Though West Nile Virus is rare, Ozarks residents can protect themselves from mosquitoes
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported that the state has seen seven cases of West Nile Virus so far in 2022. In the U.S., there have been 420 cases as of Sept. 20, 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
West Nile Virus is the illness that doctors now suspect Art Hains has.
Kendra Findley, administrator of community health and epidemiology for Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said that Greene County doesn't see many cases.
"We receive so few reportable cases of West Nile — we maybe see one case a year, or it may go several years where we don't see any cases," Findley said. "That may be because we don't have a lot of the virus within our mosquito population, or it may be because 80% of those who get infected with West Nile are actually asymptomatic."
About 20% of people develop fever with other symptoms like body aches, joint pain, vomiting or diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, about 1 in 150 people develop severe illness like inflammation of the brain or inflammation of the membranes the surround the brain and spinal cord. Of those who develop illness in the central nervous system, about 1 in 10 die, according to the CDC.
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West Nile Virus spreads when mosquitoes bite infected birds, and then bite humans, horses or other mammals. However, a non-infected mosquito that bites a human, horse or other mammal with West Nile Virus cannot pass it onto someone else, because those hosts don't carry high enough levels of the virus in the bloodstream.
"You still have to be concerned outdoors with mosquitoes. They're still a nuisance, there's still a chance that you can get infected with West Nile. So what we would really encourage people to do is to try to protect themselves against that bug bite," Findley said.
If someone is outdoors at dusk or dawn, that's when there will be the most mosquito activity. The best ways to protect against bites is to ensure skin is covered and to apply bug repellant according to the packaging. Another thing people can do is to make sure they eliminate sources of standing water, where mosquitoes lay eggs.
Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How to stay safe from West Nile Virus complications in Missouri
