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West Nile season off to a strong start
Posted on Jul 29th 2007 7:00AM by Bethany SandersWhen we checked into a campground last week for a week-long vacation, the owner told me, "You'll like it here, we don't have any bugs." I laughed out loud, because camping and mosquitoes go together like bread and butter, right? I was happily surprised to find out he was telling the truth; the sandy soil meant there was no standing water for mosquitoes to breed. With the exception of a stray fly or bee, the entire week was happily bug free.
After reading this, I'm grateful. The West Nile virus, which has been pretty quiet the last few seasons, has flared this year and this season looks to be as bad or worse than 2003, when West Nile sickened 2,866 people. Though the virus can be found anywhere, it seems to be the worst in central and western states, probably due to the species of mosquitoes that live there. In addition, irrigation water is popular with the bug, and farmers are exposed to bites during long days in the fields.
There have been 42 reported cases so far this year and whether the trend continues depends mostly on the weather. Hot weather helps the virus grow inside of the mosquitoes, and late summer and fall that are cool in temperature may slow the spread of the disease. The best way to prevent West Nile is to prevent mosquito bites. Take a look at these suggestions to keep yourself and your family safe.
After reading this, I'm grateful. The West Nile virus, which has been pretty quiet the last few seasons, has flared this year and this season looks to be as bad or worse than 2003, when West Nile sickened 2,866 people. Though the virus can be found anywhere, it seems to be the worst in central and western states, probably due to the species of mosquitoes that live there. In addition, irrigation water is popular with the bug, and farmers are exposed to bites during long days in the fields.
There have been 42 reported cases so far this year and whether the trend continues depends mostly on the weather. Hot weather helps the virus grow inside of the mosquitoes, and late summer and fall that are cool in temperature may slow the spread of the disease. The best way to prevent West Nile is to prevent mosquito bites. Take a look at these suggestions to keep yourself and your family safe.
