Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Deep and dangerous heat is not the only sign we are in the full throes of a Washington summer. Prince William County, Va., officials have discovered the season’s first mosquitoes to test positive for the West Nile virus.
The mosquitoes were collected from the north Woodbridge and Lake Ridge area on July 8, and are the first to test positive in the county so far this year, according to InsideNova.com.
It is not clear whether the Prince William mosquitoes are the first to carry the virus in Virginia this year. Health officials are checking with state entomologists to see if any other reports have come in.
Prince William County officials conducted an intensive treatment in the area where the mosquitoes were found to kill adult mosquitoes and breeding larvae, according to a statement released by the county.
The West Nile virus is carried by infected mosquitoes who then spread it through bites to humans, birds, horses and other mammals.
Most people bitten by an infected mosquito do not get sick beyond a mild flu-like illness, officials said, but people 50 and older are at the greatest risk for more serious illnesses.
Health officials recommend these ways to reduce exposure to mosquitoes:
- Wear long, light loose clothing
- Use insect repellant products with no more than 50 percent DEET for adults and less than 10 percent DEET for children.
- Remove containers that may collect water in your yard or turn them over.
- Eliminate standing water in yards, or on tarps or flat roofs.
- Chlorinate or clean out birdbaths or wading pools every three to five days.
- Clean roof gutters and downspouts on a regular basis. Mosquitoes breed and feed in standing water in roof gutters.
For more information on West Nile virus, visit the Virginia Department of Health website at www.vdh.gov.
