Bucks County spraying for West Nile virus in communities it's been found
Bucks County spraying for West Nile virus in communities it's been found
The dead heat of summer also means it's peak mosquito season, and with the uptick in the common summertime agitators comes the possibility of West Nile Virus. Some counties in Pennsylvania are taking a proactive approach to combat the gnats by spraying areas where colonies of West Nile infected mosquitos have been found.
MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Officials in Bucks County say they have started spraying for mosquitos in areas where colonies of West Nile Virus-carrying insects have been found.
"If we have an area where we have positive mosquitoes in a number it might spill over to the human population we set up spraying in those areas," Bucks County Environmental Health Director Phil Smith said.
Most people infected with the virus do not feel sick, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other flu-like symptoms, and about one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness, according to the agency.
"If you’re over 50 with a suppressed immune system and go on a full-blown West Nile virus with meningococcal symptoms with, extremely high fever, you could require hospitalization," Smith warned.
The Pennsylvania Health Department has reported four West Nile virus cases, and officials says that number can multiply quickly as mosquitoes breed and potentially carry the virus to humans. Currently, 70 to 80 percent of the state has shown positive for the virus in the mosquito population.
There are several ways to limit the possibility of mosquito bites in the summer, including using bug spray if it's safe and avoiding nighttime hours when the bugs are more likely to come out.
The Associated Press contributed to this report