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Another West Nile virus case

By EMILY ANTHES
Published August 9, 2005

Health officials confirmed Tuesday that a 57-year-old Pinellas County man has contracted the West Nile virus, making him the county's fourth case this year.

All of the cases have been reported since July 29. They are the first ever in Pinellas County, and the only confirmed cases this year in Florida, according to the state health department.

Though health officials said a fourth case isn't cause for panic, Pinellas County is continuing its heightened mosquito control and disease prevention efforts.

"There's really no reason to be overly alarmed," said Jeannine Mallory, spokeswoman for the Pinellas health department. "What is more appropriate is to be more conscientious."

After the first human case of West Nile was confirmed July 29 in a 27-year-old man, Pinellas county strengthened its mosquito control, sending out trucks and crews to fog and spray for mosquitoes daily. The county continued those efforts when the second and third human cases of the disease - in a 78-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman - were confirmed on August 1.

Though the county's mosquito population has been lower than usual this summer, the fourth case of West Nile means the county is "not backing down" from its heightened approach, said county spokeswoman Maggie Hall.

"Even though the population's low, we're acting as if the population's higher," she said.

The health department will begin a new campaign this week targeting mobile home residents. Insect repellent and literature about West Nile prevention will be distributed to mobile home park managers and residents, county officials said.

Mobile home parks are being targeted because many of their residents are elderly and spend a lot of time outside, putting them at an increased risk of getting the disease, Hall said.

[Last modified August 9, 2005, 19:10:03]