- LARAMIE, Wyoming (CNN) --
State authorities are reporting what could be the first official cases
of the West Nile virus in Colorado and Wyoming.
In Wyoming, a horse from eastern Goshen County near the Nebraska border
died of encephalitis, said Terry Creekmore, West Nile virus project coordinator
for the Wyoming Department of Health.
In Denver, the virus was detected in the blood of two horses and a dead
crow from Weld County and one horse from Pueblo County, according to the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not officially confirmed
the cases.
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- "This is not a cause to panic," said Dr. Brent
Sherard, Wyoming health officer. "We've been preparing for the arrival
since last summer, and we're working at the state and local level to educate
the public and providers to protect the health of our citizens."
Encephalitis and meningitis are rare, but potentially fatal, symptoms of
the infection.
John Pape, an epidemiologist with the Colorado health department, called
the detection the first among animals in his state. Two horses died, and
a third is recovering.
No human cases were reported in either state.
On Saturday, federal officials confirmed two more deaths from virus, bringing
the national toll to 11, eight of them in Louisiana. Nationwide, there
are 251 confirmed or probable cases of the disease in people, the CDC said.
People in areas where the virus is present are urged to wear long-sleeve
shirts and long pants and to use insect repellent containing the chemical
DEET.
Before cool weather stops this year's epidemic, about 1,000 people could
become sick with the disease, and about 100 of them are likely to die,
a CDC official said last week.
West Nile virus was first reported in New York in 1999. Since then, the
federal health agency has confirmed finding the virus in animals in 37
states and the District of Columbia.
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