“The key thing to understand about West Nile virus is there's no real treatment for it and there's no vaccine. It is really, really important that people heed the warning and take the precautions to protect themselves.”
Director of Environmental Health Sara Simmonds says due to ideal weather for mosquito breeding this spring, the Kent County Health Department has detected West Nile virus a month earlier than usual, finding it in two zip codes – 49504 in Grand Rapids and 49519 in Wyoming.
“That means we need to really build the awareness for potential transmission to humans, which is what we're obviously most concerned about.”
Because most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms, Simmonds recognizes there’s a complacency when it comes to protection.
But she notes that one in five develops a flu-like illness, and in rare cases, it can lead to serious neurological complications.
“It just serves as a good reminder for people that they really want to prevent the bite because it can be carrying a lot of different diseases, not just West Nile virus.”
Residents are urged to use insect repellent with DEET, remove standing water from bird baths, pet bowls, and wading pools and clean out home gutters.
KCHD’s Mosquito Surveillance Team will monitor local mosquitoes for West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, La Crosse virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus through late September—when populations tend to decline significantly.
To learn more about mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, please visit the CDC's website.
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
