It used to be that the toughest part of getting a mosquito bite was trying not to scratch the resulting itch.

But since the West Nile virus was first detected in the United States a decade ago, the once-benign bug bite has claimed four U.S. lives, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

West Nile claimed its first fatality of the year in California this week when a 72-year-old woman succumbed to the disease in Orange County, state public health officials reported.

The second virus-related fatality followed closely and in the same area, with a 64-year-old man's death after being hospitalized. The death was reported Thursday afternoon by the Orange County Health Department.

Meanwhile, a dead crow tested positive for West Nile Wednesday in the Santa Barbara area, the first indication that the virus is active locally, Santa Barbara County officials said.

“It's always good to be aware about the time of year when mosquitos are most active,” said Michele Mickiewicz of the county Public Health Department.

The virus is spread from birds to mosquitos at the time of the bite. The insects then transfer it through their salivary glands when they bite another victim, human or otherwise.

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Chris Pankau, DVM, who owns a large-animal veterinary practice in Los Olivos said that all of his horses get vaccinated for the virus. Pankau is also on the board for the Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara and said that the since the Valley is in a special district, voters would have to approve analyzing or testing for the virus here.

“We would like to t would take someone having a flock of chickens near a water source, and then testing their blood to see if any of them come down with the virus, however this process has to be voter approved,” Pankau said.

Pankau believes the horse population in the Valley is safe for the most part, but people need to take the precaution and vaccinate them.

“It's a two-series shot, and then another shot annually to ensure horses don't come down with the virus. People on the other hand are more susceptible because we have no vaccinations,” Pankau said.

Most people who are bitten by a carrier mosquito do not exhibit any symptoms. Those who do get sick typically have only mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body ache and a skin rash.

But the worst-case scenario is West Nile encephalitis and West Nile meningitis, forms of severe disease that affect a person's nervous system, according to the CDC.

Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord.

Although there has only been one fatality in California this year, there have been 70 cases of encephalitis or meningitis, the CDC reported.

California officials reported last week that more mosquitos have tested positive for the virus in the state than any previous week, and California has the most reported human cases this year in the nation, the CDC reported.

There had been no West Nile activity in San Luis Obispo County as of Thursday.

About one in 150 people infected with West Nile virus will develop a severe illness such as encephalitis or meningitis, while 80 percent never show any symptoms at all, the CDC reported.

Individuals 50 years of age or older run a higher risk of getting sick, and are more likely to develop serious West Nile virus symptoms.

Symptoms would develop within 14 days of being bitten, but once infected the body builds up immunity to the virus, according to Ann McDowell, an epidemiologist with the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.

Mosquitos can breed in a teaspoon of water, so the easiest precaution is to clean your yard of all standing water, McDowell said.

If you have a horse trough or man-made pond, local government agencies in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties offer mosquito fish that efficiently dispose of mosquito larvae.

In August and September, dawn and dusk are the times when mosquitos are most active. To protect yourself against the insects, cover your skin and apply insect repellent containing DEET and other EPA-approved active ingredients, according to the CDC.

Sam Womack can be reached at 739-2218 or swomack@santamariatimes.com.

August 30, 2008