West Nile Virus: Important Fact

Although Garrett County is not plagued with swarms of mosquitoes like some other areas of Maryland, the pesky insects are still here.

One of the several mosquito-borne illnesses that can affect humans is West Nile virus. West Nile virus carrying mosquitoes can transmit the virus through their bite, but not all mosquitoes carry West Nile, and not all people bitten will become infected.

Most individuals infected with the virus will not have any symptoms or signs of illness.  People who do develop illness may experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, and occasionally a skin rash and swollen lymph glands.  These symptoms usually clear spontaneously within 2 – 7 days.

Less than 1% of persons infected with the virus will develop more severe disease with such symptoms as high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, and rarely, death. People over 50 years of age have the highest risk of developing severe disease.  Diagnosis requires that other possible causes of the symptoms are ruled out, and a pair of separate blood tests, taken three weeks apart, must be analyzed for West Nile virus.

“There are some common sense approaches we can take to reduce the risk of contracting West Nile,” said Cindy Mankamyer, a nurse with the Garrett County Health Department.  “Mosquitoes can breed in as little as one-quarter inch of water, so reducing their breeding grounds is essential.” Take care to remove or drain items such as discarded tires, plastic containers, ceramic pots, livestock troughs, or anywhere that traps water. Keep gutters clean so they can drain properly. Unused hot tubs and pools should be covered or cleaned and chlorinated.

Avoid mosquito bites by staying indoors at dawn or early in the evening, or wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when going outdoors.  For additional protection, spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin (DEET) to avoid mosquito bites through thin clothing. Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin and follow package instructions carefully.  An effective repellent will contain at least 30% DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Higher concentrations of DEET may not provide additional protection.  Contact your local health care provider before applying DEET products to children.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control website at: https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html.

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department