Mosquitoes from two traps in Mecca tested positive for St. Louis encephalitis almost a year after the virus returned to the area for the first time in more than 10 years, according to Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. This is the 14 year the virus has been detected in Saginaw County. “Furthermore, it allows us to focus our control efforts in areas determined to be at risk for West Nile virus”.
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Last year, West Nile was blamed for two deaths in MI, and an untold number of illnesses.
West Nile Virus does not cause any symptoms in most people, but some people die of the disease, which can be transmitted through mosquito bites. “People who work in outdoor occupations such as landscpaing and construction are at increased risk of getting bitten by an infected mosquito”, Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive, MDHHS, said in a press release.
The department said Friday that a Windsor County resident got sick in mid-June and was diagnosed with a more serious illness that affects the nervous system called West Nile neuroinvasive disease.
The Health Department conducts a mosquito-surveillance program in Lake County that includes the setting or traps beginning in late spring and continuing into the autumn, with testing taking place weekly for West Nile virus. “There are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from mosquito-related diseases”.
The West Nile virus spreads by mosquitoes and birds are the primary infected animals.
Use mosquito repellent. Read the label and carefully follow instructions. When outdoors, people can avoid mosquito bites by properly and consistently using DEET-containing insect repellants and covering exposed skin with lightweight clothing.
– Make sure screen doors and windows are in good fix and fit tightly.
“What we do is check the area for known mosquito sites, in other words standing water, and we investigate those, see if there’s any mosquito breeding going on there”, he said.
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Culex mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water.
