A mosquito found near North Shore is the first in California to test positive for the West Nile virus this year, the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District announced Friday.
The mosquito sample was taken from a trap located near the Salton Sea, district officials said. District staff will intensify mosquito surveillance and larviciding in this area to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes, officials said.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four out of five people infected with West Nile will show no symptoms at all.But about 20 percent of those infected will become sick, potentially developing symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.
Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.
About one out of every 150 people infected becomes severely ill, with symptoms including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.
These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
Individuals can reduce their risk of mosquito-borne diseases by taking these precautions:
• Avoid outdoor activity at dusk and dawn.
• When outdoors, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and other protective clothing.
• Apply insect repellent according to label instructions.
• Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
• Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property that can support mosquito breeding.
