Three Rivers Public Health Department reports the district’s first positive West Nile Virus mosquito pool, located within Washington County.
Mosquito surveillance, conducted through trapping and testing, detected the positive pool. There is no vaccine to prevent West Nile Virus. The best safeguard from this disease is to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
Three Rivers conducts mosquito surveillance and testing each summer. Three Rivers also monitors West Nile by taking reports of dead birds. If you find a dead bird in the Corvid family (American Crow, Black-billed Magpie, Blue Jay), please report it.
Transmission of West Nile Virus occurs through the bite of a mosquito that has acquired the virus from feeding on an infected bird. Then, the mosquito can pass the virus to humans. You cannot get West Nile Virus directly from a dead bird.
People can reduce their risk by:
• Using a repellant that contains DEET
• Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, and socks
• Taking extra precautions when going outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most
active
• Removing standing water where mosquitoes breed (or use dunks)
• Emptying and changing the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels and potted
trays at least once a week, if not more often
• Making sure window and door screens are “bug tight” and repair or replace torn screens
Most people who are infected with West Nile Virus have no symptoms or only mild flu-like symptoms. Less than 1% of people infected with West Nile Virus become severely ill. However, people over 50 and those with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to the disease and are more likely to experience serious consequences.
Free mosquito wipes and mosquito dunks are available to residents of Dodge, Washington, and Saunders County. Mosquito wipes and mosquito dunks can be picked up at Three Rivers Public Health Department, located in Fremont (2400 N. Lincoln Ave.), Wahoo (1320 31st St.), and Blair (1762 Washington St., Suite 205).
For more information, call Three Rivers Public Health Department at 402-727-5396 or visit www.threeriverspublichealth.org.
