West Nile found
on Maui

State officials step up surveillance
after preliminary tests show a bird
caught in Kahului is infected
with the potentially fatal virus

Crews sprayed for mosquitoes at Kahului Airport last night and state health officials said they will step up surveillance after a wild sparrow found at the airport Monday tested positive for West Nile Virus in preliminary results.

Dead birds sought for testing Hawaii health officials want to test dead birds on all islands as a way to watch for the West Nile Virus here. The birds should be whole and recently dead. Birds missing limbs, decomposing or smelling aren't suitable. If you think you have a bird for testing, double bag it in plastic without touching it directly, put it in a cool place and call 211 for instructions on where to take it. People cannot catch West Nile virus from an infected bird. To find out where to drop off dead birds, call 211 or go to http://www.hawaii.gov/health/ family-child-health/contagious -disease/wnv/surveillance/ collection-sites For more information see www.hawaii.gov/health or www.cdc.gov. SOURCES: STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, FEDERAL CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL

If confirmed in further testing, it will be the first West Nile Virus case in Hawaii, one of only three states, along with Alaska and Washington, that has been free of the potentially fatal virus.

A Kahului Airport crew charged with clearing birds from the runway caught the animal alive Monday, officials said yesterday. The bird was one of 20 birds caught that day and handed over to the Health Department, said spokeswoman Janice Okubo.

Early results, completed about 11 a.m. yesterday showed the bird tested positive for West Nile, according to department officials. The department issued a press release at about 4:30 p.m.

Officials are stressing that the results are inconclusive, and samples are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more tests. Final results are expected to take between one to two weeks, said state Health Department epidemiologist Paul Effler.

State health and wildlife officials have said they are particularly concerned about West Nile coming here because the state's temperate climate could allow for year-round transmission of the disease. In addition to its impact on residents, they have warned, the disease could also devastate Hawaii's native bird populations.

Mainland health officials first started to see cases of West Nile in humans five years ago, especially along the East Coast.

This year alone, the disease has killed 53 people nationwide. As of yesterday, 1,657 cases of people contracting the virus have been reported to the CDC, and 662 people have reported getting sick.

Effler said the bird's test result could have been a false positive, as other diseases can trigger a West Nile reading in tests.

But he also said that while the state waits for a second opinion, crews will be working to reduce mosquito populations and keep a look out for residents or animals who show signs of the disease.

"We can't really sit and wait around," Effler said. "Obviously, we plan to heighten the surveillance for West Nile."

Crews started spraying for mosquitoes at Kahului Airport just before midnight. Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said the airport was expected to be cleared at about 11 p.m., after a last incoming flight had landed.

The interior and perimeter of the airport was set to be sprayed, and the work was not expected to affect the airport's 4 a.m. opening today, he said.

Okubo could not say yesterday how far around the airport pesticide would be sprayed, or whether a neighboring residential community would also be targeted. She also did not know when more sprays were planned.

Effler said the Health Department plans to increase its scheduled pesticide sprays, but he did not have more details. He also said Health Department crews will increase their surveillance of mosquito-breeding grounds, and capture more birds statewide for testing.

"There's a real need to work with vector control and the counties," Effler said. "Ultimately, the success lies in removing the source of their (mosquitoes) breeding."

The state's increased efforts to stop a potential spread of the virus was reassuring to Maui residents last night, but some were still concerned.

"The thought of a potential life-threatening virus scares me," said Kahului Airport car rental agent Keahi Mamala, who put on her sweater after hearing news about the West Nile results last night. She also asked her fiance to bring her some mosquito repellent.

Today, she plans to wear pants to keep her legs protected. "I just hope they eliminate the problem before anyone gets hurt," she said.

Paul Russell, a Kahului Airport car rental agency employee, was worried that last night's tradewinds would spell bad news for crews spraying the area around the airport for mosquitoes.

"With all the wind," he said, "it's (the pesticide) going to blow away."

Effler said the Health Department has notified physicians of the recent test results so that they have a "heightened suspicion" and can look for symptoms of the virus in their patients. Veterinarians have also been notified, as West Nile can infect horses and other animals.

Russell Pang, spokesman for the Governor's Office, said last night that tourism officials have also been told about the test results.

He said Marsha Wienert, the state's tourism liaison, "has informed the visitor industry (of the results) so that they can in turn inform their clients as to what is taking place."

"All the airlines, all the hotels," the attractions and the tour companies were among those notified, he said.

Pang declined to talk about the potential impacts of the results on the state's tourism industry. Tourism officials did not return calls for comment last night.

West Nile Virus circulates between mosquitoes and birds. Infected mosquitoes can pass the virus to humans, horses and other animals. However, people cannot get West Nile virus from other infected people, birds or other animals.

Most people who are bitten by a mosquito infected with West Nile show no symptoms of the disease. But some can exhibit flu-like symptoms, which typically last a few days. In rare cases, the virus can be fatal.

Earlier this year, the Health Department kicked off a West Nile awareness campaign, and residents were asked to eliminate any standing water that could turn into a mosquito-breeding ground.

Effler said the Health Department will continue to warn residents about the risk of standing water.

"There are some water puddles that are on public property, there are also those on private property," he said. "The success of controlling something like this is going to depend on the individual resident."