West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus--------
Protect Yourself From
West Nile Virus-------- Protect Yourself From
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. 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 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. You can reduce your risk of WNV by using insect repellent and a preventive control measure, while wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites.
What is West Nile Virus?
West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis, a brain inflammation and is typically spread by the bite of a mosquito. West Nile Virus was first detected in North America in 1999 and found in Pennsylvania in 2000. Prior to that, it had only been found in Africa, Eastern Europe, and West Asia.
In Pennsylvania, West Nile Virus maintains itself in nature by cycling between mosquitoes in the genus Culex and certain species of birds. A mosquito (the vector) bites an uninfected bird (the host), the virus amplifies within the bird, an uninfected mosquito bites the bird and is in turn infected. This cycle compounds itself through summer and fall, increasing the likelihood of someone being bitten by a diseased mosquito.
