West Nile is here in Arkansas, too. So far I have heard of no people contracting the disease. I have also heard no news of anyone's pets getting sick here either (Although, I did here about the horse in Kansas). They are spraying for mosquitos at least bi-weekly in many areas. I live on the river and have had no problems. If you are worried about protecting yourself, try using a skinsafe bug repellent before going outside. My dogs have never had a mosquito bite that I know of. I would assume that the Frontline I use on them is keeping away most of the biting buggers. However, I do not think that West Nile is an extreme threat to most healthy people and animals. Just watch for bug bites followed by flu-like symptoms. If you have questions, you may want to contact someone in your local area. They would probably be able to tell you more about the situation.