2 metro Detroit blood donors test positive for West Nile virus

Two blood donors — one each in Oakland and Wayne counties — have tested positive for the West Nile virus. An additional person in Wayne County also is suspected to have the virus, Michigan health officials said Thursday.

The American Red Cross consistently tests blood donations for a wide variety of infectious diseases, including mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus.  

West Nile produces no symptoms at all in 70% to 80% of people who contract it, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. About 1 in 5 people will develop mild symptoms, such as a fever with headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.

Severe neurological illnesses, such as encephalitis or meningitis, occur in less than 1% of people with West Nile virus. Symptoms of neurological involvement can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures, or paralysis.

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People older than 50 are more likely to develop the more severe symptoms from the virus, as are people with medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants.

About 10% of people who develop neurological symptoms from West Nile virus will die, the MDHHS reports.

The virus first appeared in Michigan in 2002, and the state has seen outbreaks of West Nile every summer since then. It is now the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

In 2018, West Nile virus sickened 102 Michigan residents and two visitors; nine people died. It was the biggest outbreak since 2012, when there were 202 cases in Michigan and 17 deaths, according to the MDHHS.

The metro Detroit area, which includes Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, and Kent County in western Michigan have historically seen the most West Nile virus activity in the state, the MDHHS reports. 

The best way to avoid a West Nile infection is to avoid mosquito bites. Those who are most at risk of infection are people who work outside or participate in outdoor activities because they are more likely to be exposed to mosquitoes.

“Mosquitoes are present until temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees,” said Leigh-Anne Stafford, health officer for the Oakland County Health Division, in a statement. “Continue to use insect repellent and take preventive measures to prevent disease and avoid mosquito bites.”

To avoid mosquito bites, state health officials recommend: 

• Using a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucaplyptus or para-methane-diol as the active ingredient. 
• Eliminating mosquito-breeding sites by removing standing water around your home by doing such things as dumping water that collects in tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, pet bowls, flowerpots and trash containers. It's also a good idea to clean clogged roof gutters, particularly if leaves tend to plug up the drains. 
• Treating standing water that cannot be emptied, such as retention ponds or drainage ditches, with a mosquito larvicide. Mosquito larvicide is easy to use and can be purchased at most home improvement stores.
• Wearing protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and pants.
• Limiting outdoor activity from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Repairing holes in window and door screens.  
• Repair failed septic systems.
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors.
• Keep grass cut short and shrubbery trimmed.
• Flush ornamental fountains and birdbaths periodically; aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with predatory fish.

Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.