Livingston County resident recovering from West Nile

The city of Brookhaven and DeKalb County Board of Health issued an alert today, July 22, that West Nile Virus has been reported in the Ashford Park area of the city.

Residents should stay inside when sprayers are in the area, Dallas County Health and Human Services said.

A person’s chances of getting sick when bitten are small, Rupert said, and not everyone infected with West Nile Virus will become ill.

Those who get the virus can experience fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, the agency said.

Last year, there were 2,060 cases of West Nile virus infection reported, including 119 cases of death, according to the CBC.

Apply insect repellent. DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 are effective repellents recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This virus was commonly found in Europe and Africa, however, it was recently confirmed by health officials that a human case of the mosquito-borne virus has already reached Lancaster County, Nebraska. It is particularly unsafe for people over 50 or those with weakened immune systems, health officials said, and can sometimes result in severe illness.

West Nile, an illness transmitted by mosquito bite, has appeared every summer in the continental United States since 1999. Mosquitoes acquire the virus by feeding on infected birds.

To report mosquito problems or stagnant pools of water, call the Department of Public Works’ Vector Control Division at 631-852-4270. Anyone with symptoms should contact their health care provider. Infected birds and mosquitoes can provide an early warning as to West Nile virus’ presence in a community.

– Covering up with light-colored clothes, long sleeves and trousers when outdoors or while in areas where mosquito activity is high.

Maintaining window and door screening to keep mosquitoes outside.

“The best thing people can do to prevent those mosquitoes from being in their yard is to take a look around and make sure there is not standing water in any containers in their yard”, said Sakolsky.