West Nile Cases on the Rise in the Area

Yesterday I received a call from one of our franchisees, Colleen, who provides mosquito control in Columbia. It had just been reported that West Nile was just confirmed in a popular part of town. We discussed ways for her to let her clients and the community know about the disease, what to look for and ways to protect themselves.

Unfortunately, confirmed cases of West Nile are on the rise across the country. Each year, Vector Control programs catch and test mosquitoes for population variations and any diseases that may be present in the bugs. Just this week, there have been confirmed cases in Columbia, SC, Boston, MA, Naperville, IL, Fremont County, CO and many more areas. The Centers for Disease control track West Nile throughout the year and up-to-date information can be found on their website.

West Nile virus is a serious disease that is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. While 80% of those humans bitten by infected mosquitoes never show any symptoms, it can become serious in others. Symptoms usually show between 3 and 14 days after the mosquito bite and can include high fever, neck stiffness, headache and nausea. The more mild cases of West Nile don’t require specific treatment and usually run its course much like the flu or a cold.

The best way to avoid West Nile virus continues to be effective and continuous mosquito control and getting rid of standing water than mosquitoes breed in. While many municipalities do this in public areas, homeowners need to take the necessary steps to protect themselves at home. At Mosquito Squad, we believe the key is the 5Ts of mosquito control: tip, toss, turn over, eliminate tarps and treat accordingly. By minimizing the amount of standing water on your property and an effective mosquito treatment plan, mosquito populations can be decreased up to 90%, greatly reducing your chance of mosquito bites.