HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Cabell-Huntington Health Department says it has received a positive sample of the West Nile Virus.
The department has been trapping mosquitoes and submitting them for testing.
Dr. Michael Kilkenny, physician director of the CHHD, said they are now working to eliminate all possible mosquito breeding areas. He said residents should not be alarmed, but should be aware of the dangers of the disease.
“It can require hospitalization. It can cause long-term neurological problems after a severe case, so you don’t want to be that one person in the state of West Virginia that gets this disease,” he said.
West Nile is a virus that is spread by blood, causing flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or body rash, Kilkenny said.
“The mosquitoes take the blood of an animal or a person. When they bite another animal or another person, they can transmit that blood and that disease to the new host,” he said.
The department is urging residents to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites that can potentially cause illness. Kilkenny said residents can help cut down on the mosquito population by eliminating standing water — where mosquitoes breed.
“The habitat for mosquitoes around the houses is any standing water and that can be in clogged gutters, it can be in puddles, it can be in bird baths or the bottoms of flower pots,” Kilkenny said.
Other steps to avoid mosquito bites are listed below:
- Wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors.
- Use insect repellents when you go outdoors.
- Avoid high mosquito-biting hours during the day, typically around dawn and dusk.