West Nile virus legislation recently signed by the governor
would require San Benito County
– one of the few counties in the state without a vector control
board – to ask neighboring counties for help if an outbreak were to
occur.
West Nile virus legislation recently signed by the governor would require San Benito County – one of the few counties in the state without a vector control board – to ask neighboring counties for help if an outbreak were to occur.
“The bill is intended to ensure that the appropriate lines of communication are in place and that agencies with the expertise in providing consultation give that to counties without the expertise,” said Vicki Kramer, chief of the Vector Born Disease Section of the California Department of Health Services.
San Benito County is one of the few counties in the state without an organized vector control board, and the legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would mandate that it consult with an agency with a cooperative agreement with DHS, or with DHS directly, Kramer said.
“You could consult with any of the surrounding counties,” she said. “The four counties near you all have good vector control boards.”
When there are a high number of West Nile cases relative to the population, it is considered an outbreak that meets the legislation’s threshold, Kramer said.
San Benito County formed a task force earlier this month to discuss ways to combat the spread of the virus.
“It sounds like good legislation,” said County Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich, a member of the task force. “But it is probably what we’d do anyway if an outbreak occurred.”
Margie Riopel, director of emergency services in the county, is part of the task force and shares Matulich’s positive opinion of the bill.
“Hopefully there’s money attached to this,” she said. “It takes a certain amount of resources to get things done.”
West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes and is spread through humans and animals, mostly birds and horses.
It causes illness in about 15 percent of those who contract it, many of the cases mild with flu-like symptoms. Less than 1 percent of the cases lead to serious complications and death.
The virus entered the country in 1999 from areas of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and was first detected in New York City. It has since spread westward across the nation.
“According to all the experts, West Nile virus has the potential to hit hard in California when mosquito season starts later this year,” the bill’s sponsor, Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg, said in a statement. “Given this threat, I’m concerned that many cities and counties in California do not have organized mosquito control to manage this problem.”
How much of a threat the virus is to the county is yet to be seen, Matulich said. The fact that the county experienced a short rainy season this year could help curb an outbreak, since many of the cases result from standing pools of water, he said.
“We may never have a problem or it may hit us pretty hard,” Matulich said. “The main thing is to get horses vaccinated against it and take precautions.”
Eliminating breeding grounds for mosquitoes by disposing of pools of water in old tires, tin cans or flower pots, and cleaning out clogged rain gutters are all good prevention techniques, he said.
The task force, which is also comprised of Dr. Elizabeth Falade, the county’s lead health official, Environmental Health Director Bob Shingai and County Administrative Officer Terrence May, will meet again in early June to discuss recommendations for the Board of Supervisors later that month, Matulich said.
“We’re getting a lot of ideas and what’s available for the county,” he said. “There has been some contact with North Monterey County (vector control) district to discuss contracting with them.”
