Two Rivers: West Nile Virus

With summer approaching, Two Rivers Public Health Department would like to raise awareness West Nile Virus. West Nile Virus is a vector-borne disease, in that humans are infected by mosquitoes.

Most people will now know they have West Nile Virus. 8 out of 10 people infected with West Nile Virus do not develop symptoms. For instance, in many cases, West Nile Virus is detected during blood donations, and not due to illness. However, about 1 in 5 people infected develop a fever, with other symptoms including fatigue and weakness that can last for several months. More serious symptoms include neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. 1 in 10 people who develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system die.

Treatment and Prevention

There is no vaccine or antiviral for West Nile Virus. However, prevention plays a big role in preventing West Nile Virus. Some prevention measures that the health department recommends include:

* Insect Repellent

o DEET

o Oil of lemon eucalyptus

o 2-undecanone

* Wear long sleeves shirts and pants

* Empty standing water sources on your property

* Sleep in a mosquito net when camping

What is TRPHD doing?

This summer, TRPHD will be trapping mosquitoes at sites throughout our jurisdiction. The purpose of mosquito trapping is to get a mosquito ‘census,’ and also to test the mosquitoes for West Nile Virus. This will give us an idea of how prevalent West Nile Virus is within our jurisdiction.