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Dr. Philip Armstrong - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station shares important information about West Nile Virus.
To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should:
- Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
- Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect infants when outdoors.
- Consider the use of an EPA-approved mosquito repellent and apply according to directions when it is necessary to be outdoors.
- SOURCE: CT Mosquito Management
If bitten by an infected mosquito, will I get sick?
If bitten by an infected mosquito, your chances of developing illness are less than 1 in 100.
Where did West Nile virus come from?
West Nile virus is named after the West Nile district of Uganda where the virus was first isolated in 1937. Outbreaks of the West Nile illness have occurred in Egypt, Asia, Israel, South Africa, and parts of Europe and Australia. Before 1999, WNV had not been found in the United States. The virus may have been brought to the United States by an infected bird that was either imported or migrated from a country where the virus is common.
What is West Nile virus infection?
West Nile virus infection occurs when a person is bitten by an infected mosquito and the virus enters the person’s blood, multiplies, and spreads to other parts of the body. Usually, the body’s immune system can fight off the virus and stop it from causing illness.
What is West Nile virus illness?
Most people who are infected with WNV have no symptoms or may experience mild illness, such as a fever and headache before fully recovering. In some individuals, particularly persons over 50 years of age, West Nile virus can cause serious illness, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord). Symptoms range from a slight fever, headache, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and nausea to the rapid onset of a severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, muscle weakness, and coma. West Nile virus infection can lead to death in 3 to 15 percent of persons with severe forms of the illness.
How do people get West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is spread to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, primarily the Culex species commonly found in residential areas. A mosquito is infected by biting a bird that carries the virus. West Nile virus is not spread from person-to-person or from birds to people under normal circumstances.
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