West Nile Virus detected in Tacoma mosquito West Nile Virus detected in Tacoma mosquito FILE - Mosquito TACOMA, Wash. -- The West Nile Virus...
West Nile Virus detected in Tacoma mosquito
FILE - Mosquito
TACOMA, Wash. -- The West Nile Virus has officially arrived in Puget Sound area mosquitoes.
A routine sampling of mosquitoes at wetlands near the Port of Tacoma tested positive for West Nile Virus on Aug. 14. It's the first time the virus has been detected in mosquitoes west of the Cascades, but officials stress no cases have appeared yet in humans, birds or horses.
“People should assume West Nile Virus infection is possible in Pierce County and take steps to prevent breeding mosquitoes and avoid mosquito bites," Nigel Turner, director of the Communicable Disease division of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, said in a press release announcing the finding. "Most importantly, know when to get care if you have been bitten."
MORE | Tips on how to prevent mosquito bites and West Nile Virus
West Nile is transmitted from a simple mosquito bite, but health officials stress less than one percent of people infected will develop a severe illness, and the CDC says roughly only 1 in 5 people who even get the disease will even notice any symptoms.
People at higher risk of complications include people 60 years old or older, those with compromised immune systems or underlying medical conditions.
Those that do get symptoms will likely experience headaches, fever, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash, with symptoms developing 2-14 days after a bite from an infected mosquito.
"Those with more severe symptomsâ€"such as severe headache, stiff neck or confusionâ€"should seek medical attention," health officials said.
West Nile Virus has been detected in Pierce County in birds in 2002, 2008 and 2009, and two people were positive for the virus in 2006.
Washington hasn't seen any human cases of West Nile Virus, but 231 cases have been reported nationwide with eight fatalities attributed to it.
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Source: Google News US Health | Netizen 24 United States
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