When the weather warms, the mosquito population increases and so does your chance of contracting West Nile Virus. Here is some information about the disease and how to limit your contact with those potentially disease-carrying insects. This virus is likely to continue until the first freeze this fall.
Banner Health, together with our local health departments, and the Center for Disease Control, is taking an active role in helping to prevent, detect and treat the virus.
The mosquitoes that transmit West Nile Virus are most active between dusk and dawn but people should avoid mosquito bites at any time. While there is no treatment for West Nile Virus, it is important to remember that infection is preventable.
Prevention strategies include:
West Nile virus is a disease that is usually transmitted by mosquitoes. It has been common in Africa, west Asia and the Middle East for decades and has been slowly traveling across the United States since 1999.
It is very rare to catch this illness, and most infected people will not get sick or will have only mild symptoms. However, West Nile virus can be fatal. We want you to have the facts, in order to ease your fears, and so that you can take appropriate prevention measures.
Common mild symptoms of West Nile include:
Severe symptoms include: (West Nile, encephalitis or meningitis)
It is estimated that one in 150 persons infected with the West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of disease.
West Nile Virus infection goes undetected in most individuals. In those that develop symptoms, they can range from mild headache, body aches and fever to more severe symptoms including weakness, mental status changes, flaccid paralysis, meningitis, encephalitis and death. Some patients also experience a rash.
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