High Season for West Nile Virus Approaches | North Dakota News

GRAND FORKS – Mosquitoes may not seem particularly troublesome at the moment, but this is not the time to lower the guard against insects that could transmit West Nile virus, says Todd Hanson, head of Grand Mosquito Control Program.

Hanson and his colleagues are taking "aggressive" measures to counter what "we consider a high threat of West Nile virus," he said.

"We find mosquitoes and birds that are About 1965, about half of the mosquitoes, 26 out of 55, caught in the traps around Grand Forks this week were Culex tarsalis, which can carry and transmit the Nile virus Western, he said.

"The others were harmful mosquitoes," he said.

Do not be lulled by the apparent absence of mosquito activity, warns Hanson

"We do not have a lot of harmful mosquitoes right now, so people tend to think that mosquitoes are not just ad b," he said, "but we are reaching the high season for West Nile virus, which is about the entire month of August. This is usually when the highest number of human cases is reported.

Two human cases of West Nile were reported in North Dakota this summer – one each in Ramsey and Ransom counties.

"I am surprised that there is the Ministry of North Dakota Health has urged people to take precautions to protect themselves from the virus, said Jenny Galbraith, a surveillance epidemiologist in the North Dakota Health Department.

In 2017, the state's health department reported 62 cases of human infection with West Nile virus, about one-third of which resulted in hospitalization, Galbraith said.

West Nile virus has been identified throughout Dakota, said Hanson

The weather was "ideal for Culex tarsalis – really hot and dry," he said. 003] "Even though we had some rains in a timely manner, we are a little on the dry side," he says.

The mosquito thrives in stagnant water, like "a storage pond or bucket in the yard," Hanson said. "Even the smallest containers can raise thousands of mosquitoes."

Because they are not too bothered by mosquitoes during the day, residents "think that they do not have to take precautions, but now they must be vigilant about it "said Hanson. "Personal responsibility is the most important part.Apply a mosquito repellent and wear protective clothing."

"All you need is that a mosquito bites you and pbad on this virus to you, "said Hanson. [ad_2]
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