On Wednesday, public health officials announced that mosquitoes, which were collected in Bernalillo County, Albuquerque, tested positive for West Nile virus.
Deputy Director for the city’s Environmental Health Department Dr. Mark DiMenna said, “We usually start testing around the second week in May. Almost every year we collect mosquitoes that test positive (for West Nile virus), but we don’t get a lot of cases of infected people. The infection rate is really low in mosquitoes.”
He said that New Mexico residents should not avoid going outdoors because of the mosquitoes, instead, they should follow precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites. Health officials recommend “using insect repellent, avoiding standing water, and keeping windows and doors closed.”
Dr. DiMenna said, “It’s not about fear. It’s about mitigating risk and being prepared.”
The health officials also advise residents to check with their doctor if they experience signs and symptoms of West Nile virus, such as fever, nausea, and muscle pain.
“We had more mosquitoes this June than in the last two years combined. We knew it was going to be bad, just not this apocalyptic,” explained Dr. DiMenna.
Albuquerque residents can call 311 to report mosquito problems.
“Once we find areas where mosquitoes test positive, we really focus our larvae control efforts in those hot spots,” said Dr. DiMenna.
According to the CDC, West Nile virus is one of the leading causes of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. At least one in every 150 people who catch this virus develop serious complications, such as meningitis or encephalitis. Unfortunately, there are no vaccines or medications to treat the virus in human beings.
A California woman, Laura Hardwick, has spent several weeks in the hospital after she contracted the West Nile virus from an infected mosquito. Her husband, Thomas Hardwick, said, “Around the 7th [of July] is when she started getting the symptoms of being tired had malaise, didn’t want to do anything and it just progressed. “Then on the morning of the 11th, we brought her in and she was out of it. She collapsed twice in the ER coming in,” recalled Thomas.
