West Nile virus has been detected in a horse in Schuylkill County on Oct. 4, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection on Friday.
According to DEP's West Nile virus website at www.westnile.state.pa.us, it is the first animal case reported in Schuylkill County. Amanda Witman, spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Protection, said DEP does not identify the municipality where the animal infected with the virus is found to protect the privacy of the owner.
According to the Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Bureau, horses are one of the animals most vulnerable to the virus. While most infected horses recover, there have been reported deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Veterinary positives are not a good indicator of the propriety of West Nile," Witman said Friday. "While it's obviously important to keep tabs on the virus in animals and birds, we don't gauge the severity of the cases. They're a factor, but the primary driving force behind severity is the number of infected mosquitoes."
According to the website, 19 mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Schuylkill County. Municipalities and the number of mosquitoes infected with the virus found there are: Minersville, one; Ringtown, two; North Manheim Township, one; Pine Grove Township, four; West Brunswick Township, two; Cressona, three; Schuylkill Haven, two; Tamaqua, one; Mahanoy Township, two; and West Mahanoy Township, one.
DEP issued a press release Thursday comparing Pennsylvania's West Nile virus with the rest of the country. According to DEP, Pennsylvania ranks 28th in the country with 25 human cases; third in veterinary samples with 47; second in infected mosquito samples with 3,409; and third in infected bird samples with 134.
"This year, the numbers exceeded the highs from years before, not just for mosquitoes but for avian and animal numbers collected as well," Witman said. "We are ready should there be any circumstances requiring additional control, but we do not anticipate that in the foreseeable future with temperatures beginning to drop."
There has been one death related to the virus in Pennsylvania, according to the CDC as of Tuesday. The first case of the virus in Pennsylvania this year was detected in a mosquito May 3 in Exeter Township.
Nationally, 4,249 cases have been identified, resulting in 168 associated deaths, as of Tuesday.
There have been no human cases of the virus in Schuylkill County so far this year. The last human case in the county was in 2003.
According to the CDC, West Nile virus causes flu-like symptoms and can result in encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Actions to prevent spreading the disease include eliminating standing water, wearing light-colored clothing and using insect repellent, which can help reduce exposure to the mosquitoes that carry the virus.