WOOD RIVER — The Health Department warns public after mosquitos tested positive for West Nile virus in Madison County.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Madison County Health Department announced that mosquito batches collected in Madison County on Aug. 2, tested positive for West Nile virus.
West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common West Nile Virus symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. However, four out of five people infected with West Nile Virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can occur. People older than 50 are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile Virus.
The best way to prevent West Nile disease or any other mosquito-borne illnesses is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
- Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
- When outdoors, wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
- Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
- Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flower- pots, wading pools, old tires or any other containers or receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed.
- For more information visit Madison County Health Department website at https://www.madisoncountyil.gov/departments/health/index.php
More like this:
