The first human case of West Nile Virus in Delaware this year was reported just over a month ago in late August, and it happens amid concerns about a potential national outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
Humans can get West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis from mosquito bites.
Antonio Alvarado is the Division of Public Health’s vector-borne disease epidemiologist. He says Delaware's climate can be a prime breeding ground for mosquito-borne disease.
"Delaware, as you might know, is filled with a lot of water, a lot of areas here in Delaware are below sea level and there are a lot of retention ponds and stormwater basins that might pour water. We have some swamps here, we have the coastal soft water marshes, which can breed a lot of mosquitoes,” said Alvarado. “So we certainly see a lot of mosquitoes here in Delaware, and mosquito control is super important for our residents."
Alvarado adds there’s no treatment for those mosquito-borne diseases, so the best way to prevent them is to prevent mosquito bites.
To do that, he says make sure there’s no standing water at your house, use EPA registered insect repellents, wear long sleeves and pants when outside and avoid peak mosquito times, dawn and dusk.
He says if you’re outside, there’s another less conventional way to deal with mosquitos.
"If you're outside sitting outside, use a fan like a fan that's blowing air because mosquitoes are weak flyers, so they don't really want to fly upstream and put all that energy to bite you if there's this wind current. So, if you can, use a fan outside," said Alvarado.
Alvarado notes people over 55 are more susceptible to severe cases of mosquito-borne diseases -along with those with underlying health issues.
He adds about 80% who get West Nile Virus don’t show symptoms, but if you do have symptoms like fever, headache, muscle aches and nausea, go to the hospital.
