Boulder County Public Health has confirmed that a mosquito has tested positive for West Nile virus in a pool trap near Erie.
“Unfortunately, wet weather followed by high temperatures creates an ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed,” Boulder County Public Health Consumer Protection Program Coordinator Lane Drager said. “Over the holiday weekend and throughout the summer, take time to protect yourself, your family and your community from West Nile virus.”
The West Nile virus is transmitted to humans from the bite of an infected mosquito. While most infections are mild, more serious cases can cause inflammation of the brain or the brain’s lining, loss of vision, paralysis, coma, tremors, convulsions and death.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches and occasionally skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes. Systems tend to appear three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Anyone who experiences these symptoms should consult their health care providers. There is no treatment, cure or human vaccination for the virus, but providers can treat the symptoms to help patients feel better and recover quickly.
Public health officials urge residents to remember the 4Ds:
- Use DEET-enhanced insect repellent or alternative.
- Dress in long sleeves and pants.
- Avoid the outdoors from Dusk until Dawn.
- Drain standing water outside your home.
The mosquito season typically extends from April through mid-October, with the end usually signalled by the first freeze of fall.
