Last month, New Mexico became the 40th state to confirm presence of the West Nile Virus when horses tested positive in several southeastern counties.
Although the disease has only been spotted in horses far away from Albuquerque, UNM and city officials are vigilantly watching for conditions that may cause the virus to spring up here.
Rudy Bueno, UNM part-time instructor and supervisor of the Bio-Disease Management Section of Albuquerque's Environmental Health Department, said that despite its presence in New Mexico, the virus is not expected to be a problem for the city this season.
West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus common in Africa, West Asia and the Middle East. In fatal cases, it can infect the brain as well as the spinal cord. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said mosquitoes, humans and birds are the most common carriers of the disease.
One of the largest concerns for UNM officials is stagnant water on campus because mosquitoes use them as an environment for breeding.
Gary Smith, associate director of UNM's Physical Plant Department Environmental Services, said the Duck Pond should not pose a problem because a number of devices prevent the water from becoming a mosquito-friendly environment.
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The pond contains predatory fish that eat mosquito larva before maturity, Smith said.
Larry Watson, manager of Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Affairs in the UNM Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs Department, said the fountain also prevents mosquitoes from breeding.
"We conduct periodic surveys of all fountains and the pond for mosquito larva and to date have not found any of the sites on the UNM campus to serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes," Smith said.
If mosquito larva were found in an area, Smith said a larvicide that prevents them from digesting food would be used. Other aquatic insects, fish, birds and animals would not be affected by the larvicide.
"Of concern to me as well, is the presence of crows which will be migrating to the local area during late September and October," Bueno said.
City and state public health officials are collecting and testing for the virus in dead crows, ravens and blue jays, as well as in mosquitoes collected once a week near the bosque.
The virus first appeared in the United States in the summer of 1999. While it is not known how the virus arrived in the United States, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspect migrating birds. According to the center, the strain of virus found in the United States is most closely related to strains found in the Middle East.
As of Sept. 15, the center reported 1,438 confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus in 31 states. Sixty-four people have died from the virus.
The center recommends people avoid mosquito bites by wearing proper clothing, using insect repellent and limiting time spent outdoors.
Also, the center recommends that people eliminate sources of standing water in their yards.
Both Bueno and Smith recommend that anyone who finds a dead bird on campus report it to the Physical Plant Department by calling 277-2421.
