Mosquitoes Carrying West Nile Virus Found in Central New York

Residents are urged to get rid of standing water on their property after group of  mosquitoes carrying the potentially deadly West Nile virus were found in two different towns.

Oswego County health officials said they found the infected insects in Hastings, which is about 40 miles away from Rome.

Just last week, another group of these mosquitoes were detected by the Toad Harbor Swamp in West Monroe, which were the first to be reported.

Oswego County Public Health Director Vera Dunsmoor said at the time, "This finding, though early in the season, serves as a reminder for people everywhere that they need to be vigilant in their efforts to avoid mosquito bites."

To have a second confirmed cluster in such a short period if time is concerning to health officials.

Read More: This Will Be the Worst Flea and Tick Season Ever in New York

The county has been doing regular sample collecting of mosquitoes to test the levels of  West Nile or Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in the area. Both of these viruses have been marked the most common, greatest public health risk.

The most common symptoms associated with West Nile are nonexistent, with most cases being asymptomatic. About 1 in 5 infected will develop symptoms like headache, body aches, joint pains, nausea, and a rash. It has also been reported those with West Nile can experience weakness and fatigue for months after infection.

The more serious symptoms of West Nile are neurological diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid myelitis. While fatalities are low, it's estimated about 10% of those who develop these neurological side effects die, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

EEE, which is another life-threatening illness, is more rare but its fatality rate is higher at 30 percent. It has also been reported by the CDC that "many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems."

Common symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, seizures, behavioral changes, drowsiness, and diarrhea.  Like West Nile, there is no vaccine or treatment for EEE.

Prevention, health officials say, is the only way to protect yourself against these illnesses.

Residents are urged to wear loose-fitting clothing, avoid outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active around dusk and dawn, and use insect repeller that has DEET whenever outside.

To further keep mosquitoes at bay, residents are also urged to check their window screens for tears to ensure there are no entry points that they can squeeze through, dispose of any standing water on their property to eliminate potential breeding grounds, keep all outdoor pools and the like chlorinated, and continue to refresh the water used for bird baths or horse troughs.

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