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The virus can be carried by
mosquitoes. Larviciding or fogging programs in your community may
reduce the mosquito population, but they will not eliminate all
mosquitoes.
Please take these precautions when
outdoors:
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and
long pants when possible.
- Use mosquito repellent with 25
percent to 35 percent DEET; use repellent with 10 percent DEET
for children ages 2-12; do not use repellent on infants.
- Avoid places and times when
mosquitoes bite. This is usually just before and after sunset
and just before dawn.
- Be sure doors and screens are
tight-fitting and in good repair.
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Symptoms
Most people who are infected with
West Nile virus have no symptoms or may experience mild illness,
such as fever and headache, before fully recovering. In some
individuals, particularly the elderly, the virus can cause a
serious disease that affects the brain. It can cause permanent
neurological damage and be fatal. Symptoms generally occur three
to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito and range
from a slight fever, headache, rash, swollen nodes and
conjunctivitis to the rapid onset of severe headache, high fever,
stiff neck, disorientation, muscle weakness, coma or death. Less
than 1 percent of people infected with the virus will develop
severe illness.
If you have experienced symptoms,
please contact your physician.
For more
information, visit
www.logancountyhealth.org and click on the link for
what's new
at the Logan County Health Department.
[Logan
County Health Department news release]
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