Union County Health Department
6 West South Street - Suite 2
Liberty, IN 47353
765-458-5393
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6 West South Street - Suite 2
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HEALTH OFFICIALS REPORT
EVIDENCE OF WEST NILE VIRUS
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 | Avoid being outdoors during prime mosquito biting times, dusk to dawn, when possible; or when outdoors |
| Apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothes and exposed skin; and |
| Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. |
West Nile
virus is transmitted to a human by a mosquito that has first bitten an infected
bird. A person who is bitten by an infected mosquito may show symptoms from 3 to
15 days after the bite.
Individuals over age 50 are at the greatest risk for serious illness, including
disabling neurological problems. Health officials caution that people of all
ages are at risk for infection and severe illness and should take precautions to
avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
The virus usually causes a milder form of illness, West Nile fever, which
includes fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands, and sometimes a
rash.
The Culex mosquito, which is the primary carrier of the West Nile virus, breeds
well when the weather is hot and dry. These mosquitoes breed in stagnant water,
which can be found in clogged rain gutters, ditches, catch basins, and
unattended pools and bird baths. Hundreds of mosquitoes can come from a fairly
small amount of water, like in a discarded tire or an unattended flowerpot.
Health officials urge residents to remove standing water from their property to
avoid having mosquitoes breed around their homes.
Updates on positive results for West Nile virus surveillance maps are available
at:
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_in_mosquito.html
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Send mail to support@uchd.com with
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