For the first time this year, Placer County finds West Nile virus in a mosquito sample
Placer County reported Wednesday it has detected West Nile virus for the first time this season in a mosquito sample collected near Baseline and Pleasant Grove roads.
“It is not unusual to detect WNV activity at this time of year,” said Joel Buettner, general manager for the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District. “We work hard to conduct prevention measures to limit adult mosquito abundance in summer. Now that WNV risk is heightened, we will analyze what treatments need to be done to help protect residents.”
Officials in Sacramento and Yolo counties also have found West Nile virus activity in mosquito samples in both locales and in birds in Sacramento County.
West Nile virus can be life-threatening for 1% of those who get it, and 20% of people will get mild symptoms. Most people will not develop symptoms at all.
Symptoms may include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. While acute symptoms generally last for just a few days, fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months. Severe cases can result in lasting neurological damage, doctors say, so it’s best to seek medical care and rehabilitation early.
Buettner and other vector district officials have several recommendations for residents who want to reduce their risk of getting the disease:
- Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Wear pants and long sleeves to cover skin.
- Use an EPA-registered repellent.
- Drain any standing water on your property to prevent mosquito breeding. Districts can also provide mosquito fish and other ways to abate mosquito breeding.
- If you observe a mosquito problem in your neighborhood, contact your district to submit a service request.
- Dead birds also can be an indication that there’s West Nile activity in an area, vector district officials say, so if you see a dead bird, report it by calling 877-968-2473 or click on “Submit a dead bird report” at www.westnile.ca.gov.
Also at that site, you’ll find more information on where West Nile activity has been confirmed statewide. So far, there have been two cases of the disease reported in people, one in Stanislaus County and the other in Los Angeles County.
