HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β Health officials are warning Henrico County residents about an increased risk of West Nile virus after mosquito testing showed concerning results.
About 50% of mosquito trap sites tested in the county over the past two weeks were positive for the virus, according to Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) officials.
"Mosquito trap sites collect a pool of mosquitoes from a specific area; if one mosquito in a trap tests positive, regardless of how many mosquitoes are in the trap, the trap site is considered positive," officials said.
County and health officials consider it a higher risk for West Nile transmission when 50% or more of mosquito trap sites test positive for the virus for two consecutive weeks.
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The virus spreads through mosquito bites but cannot be transmitted through person-to-person contact. Health officials emphasized that West Nile cannot spread through coughing, sneezing, touching, or by eating infected animals or birds.
"The majority of people with WNV infection have mild or no symptoms," officials said.
However, people over 55 and those with conditions like cancer or kidney disease face greater risks from the virus. These vulnerable groups may experience more serious illness that could lead to permanent disability or death.
Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Between 25-50% of cases develop a rash.
Since there is no West Nile vaccine for humans, officials recommend avoiding exposure to infected mosquitoes as the best prevention method.
Officials said there have been no recent documented human cases of West Nile in Henrico County.
Protection Tips from Health Department:
- Wear loose-fitting and long sleeves and pants and limit the amount of exposed skin when youβre outside in areas where mosquitoes may be active.
- The mosquitoes that transmit WNV are most active from dusk until dawn, but they can bite you at any time.
- Consider using an EPA-registered insect repellent [epa.gov] on your skin or clothing.
- When using insect repellant on children, keep the following in mind:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends [aap.org] using products containing no greater than 30% DEET on children.
- Do not use insect repellent on babies under two months of age.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol should never be used on children under three years of age.
- Sleep with windows and doors closed unless they are well-screened.
Keep Mosquito Habitats Away from Your House:
- Check outside your residence to be sure there are no containers of standing water. Some mosquitoes lay eggs in containers of water, including containers that only hold about as much water as a bottle cap.
- Dump water that collects in containers each week.
- Wading pools, ornamental ponds, bird baths, neglected swimming pools, flowerpot trays, buckets and used tires can all serve as sources of standing water for mosquitoes to breed in.
- Wash out containers each week before refilling them with clean water.
- Mosquito eggs take about one week to hatch.
- Cover or store boats or buckets upside down to prevent water from collecting in these containers.
- Use mosquito larvicide dunks [cdc.gov] to regularly treat containers of water that cannot be dumped or drained.
- Larvicide dunks kill mosquito larvae in stagnant water sources during warm months when mosquitoes are active.
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