Mosquitoes collected from zip codes 95125, 95124, 95008 and 95118 tested positive for the virus, according to county officials.
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“We are interested in when and where West Nile Virus might first appear in Delaware this year and in monitoring the timing and locations of its possible spread throughout the state”, Delaware Mosquito Control Administrator Dr. William Meredith said. Two mosquito-related cases of West Nile Virus in people were reported in DE previous year.
West Nile virus emerged in the United States in the NY metropolitan area in the fall of 1999. Mosquito season also means increased activity of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which bites during the day and can spread Zika virus. “So far this year there have not yet been any WNV human cases reported in the county or the state, and our goal is to prevent infected mosquitoes from transmitting WNV to Santa Clara County residents”. Usually symptoms occur from three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Mild symptoms include a fever, headache, and body aches (occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body), and swollen lymph glands. Standing water and dead birds are common places for mosquitoes to breed. People over 50 years old, young children, and those with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill when they become infected with the virus.
The state collects mosquitoes in traps set around Sedgwick County and identifies the type of mosquito.
· Drain, remove, or turn over anything that can hold water: flowerpots, planter bases, bird baths, toys, cans, rain gutters, pet dishes, buckets, and old tires. Plus, people must look out of hollow stumps and tree rot holes that usually hold water and fill them in with something else.
Additionally, homeowners should install tight-fitting window and door screens. Those are the times when the mosquitoes that transmit WNV are most active.
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Kightlinger wants to remind people to use mosquito repellent liberally on clothes and exposed skin, and wear trousers and long sleeves when outside in the evening.
