What kind of mosquitoes carry west nile virus

The best way to protect yourself and your family from the West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites. Be sure to:. Communities help health officials track West Nile virus infection patterns. If you see a dead bird in your area, do not touch it with your bare hands. Instead, contact your state or local health department to ask what to do with it.

If they get a lot of reports of dead birds, they can look to see if they were infected with West Nile virus. If so, health officials can spray the area with pesticides or do other things to help control mosquitoes. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

What Is West Nile Virus? When symptoms do happen, they're usually mild and can include: fever headache body aches joint pain vomiting or diarrhea skin rash Rarely, a person can get very ill with problems that affect the central nervous system, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms.

About 1 out of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. You can reduce your risk of WNV by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

What are the risk factors for West Nile virus? How is West Nile virus diagnosed? Your doctor will order a blood test to check for antibodies to the West Nile virus. He or she may also do a lumbar puncture to test cerebrospinal fluid for signs of infection.

How is West Nile virus treated? Your healthcare provider will figure out the best treatment based on: How old you are Your overall health and medical history How sick you are How well you can handle specific medications, procedures, or therapies How long the condition is expected to last Your opinion or preference There's no specific treatment for West Nile virus-related diseases. If a person gets the more severe form of the disease, West Nile encephalitis or meningitis, treatment may include intensive supportive therapy, such as: Hospitalization Intravenous IV fluids Breathing support ventilator Prevention of other infections such as pneumonia or urinary tract infections Nursing care What are the complications of West Nile virus?

However, the virus can cause life-threatening illnesses, such as Encephalitis inflammation of the brain Meningitis inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord Meningoencephalitis inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membrane Can West Nile virus be prevented?

If you spray your clothing, there's no need to spray repellent containing DEET on the skin under your clothing. When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants treated with repellents containing permethrin or DEET since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.

Don't directly apply repellents containing permethrin to exposed skin. Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening. These are peak hours for mosquito bites, especially those mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Limit the number of places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs by getting rid of standing water sources from around your home. To boost your protection from insect repellent, remember: Sweating, or water may call for reapplication of the product. If you aren't being bitten, you don't need to reapply repellent.

Use enough repellent to cover exposed skin or clothing. Don't apply repellent to skin that's under clothing. Heavy application isn't needed for protection.

Don't apply repellent to cuts, wounds, or irritated skin. After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water. Don't spray aerosol or pump products in enclosed areas. Don't apply aerosol or pump products directly to your face.

Spray your hands and then rub them carefully over the face, avoiding your eyes and mouth. Clean up and empty containers that collect water such as old tires, flower pots, wheelbarrows, barrels, tin cans or even small containers like bottle tops that are outdoors. Drill holes in the bottom of used containers so water can't collect.

Change water in bird baths at least once a week. If you have a swimming pool, immediately remove water that collects on pool covers and make sure the pool's pump is circulating Turn over wading pools when not in use. Clear leaves and drains: don't let things pile up. Clear leaves and twigs from eavestroughs, storm and roof gutters throughout the summer. Check flat roofs frequently for standing water.

Make sure drains and drainage ditches are not clogged. Stop mosquitoes from entering your home Check windows and door screens for holes and make sure they fit snugly into the frames, so mosquitoes cannot get in.

Where is WNV found? The first cases in B. Since then, it has established itself in the continental United States and provinces of Canada. How likely am I to get sick with WNV from one mosquito bite?

In areas where mosquitoes carry the virus, usually only a small number of mosquitoes will be infected. Most mosquitoes that bite humans are not able to carry WNV, but there is no easy way to tell the difference between ones that can and ones that cannot.

Therefore, it is important to prevent any mosquito bite. Is there a vaccine against WNV?