Whether you're hitting the hiking trail, barbecuing in the backyard, or camping in the great outdoors, you'll want to protect against mosquito bites, and especially against West Nile virus.
About West Nile
The virus poses a threat mainly to certain wild birds – more than 100 species have been killed, with crows, blue jays, and some sparrows most commonly infected by the virus – and some livestock, especially horses. But it can infect people too.
Public health officials have set mosquito traps to learn how many of the insects carry the virus. Another clue will come from the numbers of susceptible birds that begin dying. In past years, birds began dying, and then cases of human illness followed a few weeks later.
The time lag between bird deaths and the onset of human illness occurs because West Nile infection first must reach a high level in the bird population before it spreads efficiently to humans. Then the virus must spread from mosquitoes that primarily bite birds to mosquitoes that primarily bite humans.
That takes time. The bird deaths also provide a useful warning. Like the canary in the coal mine, they indicate that human infections soon will follow and that people should take precautions to reduce their risk of infection.
The infection typically begins with fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, an overall feeling of illness, and sometimes a rash. While most people will recover in several days or weeks, one out of 150 people infected with West Nile Virus will become seriously ill. So far, the virus has been fatal for about 4 percent of those who've contracted it.
The disease can affect the nervous system in several ways: It can cause inflammation of the brain (known as encephalitis), inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (known as meningitis), or inflamation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it (known as meningoencephalitis). Some people infected with the virus suffer permanent vision loss, numbness, or paralysis.
An estimated 20 to 25 percent of people who become infected develop the flu-like symptoms of West Nile fever. Approximately 80 percent of those infected with it will not show any symptoms at all. And most people with symptoms fully recover. But the elderly, children, and those with weakened immune systems are at increased risk.
West Nile virus was discovered in 1937 in the West Nile district of Uganda and emerged in the United States for the first time in New York City in 1999. Since then, it has spread from east coast to west coast. For an updated map on the spread of West Nile, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Tips to protect yourself from mosquito-borne illness
Use these tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for reducing mosquitoes around your home and keeping yourself protected from mosquito bites:
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and outdoor hot tubs, saunas, and ponds. If they are not in use, empty them and keep them covered.
- After a rainstorm, eliminate the standing water that has collected on your property in places such as pool covers, old tires, buckets, flowerpots, toys, and birdbaths. In fact, plant flowers in your birdbath this year.
- Limit outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, or anytime in the evening when mosquito activity is highest.
- Use an insect repellent containing the ingredient DEET. The lotion form of DEET was originally developed to protect U.S. troops.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and hats to minimize the areas of exposed skin.
- Make sure there are no holes in screen doors or windows so mosquitoes can't get inside. And stay inside at night.
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