Southern Seven Health Department is reporting a second positive test for West Nile Virus in a batch of mosquitoes.
On Wednesday, Southern Seven's Environmental Health Services reported the positive case came from a trap in Union County. The other case came from a trap last week in Massac County.
Traps were placed in each of the lower seven counties in May and are tested weekly through mid-October.
There have been no human cases of the virus so far this year.
Four out of five people will not show any symptoms after a bite from an infected mosquito. But, in rare cases, severe illness can occur such as meningitis, encephalitis, or even death.
Residents are encouraged to take precautions to Fight the Bite including practicing the three “R’s” – Reduce, Repel, and Report to prevent contracting West Nile Virus.
• REDUCE - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.
• REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR 3535 according to label instructions. Consult a
physician before using repellents on infants.
• REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito eggs.
