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9.4.2000 00:10
West Nile virus found
in crow in Coventry
 Spraying is scheduled tomorrow evening in a two-mile radius around where the bird was found.
By MICHAEL SMITH
Journal Staff Writer
COVENTRY
-- The West Nile virus has been detected in a dead crow found in Coventry, marking the fourth time the potentially fatal virus has been discovered in the state since mid-August.
The Department of Environmental Management has ordered spraying of the insecticide Sumithrin within a two-mile radius around where the bird was found. The spraying will be done tomorrow, beginning at 7 p.m., if weather permits.
The crow was found Aug. 27 at the Westwood Estates Mobile Home Park, between Routes 117 and 3. Test results on it came back last night, said Stephanie Powell, DEM spokeswoman.
No humans have contracted West Nile in Rhode Island. Most people who do get it experience flu-like effects and fully recover.
But the virus can cause fatal complications, particularly for people with weak immune systems. One of the more serious complications is encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.
Last year, the first time scientists detected the virus in the United States, encephalitis caused by West Nile killed seven people in the New York City area.
Some New Yorkers have contracted the virus this year, but none of those cases have been fatal.
In the last few weeks, Sumithrin has been sprayed in sections of Warwick, Cranston, Westerly, Middletown and Newport. Birds that tested positive for West Nile were also found in those areas.
Powell said people shouldn't be frightened because the virus is showing up throughout the state. They should continue to wear long sleeves when outdoors at night and wear mosquito repellent.
But "it's here, and you can't assume that just because it hasn't been found in a particular place that it isn't there," Powell said.
So far, the DEM has found no mosquitoes carrying the virus, only birds. American crows are the most common carrier among birds, and the common urban house mosquito among bugs.
The DEM advises people in the spraying area to stay inside for 10 minutes after the spraying is done, and air conditioners should be turned off and windows shut during that time. If you are exposed, you should wash yourself off.
The active ingredient in Sumithrin is also used in pet shampoos, flea sprays and household insect sprays. It is usually not sprayed around bodies of water because it can be lethal to aquatic life.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends that a two-mile radius be sprayed when a bird is found carrying the virus. The spraying doesn't kill all mosquitoes, and is simply meant to reduce the population in the area.
Powell said it wouldn't be useful to simply spray statewide because mosquitoes tend to repopulate quickly.
"It just gets rid of some of the mosquitoes in that particular area at that particular time," she said. "There are always mosquitoes hatching. And it wouldn't be that healthy a thing just to spray the entire state because you're talking about an environmental impact, too."
Coventry residents can get information about ground spraying in their area by calling 821-6400. Residents will hear a message at that number today; it will be answered by staff tomorrow.
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