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West Nile virus crosses over into Orange County
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District confirms this year's first case of West Nile virus in Huntington Beach.
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Kwangmoozaa
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Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Topline:
For the first time this year mosquitoes in Huntington Beach have tested positive for the West Nile virus.
The OCMVCD has confirmed mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in the City of Huntington Beach. Residents can take precautions by wearing mosquito repellent when mosquitoes are most active (dawn or dusk).
— OCMVCD (@OCVector) July 9, 2024
For more info: https://t.co/VgGYXDXabi pic.twitter.com/g1eoZ4O21L
About the virus: Humans and animals can contract West Nile virus when bitten by an infected mosquito. The virus can also pass through blood transfusions and organ transplants, but all donated blood is tested for the virus and the risk is very low.
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The virus does not spread through regular contact between humans.
How do I know if I have contracted the virus? People who contract the virus do not typically show any symptoms, but in around 1 in 5 cases they can have a fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes and a rash.
How can you protect yourself:
- Wear mosquito repellent containing picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil or the chemical compound called diethyltoluamide, or DEET, especially when the ankle biters are most active, which is at sunrise and sunset.
- Do not keep standing water around your home, so keep an eye out for water collected in clogged rain gutters, buckets, troughs, even bird feeders and ornamental water fountains.
- Call the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District if you spot dead birds or animals around your home as mosquitoes contract the virus from dead birds.
- Keep swimming pools clean. If you notice a neighborhood pool or an apartment complex pool going green, give the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District a call. The agency can be reached at (714) 971-2421.
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