Information on West Nile Virus 8/13/12 Ken Agee

West Garland is again involved in the fight against the West Nile Virus, thanks to an unusually warm winter that gave mosquitoes a head-start this year. Couple that with our abundant trees, plants, & bird population (Blue Jays, Crows, etc have very little immunity), and you have a bad situation!

Please check Garland’s webpage (www.ci.garland.tx.us) for specific details such as spraying schedules. Also consider calling the City’s Health Dept at 972-205-3460 if you see unusual clusters of dead birds or pools of stagnant water that you think the City should know about. Don’t forget to get your neighbors involved, since this is a little like dealing with fire ants – a coordinated effort helps clear out whole areas for a longer period of time…

Following is additional information on West Nile Virus from the Federal Government’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) website:

Source= http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/wnv_factsheet.htm

What Is West Nile Virus?

West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. This fact sheet contains important information that can help you recognize and prevent West Nile virus.

What Can I Do to Prevent WNV?

New! Prevention measures consist of community-based mosquito control programs that are able to reduce vector populations, personal protection measures to reduce the likelihood of being bitten by infected mosquitoes, and the underlying surveillance programs that characterize spatial/temporal patterns in risk that allow health and vector control agencies to target their interventions and resources.

The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites.

• When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient. Follow the directions on the package.
• Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours.
• Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
• Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.

What Are the Symptoms of WNV?

• Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

• Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.

• No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.