The L.A. County Public Health Department announced its first case of West Nile virus this year. An Antelope Valley resident has been hospitalized with a rare and serious symptom of the virus.
On Monday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health stated that the infected individual was currently hospitalized after developing West Nile virus encephalitis — which can cause fever, altered mental status and movement disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It occurs in less than 1% of infected patients.
“Detecting West Nile virus in our district is a reminder that this virus has been present in California, and right here in our community, for over 20 years,” said Brenna Bates-Grubb, community outreach specialist with the Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The virus-carrying mosquitoes and the infections that ensue are “part of our local environment and continue to reappear year after year,” Bates-Grubb said in a statement.
West Nile virus is the most common and serious mosquito-borne disease in California that doesn’t have a specific treatment or vaccine to prevent infection.
Last week, local and federal public health officials reported West Nile virus activity as being well above average for this time of the year. By the end of June, there were at least 48 human disease cases nationwide, including 38 cases of severe neuroinvasive disease.
There are three reported human cases of West Nile virus in the state so far this year — the case announced Monday by Los Angeles County health officials, another in Sacramento County and one reported by the city of Long Beach.
The Los Angeles Public Health Department reports 41 human cases per year, on average, during the last five years, officials stated.
“However, the total number of people infected with West Nile virus each year in L.A. County is much higher as most infected people do not experience any illness or only mild illness,” the department said in a news release.
Anyone is at risk of becoming infected with the virus, but those at higher risk of developing serious illness and long-term problems include people over age 50 and those with preexisting conditions.
A majority of people who become infected with the virus are asymptomatic. Others will experience mild symptoms such as fever, body aches and nausea.
In more severe cases, symptoms include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, vision loss, paralysis and coma. These more severe symptoms may last several weeks and lead to permanent damage to the brain and nervous system.
L.A. County officials said the first human case is an important reminder to the community that everyone needs to take steps to prevent mosquito bites and breeding.
How to avoid a mosquito bite
- Wear mosquito repellent directly on all exposed skin. The repellent should contain at least one of the following active ingredients: DEET, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or Picaridin/KBR 3023.
- Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants when you’re outside, especially around dawn and dusk.
- If you can, avoid being outside between dusk and dawn, which is when the mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus are most active.
How to keep mosquitoes from breeding around your home
The best way to prevent infection is to make sure your home is not a breeding ground for virus-carrying mosquitoes.
- Remove stagnant water around homes, and eliminate containers that might catch and hold water.
- Empty or change water in pet bowls, birdbaths and other outdoor containers at least once a week.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools; drain any water that collects on pool covers.
- Install or repair door and window screens.
- Stock garden ponds with mosquitofish (also known as Gambusia affinis), goldfish, Koi or other mosquito-eating fish. These feed on mosquito eggs and larvae.
- Support neighborhood mosquito-control efforts by reporting neglected swimming pools, large mosquito breeding sites or unusually high mosquito activity to the Vector Control District; L.A. County’s agency offers more tips and mosquito-clearing services.
- Report dead birds to the Vector Control District; it’s one way officials can track where West Nile virus is spreading. West Nile virus is transmitted to birds through the bite of an infected mosquito, and mosquitoes can become infected with the virus by biting an infected bird.
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