Mosquito district supervisor warns of West Nile

  Next week is National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, and Hill County Mosquito District Supervisor Terry Turner said it is an appropriate time to warn people about West Nile virus.

"We've had cases in Havre," Turner said Thursday. "Last time we had a case of West Nile in Hill County was last year."

West Nile arrived on U.S. shores in 2002, Turner said, right about the time people began to talk about and plan the HIll County Mosquito District that was passed by voters in 2004.

This time of the summer is when the mosquitoes that carry the virus become the most active.

Since 2004, the mosquito light trap has gone from collecting about 4,000 mosquitos to about 250 a year, he said. The fewer mosquitoes in the area, the smaller the chance of anyone being infected, Turner said.

The percentage of people who get West Nile is small -  about less than 1 percent - Turner said, but that certainly is no reason to take the virus lightly.

"It's just a kind of horrible disease," Turner said. "Last year we had one person from Montana pass away from West Nile. We've had, in the past, four or five people in Montana pass away from West Nile."

The CDC says most people, 70 to 80 percent, who become infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms.

"About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months."

Some people also experience severe symptoms, the CDC says, such as encephalitis or meningitis - inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues - or neurologic illnesses such as headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures or paralysis.

"About 10 percent of people who develop neurologic infection due to West Nile virus will die," CDC says.

Recovery can take several weeks or months, and some neurologic effects may be permanent.

People are urged to take precautions to reduce the number of mosquitoes, including draining any standing water on their property and stopping leaking faucets, and taking precautions to avoid being bitten such as using recommended repellent, primarily with DEET, and dressing appropriately when outside in loose, long-sleeved and long-legged clothing.

Watch for more on the Hill County Mosquito District, controlling mosquitoes and about West Nile in next Friday's Hi-Line Living.

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For more information on controlling mosquitoes and avoiding bites, vista the American Mosquito Control Association website at http://www.mosquito.org and visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://search.cdc.gov and search for "mosquitoes."