The West Nile Virus

Posted by Scott Bannon

westnile It’s that time of year again and with the addition of heavy flooding in the mid-west; reports of people becoming infected with the mosquito borne West Nile virus are on the rise. In fact, even 1 expert from the Centers for Disease Control has been reported to have contracted the virus.

If you know or suspect that you have been infected–or are suffering from any possible West Nile Virus symptoms–please seek Medical attention right away. There are no home remedies for West Nile and simply hoping you’ll get better without proper medical care is very dangerous.

For the rest of us, here is a quick fact sheet to help you hopefully avoid mosquito bites and having to deal with this serious and potentially deadly West Nile virus this year.

- Avoid mosquito bites. Insect repellents that are EPA registered and contain DEET can be effective for short durations of outdoors exposure to mosquito.

- Wear long sleeves and pants with full length legs while outside if the temperature permits. You obviously don’t wish to overheat your body, but on mild days when you can cover more exposed skin area do so. Also, since mosquitoes can bite through thin fabrics it’s a good idea to use Insect repellent in addition to more clothing while outside.

- Be extra aware of being outdoors during peak times for mosquito bites. This is typically in the early morning and evening for most species.

- Don’t allow water to stand on your property. Mosquitoes breed in standing waters, so keep buckets or other devices which may collect water empty and overturned to avoid pooling.

- Make sure your window and door screens aren’t in need of repair, and make any necessary repairs where needed. Keeping mosquitoes outside of your home is obviously a good idea.

These are just a couple of quick action points, a more expansive list is maintained by the CDC and available here for more information and advice: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/prevention_info.htm