West Nile Virus

"Even for a disease that moves on wings--of birds and mosquitoes--the West Nile virus is spreading with remarkable speed.  Three years after making its first U.S. appearance, in New York, it has spread to 33 other states.   This year after being largely confined to a thick band of East Coast states, the virus has swept rapidly west, reaching as far as South Dakota and Texas.  Last week it struck with a vengeance in Louisiana, infecting at least 58 residents and killing four--prompting Governor Mike Foster to declare a statewide emergency.

Fortunately, the disease is relatively hard to catch.  Fewer than 1% of humans who are infected actually get sick, and it does not spread from one person to another.  But in a small percentage of cases, particularly, those involving the elderly, it can be fatal.  The virus causes flu-like symptoms within three to 15 days and can lead to a dangerous inflammation of the brain."

From Time, Alice Park, August 12, 2002 v160 i7 p53.

with a vengeance: to an extreme or excessive degree or with great force or vehemence

Teacher's Guide

Lesson Objectives:
                - to learn to reduce mosquito breeding grounds, take precautions against the mosquito-borno disease                     West Nile virus, and to be informed of the proper use of insecticides
                - to develop skills in working together successfully with others
                - to develop community problem solving strategies
                - to develop skills in thinking logically
                 - to use English to talk about solving problems

Multiple Intelligences Developes in this Lesson:
                 - Linguistic
                 - Logical/Mathematical
                 - Interpersonal
                 - Intrapersonal

Procedure:
- Ask the students what they know about mosquitoes, diseases and West Nile Virus.

- Distribute a West Nile Virus lesson packet to each student.   A lesson packet includes a title page, a content outline, a group problem solving activity* and a student feedback form.  Have the students complete the left side of the feedback form.

- Read the quote on th title page to the students.

- Have the students take turns reading the outline.  Using the glossary, define any unfamiliar vocabulary for the students.  Answer any questions the students may have.

- Direct the students to turn to the "What precautions will I take?" page in their packets.  Read the problem aloud to the students.   Read aloud the parts of the chart to the students.  Divide students into groups of 3, 4 or 5 depending on class size.  Direct each group to appoint a reader, a secretary, and a spokesperson.  Once each group has completed its chart, have groups share their results with the rest of the class.  Give the students the option of acting out the problem.

- Direct the students to complete the right side of the feedback form.  Collect the forms.  Using the facts on these forms for dictation would be an excellent additional use of these forms.

*The group solving lessons in this manual have a multiple intelligence focus and are adapted from a unit on social responsibility in A Guidebook for Applying MI Theory in the Second Language Classroom by Maryann Christison, Ph.D., Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers, 1999.

Content Outline               

               I. Definitions
                        A. Mosquito
                        B. West Nile Virus
                        C. Encephalitis
                        D. Pesticide
                        E. Insect Repellent
                        F. Standing Water
                        G. Crow

               II. West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes
                        A. At risk populations
                                1. People over age 50
                                2. People who have suppressed immune systems from illnesses or medications                          
                       B. Incubation Period
                                1. Three to fifteen days
                        C. Symptoms
                                1. Mild infection
                                        a. fever
                                        b. headache
                                        c. muscle aches
                                2. Severe infection
                                a. high fever
                                b. disorientation
                                c. stiff neck
                                d. convulsions or tremors
                                e. muscle weakness
                                 f. coma

              III. West Nile virus precautionary protection
                        A. Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. 
                        B. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
                        C. Spray clothing with an insect repellent containing DEET.
                        D. Apply insect repellent to exposed skin
                                1. Avon's Skin-so-Soft
                                2. Bite Blocker
                                3. Deet (use sparingly on skin)
                                          a. 30% strength for adults
                                          b. 10% strength for children
                       E. Report any dea crows to your local Health Department.

             IV. Mosquito control and management
                       A. Eliminate all sources of standing water from your yard.
                                1. Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use. 
                                2. Change the water in wading pools and bird baths every two days.
                                3. Keep lid covers on trash cans.
                                4. Turn over any unused flower pots.
                                5. Remove any unnecessary toys from your yard that could collect water.
                                6. Call the Public Works Department to pick up any old tires, car parts or junk where water
                                    could collect.
                                7. Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers.
                                8. Clean clogged roof gutters.
                      B. Keep mosquitoes out of your home.
                                1. Put screens on your doors and windows.
                                2. Repair holes in your screens.
                      C. In the event there is an aerial or ground pesticide spraying, stay indoors with your windows
                           closed for two hours.

             V. Community resources

Community Resources

For further information on Connecticut's West Nile Surveillance Program:

Department of Environmental Protection's Mosquito Management Program
(860) 424-4184

To report dead bird sightings in your area:

Connecticut Department of Public Health
(860) 509-7994

In the event the pesticide Scourge is applied either by ground or air in your area, and you would like to be notified prior to any ground spraying, chemically sensitive individuals can send in their names and addresses to be included in a registry to:

DEP's Pesticide Division
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT  06106

For medical questions about Scourge or DEET:

Connecticut Poison Control Center
(800) 343-2722

For the latest information on the spread of West Nile Virus in the United States:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

"What precautions will I take?"

Directions: Read through the problem carefully.  Select a reader, a writer, and speaker within your group.  Complete the chart.

It is Wednesday.  It is late in the afternoon.  It is mid-August, and it is nearly the end of summer.  As you walk through the courtyard of your apartment building you notice a dead crow underneath a Norway Maple tree.  There was a thunderstorm a few days ago and a few inches of rain fell.  In the playground behind your apartment, the tire that hand from the old Elm tree and serves as a swing, has water inside of it.  The children's toys in the sandbox have little pools of wter in them.  There is even a puddle of water still left in the sand.  Nearby, in your garden, which has many flowers in bloom, where everything looks  taller, more colorful and greener because of the rain, you notice more water in containers which are not in use.  You also remember that you haven't changed the water in your birdbath in a week.  The air takes on a sudden calm for the sun will be setting within the hour.

Identify the problem in your own words:

Group Recommendation:

Student Feedback