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Summer season has arrived and with it, mosquitoes have flapped their tiny wings and arrived back into our lives to annoy the living daylight out of us, but for some unlucky Americans, they might also arrive with a most unwanted surprise.
More and more confirmed cases of West Nile infected mosquitoes have thrown authorities into a frenzy to try to keep the situation under control before it gets out of hand.
So far, West Nile has been confirmed in mosquitoes from Franklin County and DeSoto. In Connecticut samples were collected and the analysis is still on-going. In many other states, a repellent mechanism is being put to work.
The abundant rain and the floods that came as a result, provided the perfect environment for mosquitoes to thrive and they are now reaching numerous populations.
The West Nile virus is a mosquito borne disease which is transmitted through the bite of the insect and currently there is no vaccine that might protect humans against this disease.
The infection caused by the West Nile virus can have severe complications if it is not treated in a timely manner. Therefore it is extremely important to look for signs of the disease if you have been bitten by a mosquito recently and to address your physician if you experience any of the following symptoms: fever, headaches, fatigue, nausea, muscle pain, anorexia, rashes and vomiting.
The incubation period is of 2 to 15 days and after the disease becomes more apparent, severe complications might occur. Some of the most common complications are meningitis, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, West Nile poliomyelitis, reversible paralysis and many others.
In most cases of West Nile, the prognosis is favorable, but the healing period can take as long as 90 days of intensive health care.
Authorities officials assure the population that the situations is under control and they have issued guidelines to show people how they can protect themselves against West Nile infections.
The first thing you can do, is to make sure that your house and gardens are not a mosquito paradise, clean your gutters and your gardens.
The next step you can take care of, is to make sure that you skin is not exposed to mosquito by wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants. You should also wear mosquito repellant whenever you find yourself in an area where there are many mosquitoes (forests, parks or ponds).
Another good idea would be to avoid going outside at dawn or at dusk because that is when the mosquitoes are most active.
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