SINCE THE OUTBREAK of West Nile Virus (WNV) in Louisiana and the confirmation of the first equine and human cases of the disease in the summer of 2002, Mo Saif's telephone has been ringing a lot more than usual.

Chair of OARDC's Food Animal Health Research Program, Saif has been educating concerned citizens and the media about the deadly virus, which was first reported in the United States in 1999.

"West Nile is not the kind of disease that we're going to get rid of," pointed out Saif, who has been actively involved in Ohio's WNV Workgroup. "We are watching closely the development of the virus in the country and in Ohio and taking the necessary steps to minimize its impact."

Since its creation in 2000, the WNV Workgroup has been identifying disease activity in mosquitoes and animals, eliminating mosquito breeding grounds, spraying for larvae and adult mosquitoes and implementing educational campaigns.

In Ohio, West Nile was first identified in 2001 in a blue jay collected in Lake County. Since then, the virus has spread throughout the state, infecting numerous wild birds and some 350 horses, 40 percent of which died or were euthanized. Five human cases had been confirmed by Sept. 30, with 11 probable WNV cases resulting in death.

According to Saif, the late-summer outbreak of the virus in Illinois — which resulted in 29 human fatalities, raising the number of deaths in the country to nearly 100 — is proof the disease can strike anywhere, anytime.

"There's no reason to panic," Saif said. "But, people should also know that prevention is the only way to fight West Nile Virus."

For updates on WNV activity in Ohio, contact the Ohio Department of Health at (866) 634-2968 or visit http://prevmed.vet.ohio-state.edu and http://www.odh.state.oh.us/ODHPrograms/ZOODIS/WNV/wnvupdate.htm.