Public health officials in Greater Cincinnati are on the alert for the presence of West Nile virus after a blue jay tested positive for the disease in Warren County earlier this month.

        A mosquito pool also tested positive for the virus in Cuyahoga County last week, said Kristopher Weiss, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health.

        But, experts say, it's a long leap for the virus to travel from birds to mosquitoes to humans. No human cases of West Nile virus have been found in the Tristate.

        “My message right now is that the risk is very low, but we're watching for it,” says Tim Ingram, Hamilton County health commissioner.

        Fourteen health departments in greater Cincinnati have teamed to test mosquitoes and birds for West Nile virus and to educate residents on mosquito abatement in an effort called SWARM, the South West Area Regional Mosquito Task Force.

        Experts gave the Enquirer answers to frequently asked questions — information people need to know regarding the virus.

        Question: What is West Nile virus?

Answer: It's a mosquito-borne virus of the Flaviviridae family, which includes the viruses that cause Japanese, St. Louis and Murray Valley encephalitis. West Nile virus can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

        Q. Is it fatal?

        A: Sometimes. From 1999 through the end of 2001, 149 human cases of West Nile virus illness were reported, including 18 fatalities. Most of the fatalities were older adults, according to the CDC.

        Q: How is West Nile virus spread?

        A: The basic transmission cycle runs from bird to mosquitoes to people and other vertebrates, according to the CDC. Mosquitoes get it from feeding on infected birds and then transmit it while feeding on people or other animals.

        Q: Can I get West Nile virus from infected people or animals?

        A: The virus is not transmitted from person to person, and there's no evidence that it can be transmitted from birds, horses, ticks or other animals to people.

        Q: How likely am I or my loved ones to be infected with it?

        A. Not very, says Steven Divine, environmental health manager for the Northern Kentucky Independent Health District. Even in areas where birds are known to carry the virus, fewer than 1 percent of mosquitoes contract the virus. From there, fewer than 1 percent of people bitten by infected mosquitoes become ill from West Nile virus infection.

        Q: What's the treatment for infection with West Nile virus?

        A: There isn't a specific therapy. Treatment focuses on supportive care, including hospitalization, intravenous fluids, keeping the airway open and using a ventilator, if necessary, prevention and treatment of secondary infections (pneumonia, etc.) and good nursing care.

        Q: What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?

        A: Contact your doctor if you have symptoms including high fever, fatigue, muscle ache, confusion and severe headache and tell him or her if you've been bitten by a mosquito.

        Q: Is there a vaccine for West Nile virus?

        A: There's a vaccine to prevent horses, who are very vulnerable to the virus, from getting it. A vaccine for humans has been tested in lab animals and human trials are expected to begin later this year, according to experts at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

        Q: How do public health officials know the virus is present in this area?

        A: By collecting blood samples from dead birds and mosquitoes and testing for it, says Chris Eddy, director of environmental health for the Hamilton County General Health District. Residents in greater Cincinnati are asked to contact their local health department if they find a dead crow or blue jay — the two birds best-known to harbor the virus — so the carcass can be tested for the virus. In addition, health officials are also trapping mosquitoes for testing. Mosquitoes are a better indicator of how strong the virus's presence is in a given area, because birds can migrate long distances, but mosquitoes don't.

        Q: What's being done to prevent the spread of the virus?

        A: The best way to keep West Nile virus at a low level is to get rid of mosquitoes, says Mr. Eddy. That means getting rid of standing water in pools, puddles, planters, gutters and other sites in the environment where mosquitoes breed. Health officials are asking homeowners to keep their property free of standing water and to report problems at abandoned buildings, construction sites, etc.

        Q: What can I do to keep my family safe?

        A: Again, get rid of standing water on your property. And reduce your exposure to mosquitoes: Stay indoors from dusk til dawn, wear long sleeves, pants and socks and use repellant to keep the little bloodsuckers away.

        Q: Is West Nile virus the only reason I should worry about mosquitoes?

        A: Not by a long shot. Mosquitoes can transmit several types of encephalitis, and (in other regions) are carriers of dengue fever, malaria and yellow fever, as well as heartworm.

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