Three New Mexicans Diagnosed with West Nile Virus

“Photo” by FotoshopTofs is licensed under CC0. Today we’re talking mosquitoes and diseases again, but this time, not Zika-related. Instead we are focusing on West Nile virus. Within the last month, three New Mexican men were diagnosed with the virus. All three developed neuroinvasive disease and were hospitalized. The three men were from Bernalillo, Doña Ana, McKinley Counties, and are the third, fourth, and fifth cases of West Nile virus contracted in New Mexico this year. Only about 44,000 cases of West Nile virus have been reported in the U.S. since 1999, and of those, only 1 in 5 people will develop symptoms. So far in 2016, only two states in the U.S. have not reported any cases of West Nile virus: North Carolina and Maine. While there is a limited number of cases reported, know that West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes may still be circulating in your state. “West Nile virus may still be circulating in New Mexico until mosquito activity ceases after the first hard frost,” according to the New Mexico Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Designate Lynn Gallagher. We encourage everyone to take precautions against West Nile virus and mosquitos until the first hard frost in your areas. Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to protect yourself from mosquitos: • Use insect repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol • Wear long sleeves, pants, and socks,...
Source: Network News - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: New Mexico Public Health Source Type: news