GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health is warning residents to stay clear of and take precautions against mosquitos due to concerns over West Nile virus.
“Wyoming’s reported human West Nile virus cases numbers have been quite low the past several years,” Courtney Tillman, an epidemiologist with the WDH, said in an Aug. 10 press release, “but with more positive mosquito pools being reported this summer than we have seen in nearly 10 years and cases popping up in neighbor states, a reminder to avoid these insects may be timely.”
According to the WDH, West Nile Virus cases per year have ranged from no deaths in 2022 to 393 cases and nine deaths in 2003 since the virus’s first Wyoming case in 2002.
Most people infected by West Nile Virus don’t have symptoms, but those who do fall ill show symptoms like fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph nodes, the WDH says.
Some infected individuals — a very small number — may develop a condition known as West Nile neuroinvasive disease exhibiting symptoms like severe headaches, fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions and paralysis, per the WDH.
“Dodging mosquito bites is the basic strategy and remains important,” Tillman said in the release.
To avoid mosquitos, the WDH recommends the following:
- Avoid spending much time outside at dawn or dusk
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt outdoors. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven material
- Reduce the amount of standing water by draining or removing it
- Use an insect repellent continuing DEET, but be sure to read and follow label instructions. Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus can also be effective.
