Four More Mosquito Pools in Boulder County Test
Positive for WNV
Activity shows risk still present to contact West
Nile
Boulder, Colo. (Sept. 9, 2004) – Four more mosquito pools have tested
positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in Boulder County, validating
concern that the risk for contracting the virus is still very present
in the area.
Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) officials said the
positive tests this week included the following vicinities:
West Longmont,
Erie,
CU-South Campus,
unincorporated County southeast of
Boulder. The four positive pools contained Culex mosquitoes – the
species known to carry and transmit WNV.
“These positive tests reiterate that the threat of
contracting West Nile virus is still present, and that without proper
protection, people are at risk,” said BCPH Epidemiologist Heath
Harmon. “The positive pools were collected from various regions around
the county, which tells us that the activity is spread throughout the
county and is not just contained in any one specific area.”
BCPH officials urge residents to continue to protect
themselves from getting bitten by mosquitoes until the mosquito season
is over, typically mid-October, which is signaled by the first freeze
in the fall. The best way to do that is to practice the 4Ds. Those
are:
-
DEET – use DEET-enhanced insect repellant
-
Dress – dress in long sleeves and pants
-
Dusk to Dawn – avoid the outdoors from dusk
until dawn
-
Drain – drain standing water outside your
home.
Symptoms of WNV typically begin between 3 and 14 days
after being bitten. One out of five people infected will suffer an
illness that includes fever, head and body aches, skin rashes, swollen
lymph glands, and fatigue that can greatly reduce one’s ability to
perform normal daily activities. One out of 150 people infected may
suffer from the more severe complications of encephalitis and
meningitis.
As of September 8th, 219 human cases of WNV have been
reported in 22 Colorado counties. There have been two reported deaths
in Colorado this year due to the virus.
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