PORT ANGELES — What do birds, horses and humans have in common?
It’s no joke.
West Nile virus can harm any of the three species.
So far, Washington hasn’t recorded a homegrown case of the illness that most people — even if infected — will never know they have but which, in severe cases, can cause permanent nerve damage and even death.
A recently reported case of the virus in a Spokane woman turned out to be a false positive, the Spokane Regional Health District reported.
But that doesn’t mean the state is safe, Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, said Wednesday.
“It can occur virtually anywhere mosquitoes can get,” he said.
“One bite is all it takes.”
While it’s probable Washington will record some cases, it’s not inevitable that any will turn up on the North Olympic Peninsula.
“You have to have the right mosquitoes,” said Locke,
“You have to have the right birds.”
Migration patterns for birds and mosquitoes — some can travel 50 miles — also play a role, as does weather.
“When they mesh in the wrong way, you have an outbreak,” Locke said.
