In Ventura County, environmental officials recently found one bird that tested positive for West Nile virus, which is typical for this time of year, Smith said.
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Pennsylvania saw 13 human cases of West Nile virus in 2014, with one fatality, to New Jersey’s eight cases and zero fatalities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to preventing mosquito-borne disease at home, residents travelling to the Caribbean should take extra care to protect themselves to prevent contracting the Chikungunya virus. About 20-30% of persons who are infected will have symptoms that may include fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, and body ache.
The virus was found in mosquito traps set weekly by Franklin County Public Health in the central and northern sections of the city.
But county health officials believe there have been more cases but most are undiagnosed and unreported. Virus-carying mosquitoes were also trapped in Upper Merion, Upper Moreland, Upper Dublin, Collegeville, Upper Providence and Pottstown. Five flocks of hens are evenly distributed around the county, and vector control officials check their blood every two weeks, to see whether West Nile is surfacing in that area.
The 2015 pattern of mosquito development largely mirrors last year’s patten, Zazra said: There was more rain, and so more floodwater mosquitoes developing than the mosquitoes that carry the virus. People 50 years or older and those with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of serious complications with West Nile infection.
So far this year, 64 mosquito samples have tested positive for the virus.
She’s right. They are dusk and dawn feeders.
Use insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
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“It is possible that the drought has contributed to WNV amplification by reducing sources of water for birds and mosquitoes”, according to the state news release.
