Denver confirms presence of West Nile virus as season starts early along Front Range
Colorado s West Nile virus season is starting a bit early but experts aren t sure whether a wet spring will translate into a tough year for the sometimes-deadly mosquito-borne illness Denver announced its first mosquito that tested positive for West Nile on Thursday becoming the second Front Range county to confirm the presence of the virus this summer Not all counties set out mosquito traps so Colorado residents can t assume their local bugs don t carry the virus if they haven t heard about broadcasted cases Mosquitoes need standing water to breed so storms that leave puddles could benefit them But the amount of rain is only one factor in how various people will become severely ill with West Nile noted Dr Daniel Pastula chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine Summer temperatures influence how functioning mosquitoes are and how a large number of pick up the West Nile virus depends on whether birds passing through Colorado have working infections he reported We haven t been able to predict ahead of time when there s going to be a bad West Nile season he revealed Residents along the Front Range may get a bit of warning from counties mosquito traps though When bugs test positive for West Nile that signals the pitfall is up and people need to be especially vigilant about avoiding mosquito bites Pastula noted Larimer County discovered its first infected mosquito of the year on June Typically West Nile season starts in early to mid-July Bulk West Nile cases in Colorado happen between July and September though mosquitoes can live until the first snow or hard freeze Pastula disclosed About of West Nile cases are asymptomatic or have mild clues that people typically don t seek remedy for In about one in cases though the virus invades the brain or spinal cord and about one in infected people die Pastula announced Those who survive a severe matter sometimes experience paralysis or cognitive damage he disclosed Colorado recorded West Nile cases and zero deaths last year according to fitness department figures But the state saw cases and deaths from the virus in and cases and deaths in Related Articles undocumented Coloradans could lose Medicaid coverage under Trump tax bill FDA vaccine official restricted COVID vaccine approvals against the advice of agency staff Gun suicides in US reached record high in Here s how millions of people could lose wellbeing insurance if Trump s tax bill becomes law Colorado sues federal wellbeing agency to stop sharing of Medicaid records with ICE People who are over have compromised immune systems or have chronic conditions such as diabetes or kidney syndrome are at higher hazard for the virus to infect their nervous systems But occasionally people with no obvious danger factor become seriously ill Pastula commented The western Great Plains and the Front Range have higher than expected rates of severe West Nile possibly because the mosquito species that live here are more aggressive toward people than those on the coasts he mentioned I have seen healthy - and -year-olds with severe West Nile malady and permanent neurological damage he disclosed It is much better to avoid getting this People can protect themselves by wearing insect repellent and long pants and sleeves while outside Limiting outdoor activity around dawn and dusk also lowers the chances of a bite Using air conditioning or screens over open windows will keep mosquitoes out and dumping any standing water on your property will limit opportunities for them to breed Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get physical condition news sent straight to your inbox
