WNV Key Message Points - What can you do to protect yourself?
- West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquito bites. It cannot be transmitted
from person to person.
- Avoid outdoor activity from dusk to dawn.
- Dress appropriately during peak mosquito hours (wear long sleeves).
- Use mosquito repellents containing DEET.
- Drain pools of water and remove objects that can hold stagnant water (old tires).
Avoid Mosquito Bites to Avoid Infection
SOURCE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, and can infect people, horses, many types of birds, and some other animals.
Most people who become infected with West Nile virus will have either no symptoms or only mild ones. On rare occasions, infection can result in a severe and sometimes fatal illness known as West Nile encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain). The risk of severe disease is higher for persons 50 years of age and olde
West Nile Virus
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Protect yourself from mosquito bites
Avoid mosquito bites by applying insect repellent when spending time outdoors. Use repellent safely. Always read and follow product instructions. Human illness from West Nile virus is rare, even in areas where the virus has been reported. The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a mosquito bite is low.
You can further reduce your chances of becoming ill by protecting yourself from mosquito bites. To avoid mosquito bites, you can limit the number of places available for mosquitos to lay their eggs by eliminating standing water sources from around your home.
 Apply insect repellent containing DEET
when you're outdoors. Avoid applying repellent to children
less than 2 years old.
Use care in applying repellent
to small children, and don't put repellent on their
hands because it may get into their mouth or eyes and
cause irritation. Whenever you use any insecticide or
insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the product
directions. For more information see Using
Insect Repellent Safely from the EPA. Wearing long-sleeved
clothes and long pants treated with repellent will further
reduce your risk, as will staying indoors during peak
mosquito feeding hours (dusk until dawn).
Check to see if there is an organized mosquito control program
in your area. If no program exists, work with your local government
officials to establish a program. The
American Mosquito Control Association can provide advice,
and their book Organization for Mosquito Control is a useful
reference.
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How
to report dead birds
Dead birds in an area may mean that West Nile virus is circulating
between the birds and the mosquitoes in that area. Over 230
species of birds are known to have been infected with
West Nile virus. Although birds, particularly crows and jays,
infected with WN virus can die or become ill, most infected
birds do survive.
 The State of California has created a hotline, 1-877-WNV BIRD(1-877-968-2473), to report birds that have been dead for less than 48 hours to have them picked up for testing for West Nile virus. You can also send an electronic notice to the state. The bird should show no signs of decomposition or maggot infestation. Birds such as crows, ravens, magpies, jays or hawks are the primary animals of concern.
- Call the state hotline at 1-877-WNV-BIRD
( 1-877-968-2473)
- There is no evidence that West Nile virus can be acquired
from handling dead birds, but it is recommend you do not
handle the bird with your bare hands.
- Place the bird in two plastic bags (double bag the bird)
using gloves, a shovel, or by turning the bags inside out
and collecting the bird.
- If you have found a dead bird on your property, and it
has not been collected by 5 p.m. on the day of your report,
you may safely dispose of it in your trash.
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Questions and Answers
PLEASE NOTE: CDC is not a hospital or clinical facility;
they do not see patients and are unable to diagnose your illness,
provide treatment, prescribe medication, or refer you to specialists.
If you have a medical emergency, contacting CDC or the Stanislaus
County Health Services Agency is not the proper way to get
immediate help. In a medical emergency you should call 911.
Note: Not all Web site links are CDC or Stanislaus County
Health Services Agency (HSA) sites and will be opened in a
new browser window. CDC or HSA is not responsible for the
content of Web pages found at these links. Links to nonfederal
organizations are provided solely as a service to our users.
These links do not indicate an endorsement of these organizations
by CDC, the federal government or the HSA.
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Avoid mosquito bites
 Apply
Insect Repellent Containing DEET
(Look for: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) to exposed skin
when you go outdoors. Even a short time being outdoors
can be long enough to get a mosquito bite.
For details
on when and how to apply repellent, see Insect
Repellent Use and Safety in our Questions
and Answers pages.
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Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites
When possible, wear long-sleeves, long pants and socks when
outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying
clothes with repellent containing permethrin or DEET will give
extra protection. Don't apply repellents containing permethrin
directly to skin. Do not spray repellent containing DEET on
the skin under your clothing.
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Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours
The hours from dusk to dawn are peak mosquito biting times
for many species of mosquitoes. Take extra care to use repellent
and protective clothing during evening and early morning --
or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
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Mosquito-proof your home
Drain Standing
Water
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.Limit the number
of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by getting
rid of items that hold water. Need examples? Learn more on
the Prevention
of West Nile virus Question and Answer page.
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 Install
or Repair Screens
Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having well-fitting screens on both windows and doors.
Offer to help neighbors whose screens might be in bad shape.
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Help your community
Report Dead
Birds to Local Authorities
By reporting dead birds to state and local health departments,
you can play an important role in monitoring West Nile virus.
In California, if you see a dead bird you should call 1-877-WNV-BIRD
or click
here to send an electronic
notice to the state.
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Mosquito Control Programs
Check with local health authorities to see if there is an
organized mosquito control program in your area. If no program
exists, work with your local government officials to establish
a program. The American
Mosquito Control Association can provide advice, and their
book Organization for Mosquito Control is a useful reference.
More questions about mosquito control? A source for information
about pesticides and repellents is the National
Pesticide Information Center, which also operates a toll-free
information line: 1-800-858-7378 (check their Web site for
hours).
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Clean
Up
Mosquito breeding sites can be anywhere. Neighborhood
clean up days can be organized by civic or youth organizations
to pick up containers from vacant lots and parks, and
to encourage people to keep their yards free of standing
water.
Mosquitoes don't care about fences, so it's important
to control breeding sites throughout the neighborhood.
Find
out more about local prevention efforts
Find state and local West Nile virus information and
contacts on the
Links
to State and Local Government Sites page.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Route of West Nile virus
The most likely route of WNV infection to humans is through
the bite of an infected mosquito. WNV may also be transmitted
by organ transplantation, blood transfusion, or possibly breast
milk [CDC 2002a,b]. Transplacental (mother-to-fetus) infection
has occurred [CDC 2002c]. Laboratory-acquired infection has
also been documented [CDC 2002d]. Turkey breeder farm workers
have been infected with WNV [CDC 2003]. The mode of transmission
to these farm workers is unknown.
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Who is at Risk?
Most human WNV infections cause either no symptoms or a mild
flu-like illness. The most severely affected patients may
develop an inflammation of the brain, or the membranes of
the brain or spinal cord, or both, called encephalitis, meningitis,
or meningoencephalitis, respectively. These severe cases may
be fatal. Persons over age 50 are at higher risk of severe
illness following infection.
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What is the West Nile virus and what should I do about it?
