West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus Cycle - click on image to enlarge

Although the weather is cooling down, the threat of West Nile Virus is still with us. The blog today and tomorrow will largely be taken from a letter sent out by San Diego County's Vector Control Program, part of the Department of Environmental Health. Perhaps you've received a similar letter warning that West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in your neighborhood. Here are some notes from the letter, copied in an effort to better educate our readers and customers - and keep you safer.

West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The symptoms of WNV include: headache, fever, nausea, fatigue, skin rash or swollen glands. About one in 150 people infected with WNV develop more severe symptoms, such as meningitis, encephalitis, or myelitis. If you think you have symptoms of WNV, contact your healthcare provider.

The best protection against WNV is to prevent mosquito bites and mosquito breeding. To prevent mosquito bites it is very important to use mosquito repellent, avoid going outdoors at dawn and dusk, wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors, and keep door and window screens closed and in good repair.

You can also protect the health of your family, friends and neighbors by controlling mosquitoes and eliminating the places where they breed. Mosquitoes can lay their eggs in as little as a quarter inch of standing water. Look for and remove standing water from your property.

Vector Control Technicians are constantly surveying and treating mosquito breeding sites in San Diego. See our previous blogs here for more information on the Vector Control Program, one of the finest in the country. If you know of any sources of standing water or mosquito breeding sites, including neglected "green" swimming pools, please call them at 858-694-2888. They will send a technician to investigate and treat the site. For more information on mosquitoes or WNV, visit the Vector Control website at www.SDFightTheBite.com or call 888-551-4636.

Tomorrow's blog will give Vector Control's checklist of things you can do to maintain your property and increase personal safety against West Nile Virus.