CALHOUN COUNTY, MI — Mosquitos collected in Calhoun County last month have tested positive for West Nile virus, health officials announced on Friday, Aug. 16.
The Calhoun County Health Department is asking people to take precautions against mosquito bites after the samples collected on Wednesday, July 24, tested positive for West Nile virus at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories.
These are the first infected mosquitos detected in Calhoun County in 2024, the Calhoun County Health Department said in a news release.
West Nile virus can be transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can become infected if they bite a bird infected with the virus.
Many people infected with the virus will not have any symptoms or will experience a mild illness such as body aches, fever, and headache. Some people will develop more severe symptoms that could include encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord).
People with the greatest risk to develop a severe illness are those 50 years and older, people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, hypertension, and people who have received an organ transplant, health officials said.
The best way to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses, including Eastern equine encephalitis and Jamestown Canyon virus, is to prevent mosquito bites.
Michigan’s first case of Eastern equine encephalitis in 2024 was detected in an unvaccinated Van Buren County horse on Aug. 7.
On Friday, Aug. 16, an Eaton County horse diagnosed with West Nile virus was documented as the first case of the illness in a domestic animal this year.
In 2024, there has been one confirmed human case in Michigan, when a resident of Livingston County was sickened by the disease last month, according to state of Michigan records.
Calhoun County health officials offered these tips:
Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET or other EPA approved products to exposed skin or clothingWear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors and apply insect repellent to clothingKeep window and door screens in place to keep insects outEmpty water from mosquito breeding sites, such as old tires and any items holding water, where mosquitos can lay eggs
For more information, contact the Calhoun County Health Department by phone at 269-969-6370 or online.
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 08:23:00
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