Aerial treatment scheduled for Wednesday
Northern Nevada Public Health officials said on Tuesday that they detected West Nile Virus in mosquito samples from Washoe County. Officials urge residents to take precautions in mosquito-prone areas.
The virus has been found in mosquitoes from zip codes 89436 and 89521. While WNV in mosquitoes is common, no human cases have been reported in Washoe County. WNV can cause severe symptoms in humans, including headache, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, coma, tremors, paralysis and death.
Health officials advise people to wear loose-fitting clothing, use insect repellant and be aware that mosquitoes are most active in the morning and evening. Residents can reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses by removing standing water near homes and installing protective screens on doors and windows.
A helicopter mosquito treatment is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 28, across several wetlands. The aerial application will target known mosquito breeding habitats in the Reno-Sparks area, using environmentally friendly pellets to prevent mosquito larvae from becoming disease-transmitting adults.
Clark County has reported multiple human cases of WNV after finding thousands of mosquitoes testing positive for the virus.
Source: NNPH
