The warm temperatures are here and with the recent heavy rains causing standing water, mosquitoes are becoming more active, especially those that potentially carry West Nile viruses. Warren County Health Department Administrator Jenna Link explains symptoms to be on the lookout for:
“The symptoms for West Nile virus are very typical to the flu symptoms. If you are bitten by an infected mosquito and you get West Nile virus, you might have a slight fever, a headache, sometimes there is a rash, you can have swollen lymph nodes or conjunctivitis, which is like an irritation of the eye, but it can progress and be a rapid onset of severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, and even muscle weakness. It is a wide variety and those 50 and over and anybody that is immune compromised is at a higher risk of suffering from some of those more severe symptoms.”
When it comes to preventing those mosquito bites, try to avoid being outdoors during feeding time at dusk and dawn, spray clothing with bug spray containing Deet, and try to eliminate items in your yard that can hold water for up to seven days.
