State health officials are asking the public to use insect repellant after the third case of West Nile Virus was reported in Delaware.
Businesses and residents are urged to check for areas of standing water, old tires and other places that can provide a home for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
The Delaware Division of Public Health announced that the disease was confirmed in the illness of a 73-year-old New Castle County man, who has been hospitalized since late August.
This is the third case of West Nile Virus confirmed in humans in the last month. The first case involved a 60-year-old Sussex County man, and the second was a 68-year-old New Castle County man.
The state is awaiting results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a fourth potential case of the disease.
Last week, the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced two cases of the disease in horses.
“We are extremely concerned about this situation and are urging people to use insect repellent whenever you go out,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Peak transmission period for West Nile Virus lasts for another six weeks. With people spending more time outside as the temperatures begin to cool down, and for after-school sports, it is vitally important that everyone take this basic step to protect themselves.” While the mosquitoes that cause WNV bite primarily from dusk (evening) to dawn (morning), other mosquitoes that cause diseases such as chikungunya, dengue fever and Zika can bite during the day. The CDC now recommends wearing insect repellent whenever you go out.
West Nile is a mosquito-borne illness that can cause serious health problems. WNV is generally transmitted in summer and fall, with a peak period for disease transmissions from mid-August to mid-October.
Nearly 80 percent of people infected with WNV will not become ill. While only slightly less than 20 percent of those infected with the virus will develop West Nile fever with mild symptoms (fever, headache, body aches, a skin rash on the chest or back and swollen lymph glands), one in 150 people infected will develop a severe infection (West Nile encephalitis or meningitis), health officials reported.
Symptoms of severe infection include a headache, high fever, stiff neck, and/or tremors and muscle weakness.
The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk. Anyone who experiences any of these severe symptoms should seek medical help immediately. Symptoms may progress to stupor, disorientation, coma, convulsions, paralysis and possibly death.
To avoid mosquito bites and reduce the risk of infection, individuals should, according to heath officials:
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for reapplication times.
- If using sunscreen, apply it first and insect repellent second.
- Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to the child’s face. Do not apply an insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, or on cut or irritated skin.
- Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than two months of age.
- When outside, wear shoes, light-colored long-sleeved shirts, and pants. Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs. Mosquito netting can protect one’s face and neck, and infants in carriages, strollers and playpens.
- Use permethrin (an insecticide) to treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents), but do not apply to skin.
- Prevent mosquitoes from entering the house by using screens and keeping windows and doorways tightly sealed.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC) Mosquito Control Section has seen an increase of the virus in wild birds and sentinel chickens this year throughout the state.
To assist the state’s mosquito control efforts, and to reduce mosquito-breeding habitat, DNREC urges homeowners to practice good water sanitation on their property by eliminating standing water, particularly as might be collected in buckets, containers, uncovered trash cans, stagnant bird baths, old tires and unused swimming pools.
While there are no human vaccines against WNV, there are effective vaccines available for horses through licensed veterinarians, according to the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian’s Office.
To report suspected cases of human West Nile, call the DPH Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 888-295-5156.
