Prince William County residents will need to be more careful outside this summer, since Prince William County health officials announced last week that mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been found in the Woodbridge area.
According to the Prince William Office of Executive Managment, some of the mosquitoes they collected this month have tested positive for the virus. Health officials also found mosquitoes carrying the virus in Fairfax County.
West Nile is difficult to identify and goes undetected in the majority of people, 80 percent of whom experience no symptoms, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
However 20 percent of infections will present themselves as West Nile Virus fever, accompanied by headache, muscle ache, fatigue and joint pain. On average one in 150 of those people will also develop severe symptom. If untreated, the neurological effects of the disease can be permanent.
Despite popular belief, children are not more susceptible to West Nile; however people over 50 years of age are, and should take extra precautions against mosquito bites.
However, the Center for Disease Control reports that the chance of a person becoming ill from a single mosquito bite remains low.
Because the disease is difficult to identify and treat, the CDC recommends prevention when at all possible. These include avoiding insect bites, clearing out mosquitoes from areas where individuals work or play and participating in community efforts to control the disease.
The CDC recommends people protect themselves from bites by wearing long clothing while outdoors and spraying insect repellent on exposed skin. They even recommend spraying thin articles of clothing.
In order for individuals to mosquito-proof their homes and businesses, they first should begin with eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Mosquitoes also like to come indoors, so maintaining screens is important.
Dead birds may be a sign that West Nile is circulating in the area, and the CDC suggests individuals report dead bird sightings to their state and local governments.
The Virginia Department of Health has identified the Asian tiger mosquitoes as the most prolific in the state. They bite frequently during the day, and do not breed in ponds and stagnant water but in small, contained spaces.
Although Asian tiger mosquitoes are not the most common carriers of West Nile virus, there are 40 species of mosquitoes which may carry the disease.
Local, state and federal agencies suggest that people should take all precautions.
The Virginia Department of Health also suggests that in choosing an insect repellent, people find one that has no more than 50 percent DEET for adults and no more than 30 percent for children.
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