JACKSON-Mississippi’s request for federal assistance to fight against the West Nile virus was denied Friday the same day human cases of the virus rose to 91. State health officials reported 15 new West Nile cases Friday. A total of 34 new cases have been reported in Mississippi this week.
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove submitted a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funds on Aug. 16.
“It’s disappointing to have this request turned down, but we will exhaust every possible source of financial support for our battle against the West Nile virus,” Musgrove said.
FEMA director Joe Albaugh said in a letter to Musgrove that the Mississippi Department of Health and Human Services is “the appropriate avenue for addressing a West Nile virus outbreak.”
Albaugh sent a similar letter to Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster.
Foster had asked FEMA for $13.7 million to help combat West Nile in Louisiana where 171 people have been diagnosed with the virus that has killed eight in that state.
Sen. John Breaux, D-La., said he was deeply disturbed by the decision, and noted that FEMA had given New York and New Jersey disaster money when West Nile appeared in their states in 1999.
“Louisiana is ground zero of this epidemic and we have an emergency on our hands, whether FEMA wants to admit it or not,” Breaux said.
West Nile, common in Africa and the Middle East, has spread to 41 states and killed at least 35 people since it appeared in the United States in 1999. Most states have found the virus only in animals.
In Mississippi, human cases were reported Thursday for the first time in Clay, Lafayette and Simpson counties. Adams, Panola, Quitman, and Washington counties reported human cases for the first time on Friday.
There have been three West Nile virus deaths in Mississippi, one each in Pike, Madison and Hinds counties.
There are 33 Hinds County residents that have been diagnosed with West Nile virus. Pike County has reported eight cases. Rankin County has six and Scott and Forrest counties each have five.
The West Nile virus has been found in 66 counties.
The Public Health Laboratory has processed about 600 human specimens.
Robert Latham, executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said it’s unfortunate Mississippi isn’t going to receive federal emergency money to help fight against a deadly outbreak.
“Our request was justified based on the financial impact this has had on the cities and counties of our state,” Latham said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given $17 million to states, including Mississippi, to fight mosquitoes, and said an additional $10 million would go into the battle.
Latham has said that the state needs $3.5 million to $5 million to increase mosquito eradication around the state.
MEMA spokeswoman Amy Carruth said Friday a lot of counties in Mississippi don’t have enough money to increase eradication efforts, but counties will continue to fight against West Nile.
“Nothing is going to change,” Carruth said. “They are not going to stop doing what they’re doing.
Categories:
Mississippi’s request denied for federal West Nile virus aid
Timothy R. Brown / The Associated Press
•
August 26, 2002
0