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Family Health
West Nile Virus
The Facts
- West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
- Fortunately, most people who were infected in the 1999 West Nile virus outbreak in the New York City area had no symptoms or experienced mild illness with fever, headache and body aches before fully recovering.
- In a small number of individuals, however, West Nile virus can cause more serious disease. Seniors or very young children are at increased risk of developing more severe symptoms including headache, confusion, weakness, paralysis, and seizures. At its most serious, the infection can result in coma and death. Symptoms usually occur five to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito.
- Because West Nile encephalitis is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective and there is no specific treatment available.
- West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that becomes infected with the virus by feeding on an infected bird.
The Best Way To Avoid West Nile Virus, Is To Avoid Mosquito Bites!
- Consider minimizing time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when the mosquitoes feed.
- Wear shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time.
- Consider the use of mosquito repellent when it is necessary to be out doors. If using insect repellent with DEET, use it sparingly and always according to the manufacturers instructions. Use repellents that have no more than 30% DEET. (According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, repellents used on children should contain no more than 10% DEET.) There is no need to treat unexposed skin.
Mosquito Control In and Around Your House
- Mosquitoes NEED stagnant or standing water to lay their eggs. To reduce the mosquito population around your home, and properly reduce or eliminate all stagnant water,
- Check your property and remove any water holding containers, especially old tires, cans, buckets, drums, wheelbarrows and bottles. Drain the water in birdbaths, plant pots and drip trays twice a week.
- Check your screens to ensure that your home has tight fitting screens in good repair over windows and doors to keep mosquitoes from entering apartments and homes.
- Remove standing water from your basement. Place a couple of capfuls of household bleach in your basement sump-pump pit if it has standing water.
- Keep drains, culverts, ponds and streams on your property clean of weeds and trash so that the water will drain properly.
- Clean your roof gutters and remove standing water from flat roofs.
- Keep your grass cut short and trim your shrubs to eliminate hiding places for adult mosquitoes.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs. Be sure rainwater does not collect on pool, sauna or hot tub covers. You should disinfect cover with bleach to kill larvae and eggs.
- Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling bins and other containers that are kept outdoors.
In addition to reducing potential breeding sites on your own property, you can encourage your neighbors, local businesses and municipal agencies to do so as well.
Your information resource from the government of Erie County, New York
