More cases of West Nile virus detected in Grant County

Grant County Health District has been notified of multiple West Nile virus positive mosquito samples collected by Grant County Mosquito Control District #1. To date, there have been 42 positive mosquito samples collected this season in Grant County compared to 34 positive samples during the 2014 mosquito season.

Preventing West Nile Virus

The virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is important that all people living, working and playing in Grant County protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes. There is no human vaccine for this virus.

Take these steps to avoid mosquito bites and reduce the places where mosquitoes breed around your home.

n Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are the most active.

n Wear a long sleeved shirt, long pants and a hat when going into mosquito-infested areas, such as wetlands or woods.

n 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 on children.

n Make sure windows and doors are “bug tight” and repair or replace screens.

n Remove mosquito breeding areas around your home by emptying or discarding anything that holds standing water, including bottles, cans, old tires, buckets, plastic covers and toys. Change water in birdbaths, fountains, wading pools and animal troughs at least twice a week. Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.

West Nile virus illness

The risk of getting ill is very low, but anyone can become infected. 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 the virus 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. Contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a possible 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.

Mosquito control

in Grant County

Grant County Mosquito Control District #1 serves the central part of Grant County, which includes Moses Lake and surrounding areas and south to the Potholes region.

During the mosquito season, Health District staff work closely with Mosquito District staff to help prevent mosquito-borne disease in the community. “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,” says Ann Moser, Grant County Mosquito Control District #1 Manager.

For more information about Grant County Mosquito Control District#1, visit their website http://www.gcmcd1.org or call (509) 765-7731.

There are two other Mosquito Control Districts in Grant County. Grant County Mosquito Control District #2, which serves the north Banks Lake and Grand Coulee area and Grant County Mosquito Control District #3, which serves the south Banks Lake and Coulee City area.

West Nile and birds

Tracking dead birds and testing certain ones is another important part of monitoring viral activity in the community. You can help by reporting dead birds online at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/eh/portal/ehs/odbrs/ or by calling Grant County Health District at 509-766-7960.

West Nile and horses

Mosquitoes can also spread the virus to horses. Therefore it is important to speak to your veterinarian about vaccinating your horses. The Washington State Department of Agriculture works with veterinarians to track West Nile in horses. See their website for more info: http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/Diseases/WestNileVirus/.Horses cannot spread West Nile to humans.

2015 statewide cases

In addition to the positive mosquitoes in Grant County, statewide cases of West Nile are as follows:

n 1 human case in Benton Co.

n 1 horse case in Benton Co. (Kennewick)

n 2 bird cases in Benton Co.

n 57 positive mosquito samples from four counties (Benton, Franklin, Grant and Yakima)

For more information about West Nile Virus in Washington State visit: http://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/DiseasesandChronicConditions/WestNileVirus and/or http://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/WestNileVirus.