In late July, two human cases of West Nile virus were confirmed-one in the Cleveland area, and another in the Cincinnati area.
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“Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that may be infected with West Nile Virus”, said Rosmarie Kelly, Ph.D., MPH, a department entomologist.
No cases of humans contracting West Nile virus have been reported this year, DPH said.
The Orange resident is the first human case of the disease this year in the county and the 19th in California.
While it is common for most people to catch West Nile from a mosquito, “knowing the individual source of where they got it can be hard”, Zahn said. The test results confirmed the crow tested positive for West Nile Virus.
The Vigo County Health Department monitors the mosquito situation daily.
The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District identified West Nile virus activity in multiple communities in Los Angeles County in the past month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there were more than 2,200 cases in 2014 and 97 deaths nationwide. Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes.
People 50 years of age and older have a higher chance of getting sick and are more likely to develop complications, state health officials say.
REPEL – When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions.
Crows, ravens and songbirds have been known to succumb to West Nile virus more frequently than other infected bird species.
In addition to the chickens, another bird as well as two groups of mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus this year. Symptoms may include fever above 100ºF and severe headache, stiff neck, mental confusion, muscle weakness, shaking, paralysis, or rash.
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“We have greatly expanded efforts in these cities to help suppress mosquito populations and inform the residents about the risk”.
