There are plenty of great reasons to be outdoors this time of year, but mosquitoes aren’t among them.
Culex mosquitoes can spread West Nile Virus, a potentially serious or fatal disease for which there is no specific treatment. You can reduce your risk of exposure to the disease by eliminating mosquito habitat around your home and avoiding mosquito bites.
To prevent mosquitoes from breeding:
• Drain standing water from old tires, flower pots, plastic tarps, wheelbarrows and anything else that can hold water.
• Change water in bird baths, ponds, wading pools, pet bowls and animal troughs twice a week.
• Repair leaking faucets and sprinklers.
• Clean clogged gutters.
• Cover trash containers so they don’t accumulate water.
• Properly maintain swimming pools.
• Check for containers or trash in hard-to-see places, such as under bushes.
The other primary West Nile Virus prevention strategy is to avoid mosquito bites. Here’s how:
• Use mosquito repellent when you are outdoors, especially at dawn, dusk and early evening, when culex mosquitoes are most active. Repellents with DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus are recommended. Use according to directions, especially when applying to children.
• Install or repair screens on windows and doors.
• When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, socks and hats outside, especially in wooded areas.
• Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when outdoors.
Most people infected with West Nile Virus will not have any illness. About 20 percent of people infected will develop mild symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, headaches and body aches, three to 14 days after the bite. An estimated one in 150 people infected will become seriously ill with neurological symptoms that may be long-term or permanent. Adults 55 and older are at increased risk for developing more severe symptoms.
There is no West Nile vaccination for humans, but vaccinations are available for horses. Horse owners should contact their veterinarians for more information.
For more information, contact the Mosquito Control District at (360) 397-8430 or visit www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/about/mosquito.html.
