West Nile Virus

Nobody invites mosquitos to their campout on purpose; rather we invite ourselves into their backyard.  As Labor Day approaches we wanted to remind you to pack the deet!  Warm temps with occasional rain provides the prime environment for mosquitos.

Sam Dickson, Manager of Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District provided this information to fox13now.com: "Two types of mosquitoes carry the disease: one type lives in the marshes...the other is a city-dwelling mosquito you could find in your own backyard.  The city mosquito and the marsh mosquito are very unique in that they don’t bite during the daytime. They only bite from dusk until dawn, so people really don’t have to worry about getting bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes in the daytime.”

According to the CDC, "Individuals can reduce their contact with mosquitoes by taking these actions:
When outdoors, wear clothing that covers the skin such as long sleeve shirts and pants, apply effective insect repellent to clothing and exposed skin, and curb outside activity during the hours that mosquitoes are feeding which often includes dawn and dusk."

If you are bitten by a mosquito infected with the West Nile Virus (WNV), the CDC says "Most WNV infected humans have no symptoms.   A small proportion develop mild symptoms that include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands. Less than 1% of infected people develop more severe illness..."

Click on the USGS map below for current WNV info for your state.  And remember to dress appropriately and pack the deet for your Labor Day Campout!

Find current CDC data by state and county. Click on the map to go to the USGS website.