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Bug shirts, pants and jackets for
blackflys, mosquitos Main Page - Mesh Bug Shirts - Don't Bug Me Shirts and Pants - Head Nets
West Nile Virus Basics: Human illness from West Nile virus is rare, even in areas where the virus has been reported. The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a mosquito bite is low. You can further reduce your chances of becoming ill by protecting yourself from mosquito bites. To avoid mosquito bites: Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) when you're outdoors. For more information see Using Insect Repellent Safely from the EPA. Learn what you need to know about repellents, insecticides, and more. Avoid applying repellent to children less than 2 years old. Use care in applying repellent to small children, and don't put repellent on their hands because it may get into their mouth or eyes and cause irritation. Read and follow the product directions whenever you use insect repellent. Wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants treated with repellent will further reduce your risk, as will staying indoors during peak mosquito feeding hours (dusk until dawn). Limit the number of places available for mosquitos to lay their eggs by eliminating standing water sources from around your home. Check to see if there is an organized mosquito control program in your area. If no program exists, work with your local government officials to establish a program. The American Mosquito Control Association can provide advice, and their book Organization for Mosquito Control is a useful reference.Another source of information about pesticides and repellents is the National Pesticide Information Center, which also operates a toll-free information line: 1-800-858-7378 (check their website for hours). About the Virus, the Disease, and Its Spread West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, and can infect people, horses, many types of birds, and some other animals.
Most people who become infected with West Nile virus will have either no symptoms or only mild ones. On rare occasions, West Nile virus infection can result in a severe and sometimes fatal illness known as West Nile encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain). The risk of severe disease is higher for persons 50 years of age and older. There is no evidence to suggest that West Nile virus can be spread from person to person or from animal to person. Transmission Cycle
People, horses, and most other mammals are not known to develop infectious-level viremias very often, and thus are probably "dead-end" or incidental-hosts. Main Page - Mesh Bug Shirts - Don't Bug Me Shirts and Pants - Head Nets |
West Nile (WN) virus is amplified during periods of adult mosquito
blood-feeding by continuous transmission between mosquito vectors and bird reservoir
hosts. Infectious mosquitoes carry virus particles in their salivary glands and infect
susceptible bird species during blood-meal feeding. Competent bird reservoirs will sustain
an infectious viremia (virus circulating in the bloodstream) for 1 to 4 days after
exposure, after which these hosts develop life-long immunity. A sufficient number of
vectors must feed on an infectious host to ensure that some survive long enough to feed
again on a susceptible reservoir host.