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SOURCE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected
mosquito, and can infect people, horses, many types
of birds, and some other animals.
Most people who become infected with West Nile virus
will have either no symptoms or only mild ones. On
rare occasions, infection can result in a severe and
sometimes fatal illness known as West Nile encephalitis
(an inflammation of the brain). The risk of severe
disease is higher for persons 50 years of age and
older.
West
Nile Virus navigation links:
Protect
yourself from mosquito bites
Avoid mosquito bites by applying insect repellent
when spending time outdoors. Use repellent safely.
Always read and follow product instructions. Human
illness from West Nile virus is rare, even in areas
where the virus has been reported. The chance that
any one person is going to become ill from a mosquito
bite is low.
You can further reduce your chances of becoming ill
by protecting yourself from mosquito bites. To avoid
mosquito bites, you can limit the number of places
available for mosquitos to lay their eggs by eliminating
standing water sources from around your home.
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Apply insect repellent containing
DEET when you're outdoors. Avoid applying repellent
to children less than 2 years old. Use care
in applying repellent to small children, and
don't put repellent on their hands because it
may get into their mouth or eyes and cause irritation.
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| Whenever you use any insecticide or insect repellent,
be sure to read and follow the product directions.
For more information see Using
Insect Repellent Safely from the EPA. Wearing
long-sleeved clothes and long pants treated
with repellent will further reduce your risk,
as will staying indoors during peak mosquito
feeding hours (dusk until dawn). |
Check to see if there is an organized mosquito control
program in your area. If no program exists, work with
your local government officials to establish a program. The
American Mosquito Control Association can provide
advice, and their book Organization for Mosquito Control
is a useful reference.
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How
to report dead birds
Dead birds in an area may mean that West Nile virus
is circulating between the birds and the mosquitoes
in that area. Over 230
species of birds are known to have been infected
with West Nile virus. Although birds, particularly
crows and jays, infected with WN virus can die or
become ill, most infected birds do survive.
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The State of California has created
a hotline, 1-877-WNV
BIRD (1-877-968-2473), to report birds
that have been dead for less than |
| 48 hours to
have them picked up for testing for West Nile
virus. You can also send an electronic
notice to the state. The bird should show
no signs of decomposition or maggot infestation.
Birds such as crows, ravens, magpies, jays or
hawks are the primary animals of concern. |
- Call the state hotline at 1-877-WNV-BIRD
( 1-877-968-2473)
- There is no evidence that West Nile virus can
be acquired from handling dead birds, but it is
recommend you do not handle the bird with your bare
hands.
- Place the bird in two plastic bags (double bag
the bird) using gloves, a shovel, or by turning
the bags inside out and collecting the bird.
- If you have found a dead bird on your property,
and it has not been collected by 5 p.m. on the day
of your report, you may safely dispose of it in
your trash.
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Questions
and Answers
PLEASE NOTE: CDC is not a hospital or clinical facility;
they do not see patients and are unable to diagnose
your illness, provide treatment, prescribe medication,
or refer you to specialists.
If you have a medical emergency, contacting CDC or
the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency is not
the proper way to get immediate help. In a medical
emergency you should call 911.
Note: Not all Web site links are CDC or Stanislaus
County Health Services Agency (HSA) sites and will
be opened in a new browser window. CDC or HSA is not
responsible for the content of Web pages found at
these links. Links to nonfederal organizations are
provided solely as a service to our users. These links
do not indicate an endorsement of these organizations
by CDC, the federal government or the HSA.
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Avoid
mosquito bites
 |
Apply
Insect Repellent Containing DEET
(Look for: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) to exposed
skin when you go outdoors. Even a short time
being outdoors can be long enough to get a mosquito
bite. For details on when and how to apply repellent, |
see Insect
Repellent Use and Safety in our Questions
and Answers pages.
|
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Clothing
Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites
When possible, wear long-sleeves, long pants and socks
when outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing,
so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin
or DEET will give extra protection. Don't apply repellents
containing permethrin directly to skin. Do not spray
repellent containing DEET on the skin under your clothing.
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Be
Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours
The hours from dusk to dawn are peak mosquito biting
times for many species of mosquitoes. Take extra care
to use repellent and protective clothing during evening
and early morning -- or consider avoiding outdoor
activities during these times.
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Mosquito-proof
your home
Drain
Standing Water
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.Limit
the number of places around your home for mosquitoes
to breed by getting rid of items that hold water.
Need examples? Learn more on the Prevention
of West Nile virus Question and Answer page.
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Install or Repair Screens
Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them
outside by having well-fitting screens on both
windows and doors. Offer to help neighbors whose
screens might be in bad shape. |
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Help
your community
Report
Dead Birds to Local Authorities
By reporting dead birds to state and local
health departments, you can play an important role
in monitoring West Nile virus. In California, if you
see a dead bird you should call 1-877-WNV-BIRD or click
here to send an electronic
notice to the state.
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Mosquito
Control Programs
Check with local health authorities to see if there
is an organized mosquito control program in your area.
If no program exists, work with your local government
officials to establish a program. The American
Mosquito Control Association can provide advice,
and their book Organization for Mosquito Control is
a useful reference.
More questions about mosquito control? A source for
information about pesticides and repellents is the National
Pesticide Information Center, which also operates
a toll-free information line: 1-800-858-7378 (check
their Web site for hours).
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Clean
Up
Mosquito breeding sites can be anywhere. Neighborhood
clean up days can be organized by civic or youth
organizations to pick up containers from vacant
lots and parks, and to encourage people to keep
their yards free of standing water. Mosquitoes
don't care about fences, so it's important to
control breeding sites throughout the neighborhood.
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Find
out more about local prevention efforts
Find state and local West Nile virus information
and contacts on the Links
to State and Local Government Sites page.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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The most likely route of WNV infection to humans
is through the bite of an infected mosquito. WNV may
also be transmitted by organ transplantation, blood
transfusion, or possibly breast milk [CDC 2002a,b].
Transplacental (mother-to-fetus) infection has occurred
[CDC 2002c]. Laboratory-acquired infection has also
been documented [CDC 2002d]. Turkey breeder farm workers
have been infected with WNV [CDC 2003]. The mode of
transmission to these farm workers is unknown.
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Most human WNV infections cause either no symptoms
or a mild flu-like illness. The most severely affected
patients may develop an inflammation of the brain,
or the membranes of the brain or spinal cord, or both,
called encephalitis, meningitis, or meningoencephalitis,
respectively. These severe cases may be fatal. Persons
over age 50 are at higher risk of severe illness following
infection.
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