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After an initial report from Health Department personnel that mosquitoes tested positive for the West Nile Virus earlier in May, Dr. Magaña, Director of the City/County Health; indicated that there was a "misunderstanding" and that tests had not yet yielded a positive for the virus.

On Wednesday, responding to a tip, the Upper Valley Beacon contacted the office of Dr. Magaña and asked if there were any press releases on confirmation of mosquitoe with West Nile Virus. The staff member indicated that there were not and we left a message on the voce mail of the Public Information Officer. Shortly there after there was a city wide press release confirming that results coming back from Austin indicated that indeed West Nile Virus was found in a batch of mosquitoes in the Sunland Park, New Mexico area.

The Upper Valley Beacon has been maintaining a vigil to make sure that Upper Valley residents are notified at the earliest possible moment. Confirmation of mosquitoes in other areas of the Upper Valley and El Paso are lacking but it is important to remember that the mosquitoes tested were trapped over two weeks ago on June 13, 2005. That means it has been in the Upper Valley since before that date.

There have been confirmed positive tests for mosquitoes with the West Nile detected in mosquitoes in central New Mexico as well.

As we reported in May 2005 v.2, an estimated 80 % of all human cases have only very mild flu like symptoms if any at all and don’t lead to a doctors visit. Incubation can take from 3-12 days before the effects are more noticable. However, the more serious neuroinvasive diseases and the West Nile Fever are becoming more probable that first thought. Last year of only about 30 cases reported with symptoms in the El Paso area; five persons died as a result.

It is important not to take this for granted and leave your guard down, Dr. Magaña has cautioned.

We will report on whether this press release was not provided in a timely manner and only surfaced after the Upper Valley Beacon called the health department.

More on that and the data relating to the more serious symptoms of West Nile Virus in our next edition.

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Editor, Upper Valley Beacon

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