West Nile Virus confirmed in Carson City
Submitted by editor on Mon, 09/15/2014 - 1:45pm
The presence of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in Carson City, the Nevada Department of Agriculture announced Monday. Officials tested wetlands, ditches and other small bodies of water during the first week of September and of the samples collected so far the virus is present in one of the test sites.
The site was in a rural, eastern area of Carson City, along the Carson River, said Dustin Boothe, division manager and epidemiologist for the Carson City Health and Human Services.
"In one of the test pools that contained 19 permanent water mosquitoes, West Nile Virus was found positive," said Boothe.
Carson City Health and Human Services’ Environmental Health Specialists plan to treat the areas this week to keep the virus from spreading. Mosquito surveillance and abatement activities have already been conducted a number of times this summer and are ongoing in the area.
Residents are reminded to take the following precautions during summer months to prevent an increase in the mosquito population in and around their homes:
— Clear the yard area of any free-standing water that may become a mosquito breeding-ground
— Wear long sleeves and long pants in mosquito prone areas
— Use mosquito repellant containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or IR3535 and
follow label precautions
— Repair any window screens that provide entry for mosquitoes
— Vaccinate horses for Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE)
— Vaccinate horses for West Nile Virus (WNV). Four effective vaccines exist for horses, but
vaccine development for humans is still underway with currently no available product in sight.
— Report night-time mosquito activity to the Health Department at 887-2190.
West Nile Virus is transmitted when mosquitoes feed on infected birds and pass it on to other birds, animals and people. It is not spread by person-to-person contact. Many people who are infected with West Nile Virus have no symptoms, but about 1 in 5 will develop flu-like illness. Symptoms include a fever with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.
Less than 1 percent of people who are infected will develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues). The symptoms of neurologic illness can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures, or paralysis. If you are experiencing this type of illness, it is important to seek medical treatment. The CDC reports 1 case of West Nile Virus that has occurred in Nevada this year. It was in Southern Nevada.
For other information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html.
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