Although two cases of West Nile virus have been reported in two nearby counties, officials say the disease has not been spotted in either humans or mosquitoes in Liberty County.

Throughout the Georgia coast, mosquito populations have been testing positive for the virus for weeks, according to Coastal Health District spokeswoman Sally Silbermann.

“We know West Nile is out there in mosquitoes, and it’s been detected in other parts of the state,” Silbermann said. “Now the thing to do is try and prevent.”

Last week, the health department confirmed human infections of the virus, which has symptoms similar to the flu, in Chatham and Glynn counties.

But Assistant County Administrator Bob Sprinkel said he wants to assure people that the county has stepped up its efforts to trap and test mosquitoes, and so far, none of the populations within the county have shown indications of the virus.

He also said Liberty County Mosquito Control Director Jack Vereen reports that he has not found any samples with the species of mosquito that carry the virus.

“Not every species carries that virus,” Sprinkel said.

Those that do are found more frequently in storm drains and sewer lines, which are both in smaller supply here than they are in Chatham County.

Still, Vereen and his team spray parts of Liberty County on a weekly rotation to keep mosquito populations under control.
They also trap mosquito samples, separate them by sex and species and pack them in dry ice to be sent to the University of Georgia labs for analysis, Sprinkel said.

“They’ve stepped up their inspections of standing water just to be sure,” he said. “They’re testing more, sending more off to make sure that we haven’t had any developments.”

One coastal resident, Otis Amason, isn’t so trusting about the situation.

“I’m rather sensitive to mosquito-borne diseases,” he said.

Amason, 82, contracted malaria twice while stationed in Korea as an Army infantry soldier from 1952-53. 

“You’d go out there patrolling the rice paddies at night and you wait on somebody to come by, and the mosquitoes come and you can’t slap them off because it gives away your position,” he said. “All you can do is swat them away.”

Though he survived the disease twice and has endured much more in combat, the veteran now is afraid of the risks that the disease poses.

Amason said the county’s mosquito-fighting efforts were more successful when the area was sprayed from above.

“If you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, they’re really not putting enough spray out when they get out on the road,” he said.

Amason also said the current system of delivering insecticide by trucks is not effective enough to cover the county’s more rural areas, and he added that the delivery method simply pushes the bugs out of the marsh near his home and onto his property.

“I don’t think that they’re doing the job,” he said. “I know they came out and said I have some containers with water in them, but I can’t empty anything, and I’m not going to cut the underbrush that deafens the noise from the road.”

“The mosquitoes, I know, are part of our culture here,” the veteran said. “I know you can’t totally eradicate it, but I think that you can do a lot better job than they’re doing. I could use better drainage instead of all these Taj Mahals that they’re building.”

According to the National Institute of Health website, mosquitoes tend to carry the virus in early fall, and the risk of contracting the disease decreases in colder months when mosquitoes die off.

Like many illnesses, the disease can range in severity, Silbermann said. It is most exacerbated in those whose immune systems already are low, such as children, the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

“There are a lot of people who’ve had such mild cases of West Nile virus that they never knew they had it,” Silbermann said.

More severe symptoms include confusion, loss of consciousness, stiff neck and weakness in one arm or leg, according to the National Institute of Health website.

Last week, an 85-year-old Glynn County man, who died on July 31, was found to have a probable West Nile virus infection, according to a statement from Coastal Health District Director Douglas Skelton.

Though laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the virus, the man was hospitalized with meningitis, or swelling of the brain, and was known to have other clinical complications that may have contributed to his death.

Another case in Chatham County was confirmed last week as well.

The virus has not appeared in Liberty County, but officials still encourage residents to take precautionary measures, both at home and when traveling beyond the county lines.

“Dress with appropriate clothing, put on the appropriate mosquito block with DEET in it to protect yourself,” Sprinkel said.

Other precautions include removing standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and avoiding outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, when the bugs are most active, Silbermann said.