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N.D. (Valley News Live) — North Dakota health officials have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus this season, with a Cass County resident hospitalized as a result
The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services announced the case Friday. The confirmation comes after weeks of escalating mosquito pool detections across the state — beginning with a positive test in Wahpeton in late July and reaching Cass County’s own mosquito pools earlier this month. Five counties have now reported mosquito pools testing positive for the virus — Cass, Grand Forks, Richland, Ward and Williams. An animal in Sioux County and a bird in Richland County have also tested positive.
Most people infected with West Nile virus experience no symptoms. Those who do develop illness commonly report fever, headache, body or joint aches or rash. In severe cases, symptoms can include stiff neck, altered mental status, paralysis, coma or death. People over 60 and those with underlying health conditions are at greater risk for developing West Nile neuroinvasive disease
State health officials recommend the following precautions:
- Use EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, 2-undecanone or permethrin (for clothing only). Apply sunscreen first, then repellent.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors.
- Limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
- Eliminate standing water around your home — in gutters, buckets, flowerpots, old tires, wading pools and birdbaths.
- Install or repair window and door screens.
- Keep your yard and landscaping well-trimmed.
More information is available on the HHS website
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