Posted on 09/26/2002 4:31:27 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
As the waterfowl season continues to roll out with Saturday’s duck opener, hunters have more to worry about than filling a limit; that much is certain. The extent to which hunters should worry about West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness, is less clear. "I can say that we don’t know," said Emi Saito, West Nile surveillance coordinator at the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) in Madison, Wisconsin. "But the risk to them isn’t all that great." West Nile virus causes flu-like symptoms in mild cases. At its worst, it can cause inflammation of the brain. People over 50 have the highest risk of severe cases. According to the NWHC, mallards, wood ducks, ruffed grouse, Canadian geese, wild turkeys and ring-necked pheasants have all tested positive for the virus. At this point, none of the infected game birds were from Minnesota, according to the state Health Department. Likewise, the local Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conservation officer doesn’t believe hunters should take the field in fear. "I don’t think it’s as big a concern as we initially thought," said Mike Shelden, who has fielded more questions and concerns about Chronic Wasting Disease than West Nile. The recent frost and cold temperatures have killed most of the mosquitoes, which carry the virus. A mosquito bite is the most likely means of human exposure, Saito said. It’s also possible the disease could be transferred from an animal or bird’s blood to a cut on a hunter’s hand or arm. Due to the large number of unknowns about West Nile, the DNR and other agencies like the NWHC are urging hunters to wear rubber gloves when cleaning game. "That’s something very foreign to most hunters," Shelden said. "But they will provide that barrier and prevent the virus from transferring to you." The risk of eating an infected bird probably isn’t great either, provided proper precautions are taken. "We honestly don’t have the true answer to that question, but as long as the meat is cooked thoroughly they should be OK," Saito said. Heat kills the virus, wildlife officials said. This year, 2,121 confirmed human cases of West Nile across the nation have resulted in 104 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the Minnesota Health Department, there have been 19 human cases of the virus in Minnesota, including one in each Grant and Stearns County. No deaths have been linked to the disease. The total number of infected horses in the state currently stands at 639, including 12 in Douglas County. In Minnesota, 286 birds have tested positive. None in Douglas County have tested positive. West Nile vaccine According to a Wednesday Star Tribune report, a vaccine to protect the elderly from the virus could be ready in about three years. Also, a method of testing the blood supply for the infection might be ready by next summer.
It’s also possible the disease could be transferred from an animal or bird’s blood to a cut on a hunter’s hand or arm.
Due to the large number of unknowns about West Nile, the DNR and other agencies like the NWHC are urging hunters to wear rubber gloves when cleaning game.
"That’s something very foreign to most hunters," Shelden said. "But they will provide that barrier and prevent the virus from transferring to you."
Happy Hunting :-) Bring Yur Rubber Gloves.
either by the enemy or by us, you decide...
why else would what is being called nothing be tracked so vigorously??
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