State steps up West Nile testing
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
The state Health Department has increased testing of dead birds and increased efforts to control the mosquito population in the wake of a possible case of West Nile virus on Maui.
Remie Gose, senior bioterrorism microbiologist for the state Department of Health, tested RNA acid, a mosquito extract, last night for the West Nile virus at the department's laboratory in Pearl City.
The increased testing will continue until a final determination is made whether a dead bird found near the Maui airport carried the virus, state officials said. The determination from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory in Fort Collins, Colo., is expected late this week or early next week.
To date, the mosquito-borne disease has not been found in Hawai'i, Alaska and Washington.
The mosquito control efforts have focused on spraying over the weekend at Maui airport and throughout the state.
Greg Olmsted, vector control branch chief, said that eliminating adult mosquitoes and larvae in a two-mile radius around airports and harbors is key. That's because the most likely way the disease will enter the state is through an infected mosquito catching a ride on a plane or in a cargo container.
Olmsted said he got word late yesterday that the prevention effort is paying off. He said the most recent round of mosquito traps checks showed a 57 percent reduction in the number of adult mosquitoes in September. "We're happy with that," he said.
Mosquitoes pass the virus along to birds and humans.
Olmsted said the state is now making a second round through that two-mile radius at Honolulu International Airport and expects to repeat the process every two to three weeks. Spraying also will continue at the Maui airport.
Rebecca Sciulli, head of the state lab's bioterrorism preparedness section, said the lab got the preliminary positive result on the dead bird Friday after testing samples from 40 birds collected on Maui.
Sciulli said the wild house sparrow was the only bird that tested positive for the disease at the Pearl City lab. She said the lab normally tests 20 to 40 bird samples a week but asked for and received additional samples after they got the sparrow results — all of which were negative.
She said the department also may take samples from horses, which also are susceptible to the virus.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
The former director of the Fort Collins, Colo., CDC lab — Dr. Duane Gubler — now is with the University of Hawai'i, where he serves as director of the new Asia-Pacific Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease.
Dead mosquitoes being prepared for testing.
Gubler said the initial test done on the suspect sparrow is "highly questionable" because it tends to flag a number of viruses, not just West Nile. "The test that's being conducted in Colorado is a definitive one," he said.
He said stepped-up surveillance is likely to continue no matter what the test results are for at least a couple of months, until colder weather ends the mosquito season on the Mainland.
He said the public can help by eliminating mosquitoes and reporting dead birds. Gubler said six years' experience on the Mainland convinced him that dead bird surveillance was the best way to track the disease.
Gov. Linda Lingle said officials are awaiting test results on the bird before deciding what the best course of action will be for the state.
"It's a major issue," Lingle said. "How much do we spray? Is it one area, one island or the whole state? We're still waiting to find out."
Llelwyn Grant, spokesperson for CDC, said the tests use samples of the bird's kidney, brain or heart.
Grant said the state lab has the capability to do the test but the federal lab provides the initial testing. "When a state has reported its first case of West Nile Virus, the CDC likes to be part of that confirmation process."
As of the latest report Friday, the CDC reported a total of 1,657 human West Nile virus cases with 53 deaths.
Advertiser Staff Writer Mike Leidemann contributed to this report. Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
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State officials are asking residents to watch for dead birds as a possible indicator that West Nile virus is spreading in Hawai'i. And they are urging people to try to kill mosquitoes and avoid getting bitten. • Information on dead bird collection and details on locations is available by calling 211, the Aloha United Way information line, or at www.hawaii.gov/health. • People who find birds that appear to have died within 48 hours can drop them off seven days a week, 24 hours a day, at the Hawaiian Humane Society, 2700 Wai'alae Ave. • People may also take birds to the state Health Department Vector Control Laboratory, 99-945 Halawa Valley St., 'Aiea, weekdays 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or to the main offices at the following district or regional parks: Kapi'olani, Kualoa, Waialua, Wai'anae, Waimanalo and Waipahu. • Officials also ask the public's help in getting rid of standing water that may breed mosquitoes. They suggest people work to eliminate mosquitoes by fixing leaky faucets, cleaning gutters and flushing out plants that hold water. People can also avoid going out at dawn or dusk, wear repellent containing DEET and protective clothing if they will be outdoors where mosquitoes are likely to be. Source: State Health Department
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