to this report.