Introduction | What It Is and How It's Transmitted | Prevention | Humans and West Nile | Animals and West Nile | Research and Surveillance | Resources About West Nile Virus
A single mosquito can lay 300 eggs in a capful of water. Photo of eggs and a larva of Culex spp., a mosquito vector of West Nile virus, courtesy of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia.
The best way to prevent West Nile is to protect yourself, and your family, property, community, pets, and livestock from mosquitoes.
To minimize your risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, avoid being outside between dusk and dawn, times when mosquitoes that have transmitted West Nile virus are most active.
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
| Using Insect Repellents Safely | |
| Avoid breathing in repellent sprays.
Apply repellents only to clothing and exposed skin. Do not allow children to handle insect repellents, and do not apply to children's hands. Apply to your own hands, and then put it on the child. Never use repellent on cuts, wounds, or irritated skin. Do not spray repellent directly onto your face. Spray on your hands first, and then apply to your face. Avoid the eyes and mouth, and apply sparingly around ears. Do not spray repellents in enclosed areas or near food. After returning inside, wash treated skin with soap and water or bathe, especially when repellents are used repeatedly in a day or on consecutive days. Wash treated clothes before wearing again. For more information on insect repellents and mosquito control, see the Environmental Protection Agency's EPA and Mosquito Control. | |
When going outdoors, apply insect repellent that contains DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) to clothing and bare skin.
DEET is the most effective and best-studied repellent against mosquitoes and ticks. The higher the percentage of DEET in a repellent (up to 35%), the longer it will last. Choose a repellent with a higher percentage of DEET if you are going to be outdoors for several hours, and a lower percentage of DEET if outdoor time will be limited. Reapply as needed.
Products containing 10% or less of DEET are most appropriate for children aged 2 to 12. Do not allow children to handle or apply insect repellents.
Although there are a number of other non-DEET repellent products intended to protect against mosquito bites, studies have shown that most products do not offer the same level or length of protection as products that contain DEET.
A soybean-oil-based product has been shown to provide protection for approximately 90 minutes, about as long as low-concentration (4.75%) DEET products.
Be alert to the signs and symptoms of West Nile disease.
Take a look around your property to identify potential breeding areas for mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Ideal breeding grounds include various types of ground water, including puddles, ponds, and stagnant water in ditches. Mosquitoes can also breed in plastic tarps, pool covers, small saucers, rain gutters, tires, animal watering pans, ornamental ponds, and even small tree holes filled with water.
Keep gutters and downspout screens free of debris so water does not pool.
Empty standing water in old tires, buckets, toys, plastic covers, cemetery urns, and any other containers that can hold water.
Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, and potted plant trays at least once a week.
Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
Drain or fill temporary pools with dirt.
Contact your local mosquito control district or health department to handle stagnant water in roadside ditches or standing ponds.
A variety of larvicides are available to keep mosquitoes from breeding in still water.
Notify your local health department if you see a dead or dying bird. Every state and U.S. territory collects information on the occurrence of West Nile virus infection in birds, mosquitoes, horses and people. The information is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Geological Survey to track the distribution and spread of the virus.
More than 170 species of birds have been infected with West Nile. Most do not become ill or die, but some, such as crows and blue jays, are especially vulnerable to West Nile infection. Dead birds in an area can be an early indicator that West Nile is circulating.
Many health departments offer online reporting of dead birds. Screen shot courtesy of the Scott County, Iowa Health Department.
Most local and state health departments collect reports on the numbers of dead birds found, but their policies differ on collecting and testing dead birds. (See links to state and local government sites under Resources).
Some localities may collect dead birds only in certain months; others collect until they determine that West Nile virus is in the area.
If you need to dispose of the dead bird yourself, do not touch it or any other dead animal with your bare hands. Use gloves or an inverted plastic bag to place the carcass in a second plastic bag.
Although West Nile can infect a number of animals, illness is thought to be rare among pets such as cats and dogs. Horses, however, are especially susceptible to infection with West Nile virus. About 30 percent of horses that develop West Nile encephalitis die. To learn more about the West Nile vaccine for horses and other ways to protect your animals from West Nile virus, see West Nile Virus and Animals.
Introduction | What It Is and How It's Transmitted | Prevention | Humans and West Nile | Animals and West Nile | Research and Surveillance | Resources About West Nile Virus
Oct. 8, 2003
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