The Bear River Health Department has confirmed its first human West Nile Virus case in Cache County in 2024, its second in the Bear River district.
The virus can’t be spread person to person, only through infected mosquito bites, so public information officer Estee Hunt said the health department’s biggest message is prevention.
The health department shared these five tips to prevent exposure to the virus.
1. DRAIN: Eliminate standing water around your home or workplace.
2. DAWN & DUSK: Avoid outdoor activities during peak mosquito times.
3. DEET: Use insect repellents with DEET or other EPA-approved ingredients.
4. DRESS: Wear lightweight, loose, long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors.
5. DOOR: Ensure doors and window screens are in good repair.
If you develop symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, disorientation or muscle weakness, contact a health care provider immediately.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people.
Most people infected with West Nile virus do not feel sick. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.
West Nile Virus is carried by Culex mosquito species.
Mosquitoes found in Hyde Park, Lewiston, Cornish, Newton, Benson, Petersboro, Mendon and Hyrum have all tested positive for West Nile Virus.
Cache Mosquito Abatement District Manager Richard Rigby said this is the first time in several years the county has had multiple traps test positive for the virus in one summer.
“You have to realize, mosquitoes can go up to 20 miles, and Petersboro to Logan is 20 miles on a good night with wind,” Rigby said. “And there’s a lot of area in there with wetland. So even though Logan hasn’t tested positive, you’ve still got to worry about it.”
He said between COVID-19, the flu and cold season, it is sometimes hard to recognize if you have West Nile, and the only way to test for it is to get a blood test.
“The virus has a lot of the same tendencies as the flu,” Rigby said. “The problem is once it goes from flu like to the neural invasive, then it can cause real problems.”
Rigby said he hopes people will be vigilant and take steps to protect themselves, especially getting rid of standing water.
He said a lot of people don’t realize their ornamental pond, dog dish or plant pot could be a good source of mosquito breeding.
“The Culex pipien is so small, they can lay their eggs and develop in a paint can lid. It doesn’t take a lot of water for some species to go through the life cycle,” Rigby said.
The district formed in 2004 and covers the whole county except for Logan, River Heights and Paradise.
According to Rigby, 70% of their job is checking standing water for mosquito larva and treating larva with larvicide to prevent them from becoming adult mosquitoes.
The other 30% is spent fogging, which affects adult mosquitoes.
“That’s when people see and hear us, because that’s when we’re visible,” Rigby said. “Most people don’t realize we do the larger side.”
Fogging is done in the evening between dusk and midnight because that is when Culex species are most active and therefore most likely to be killed by the pesticide. Bees and native pollinators return to their hives at dusk and so are not likely to be exposed to the pesticide.
The products used for fogging are Kontrol (permethrin) & Fyfanon ULV (Malathion). Both are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Before the district formed in 2005, you talked to farmers, and they would have to almost put on bee suits basically just to go out and move pipe and things like that,” Rigby said.
He said you can see a big difference now, even though it is impossible to eliminate all mosquitoes.
For more information on mosquito abetment and how to protect yourself, go to www.cachemosquito.gov/.
