More West Nile virus than last year in Grant County

MOSES LAKE - The Grant County Health District has been notified of multiple West Nile Virus (WNV)-positive mosquito samples collected by Grant County Mosquito Control District No. 1, pushing the county to more positive samples than all of last year.

There have been 42 positive mosquito samples collected this season in Grant County compared to 34 positive mosquito samples during the entire 2014 mosquito season.

According to Amber McCoy, environmental health specialist with the Grant County Health District, Mosquitos can pass the virus to humans with their bite. Most people will survive the virus and maybe not become to ill, and fewer than one percent become seriously ill or die.

But the virus can be serious enough to be of concern. It is important all people living, working and playing in Grant County protect themselves from mosquitoes bites, McCoy said. There is no human vaccine for WNV.

The Health District advises people take these steps to avoid mosquito bites and reduce the places where mosquitoes breed around their homes.

• Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are the most active.
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat when going into mosquito-infested areas, such as wetlands or woods.
• Use mosquito repellent when outdoors. Repellents that contain the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 work best for long-lasting protection against mosquitoes. Use caution when applying repellents to children.
• Make sure windows and doors are "bug-tight" and repair or replace screens.
• Remove mosquito breeding areas around your home by emptying or discarding anything that holds standing water-bottles, cans, old tires, buckets, plastic covers, and toys. Change water in birdbaths, fountains, wading pools, and animal troughs at least twice each week. Make sure roof gutters drain properly. And fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.

The risk of getting WNV is very low, but anyone can become infected, McCoy said. People over 50 years of age and those with compromised immune systems have the highest risk of serious illness.

Most people who are infected with WNV will not get sick. About one in five people infected will have mild symptoms such as fever, headache and body aches. Even fewer, about one in 150 people infected, will have more severe symptoms.

You are advised to contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a possible WNV infection, especially if you recently had mosquito bites. Severe symptoms may include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and coma.

"Though our mosquito control program is very effective, we cannot get every mosquito. Therefore it is very important individuals take precautions to avoid being bitten," Grant County Mosquito Control District No. 1 Manager Ann Moser said.