Mosquitoes are bringing West Nile virus to major US metros. Here’s how to fend them off

Health authorities in southern U.S. cities are reporting the season’s first confirmed West Nile virus cases.

In Texas, officials in Houston’s Harris County said Thursday that they were responding to the first positive sample of the mosquito-borne disease by spraying adulticide, an insecticide used to target adult bugs.

“West Nile virus has been in our area since 2002,” Dr. Courtney Standlee, the interim director of the department’s Mosquito and Vector Control Division, said in a statement. “As we head into the summer months, we remind our community members to enjoy the outdoors but remember to protect themselves and their families from mosquito-borne illnesses.”

Along the Gulf Coast, a human case was reported in an unidentified individual earlier this month in Mobile County, Alabama, according to FOX 10.

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The city of New Orleans in neighboring Louisiana is also spraying repellent after the virus was detected in mosquitoes on the east bank of Orleans Parish, WVUE said.

It’s not just the South. The Illinois Department of Public Health said its first positive test was detected in Winnebago County. On the West Coast, officials in San Diego reported the virus in two dead crows.

It’s unclear exactly how many cases have been detected across the country thus far, but last year was especially active. There were nearly 1,500 human cases recorded by federal health officials.

Contracting the illness - the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S. - can come with terrible consequences, including paralysis and death.

However, many people who are infected with West Nile virus, which affects the central nervous system, show no or mild symptoms. More severe signs can include a stiff neck, high fever, disorientation, and encephalitis. The seriousness of an illness may depend on a person’s health and age.

Those over the age of 60 are at greatest risk, as well as people with underlying medical conditions. There is no specific treatment, although pain relievers and fluids are recommended. Most people with fever from the virus recover completely.

The virus is spread from the bite of infected mosquitoes. It cannot be spread from person to person.

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Risk is tied to ripe conditions for mosquitoes to breed. They need water and they need warm temperatures. Typically active from May through November, the summer offers both -- and it’s only going to get worse.

Scientists say higher temperatures linked to the climate crisis can accelerate mosquito population growth and biting rates.

So, what can people do?

Harris County tells people to remember the three “Ts.”

Tip empty standing water, toss any stagnant water, and take action by using mosquito repellent, treating standing water with larvicides, turning off outdoor or leaky faucets, putting screens on doors and windows, and wearing long pants, sleeves, and socks.