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PHOTO FILE: The mosquitoes are sorted at the Dallas County Dallas Mosquito Control Laboratory. (LM Otero / The Associated Press)
(Harrisburg) – Pennsylvania has had its worst outbreak of West Nile virus in 15 years.
The state is reporting 72 human cases up to now. According to the state health department, three people died of the virus in Pennsylvania, one in the counties of Lebanon, Lancaster and Westmoreland.
Franklin County ranks second with eight human cases behind Philadelphia with eleven.
South-Central Pennsylvania recorded 22 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus – eight in Franklin, five in Lebanon, five Lancaster, two York and one in Adams and Dauphin counties.
Human cases reach their maximum at the end of the season. Birds migrate out of the area and mosquitoes seek a blood meal elsewhere. Some mosquito species spread West Nile virus.
The state's West Nile virus surveillance and control program is complete for the season, said a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The season ends when a killing frost puts an end to mosquito activity. According to Accuweather's long-term forecast, the first frost in south-central Pennsylvania appears to be in a week or two.
An Asian tiger mosquito, which breeds in stagnant water, is found near water droplets in Anderson. The mosquito is known for its ability to transmit West Nile virus to humans after contact with native birds and horses. (Photo: Ken Ruinard)
At the height of human infection by the West Nile in 2003, the state had 237 human cases, including nine deaths. The virus was discovered for the first time in 2000 in Pennsylvania. The previous peak after 2003 was 60 cases and four deaths in 2012.
The state program in 2018 also reported the virus in 70 horses, 106 birds and 4,680 mosquito samples.
The wet summer has contributed to the severity of West Nile virus.
According to the Ministry of Health, all residents in areas where viral activity has been identified are at risk of contracting West Nile encephalitis. Nearly 20% of people bitten by a mosquito carrying the West Nile virus will have symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, rashes and swollen lymph nodes. The symptoms usually last only a few days. For one in 150 people, mosquito bites can develop into life-threatening illnesses.
Residents can eliminate their habitat by getting rid of stagnant and stagnant water where mosquitoes lay their eggs.
The use of commonly-sold insect repellents, such as DEET or Picaridin, can also reduce mosquito bites and eventual exposure to the virus. Pants and sleeves can reduce exposure.
This story comes from a partnership between WITF and The Chambersburg Public Opinion.
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