West Nile virus found in Grant County

MOSES LAKE — Grant County residents are being advised to take precautions when outside in mosquito-infected areas. Tests have found mosquitoes with West Nile virus in an area about seven miles southwest of Moses Lake.

This is the first positive test in the county this year, said a press release from the Grant County Mosquito Control District. Mosquito district employees began testing in July, according to the press release.

District employees will keep spraying for mosquitoes using both aerial and truck-mounted applicators, the press release said.

Residents should avoid mosquito-infested areas at daylight and dusk, when the bugs are most active, and wear insect repellent, preferably with active ingredients like DEET or Picaridin, which will be listed on the label. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts are good ideas in mosquito-infected areas and from dusk to dawn, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website.

West Nile virus gets to humans when mosquitoes feed on infected birds, then bite humans, according to the CDC website. About 70 to 80 percent of victims show no symptoms, but about one in five gets a fever, suffers from fatigue and other symptoms. Those victims usually recover completely but the fatigue can last for weeks or months, the CDC said.

A very small portion, less than one percent, of West Nile virus patients get very sick with neurological symptoms that can leave permanent disabilities or even be fatal. Infants and young children, senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk, the CDC said.