20 July, 2017
The Cass County Health Department, along with the Miller-Hunt virology lab at Western Illinois University, has been conducting mosquito surveillance since the month of May.
Health officials say the positive test affirms the presence of the virus in the county and the increased risk for infection. Symptoms appear in three to 14 days and include fever headache and body aches.
The best way to protect yourself from West Nile is to prevent mosquito bites.
REDUCE exposure - minimize being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn. West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.
Make sure doors and window screens are in good condition so that mosquitoes can not get indoors. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide the best protection. Consult a physician before using repellants on infants.
For more information on West Nile virus, log on to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's website. In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government about areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.
West Nile also was found in mosquitoes in Weld County and the first confirmed human case of the virus this year was reported in Jefferson County.
