West Nile Virus (WNV) was recently found in a bird in Ballardvale, near Andover, but School Physician Dr. Richard Keller confirms that West Nile Virus poses no threat to Phillips Academy and the larger Andover community. “All mosquitoes in Andover have tested negative [for West Nile Virus] so far,” he wrote in an email. According to Dr. Keller, “students are at low risk” for contracting West Nile Virus. Following the bird scare, Andover officials decided to test for the disease. The results showed that WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (a deadly strain of WNV) are not currently present in Andover. Most students are not afraid of the WNV threat; although some use bug spray, most feel it is inconvenient or unnecessary. Some students feel that finding evidence of WNV in birds doesn’t justify precautionary measures. “I’m not worried because they found it [WNV] in a bird. It’s not that big of a health issue. If you take basic precautions and don’t spend a lot of time outside at night, you should be fine,” said David Lowenstein ’09. Although the results were negative, “there was one case of WNV several years ago in a student,” according to Dr. Keller. However, he continued, “She recovered fully.” Dr. Keller declined further questioning about this case. Dr. Keller recommended using DEET or similar products to avoid mosquito bites. In his school-wide e-mail, he said to “use mosquito repellant (the most effective ones contain ‘DEET’) at [night].” However, some students feel that using products such as DEET pose a health risk. “I close my windows at night. I haven’t seen that many mosquitoes and I’m afraid of DEET. I think it’s really bad for you because it contains chemicals, which could be harmful if inhaled,” said Ellie Shepley ’08. According to the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, around 33% of Americans use DEET products to protect against mosquito bites. If the repellent’s directions for application are followed, the EPA says, consumers should face no health risks. Many students take precautions when outside for extended periods of time. “I wear bug spray when I’m playing field hockey. It doesn’t get that buggy out there, but I keep it in my sports bag anyway. I don’t wear DEET because I heard it was a pesticide and was harmful to use a lot [of it],” said Julia Zorthian ’11. It is extremely rare that WNV could kill a healthy teenager; those at risk are either elderly or very young. As Dr. Keller stated, “Most people with WNV don’t even know they have it (it presents like any other generic viral illness), and [they] recover fully.” “Statistically, I’m not going to get it. If I’m outside in the woods, I will [wear bug spray]. It’s a hassle, because I am never outside long enough to merit it. Basically, it’s not something I worry about,” said Carl Jackson ’09. Some students felt that the mosquito threat at Andover was much lower than near their hometowns and thus, aren’t threatened by WNV. “It doesn’t seem like a major threat compared to Northern California. For example, during the summer at my old school, they found four dead birds that contracted WNV. But at Andover, I’ve never seen a mosquito,” said Jane Thomas ’10. Thomas, however, does take some cautionary measures. “I usually don’t go out at dusk. If there’s standing water, I’ll wear bug spray. I don’t wear it everyday, like it’s the newest perfume,” she added.
