Merced Sun-Star
Fresno County has logged its first human case of West Nile virus this year -- a 62-year-old Fresno woman who is recovering, officials said.
The woman had called the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District about a month ago to report a stagnant swimming pool with green water near her home in northwest Fresno, said David Farley, the district's manager.
The pool was treated, but the mosquitoes had already begun to spread, Farley said.
The woman was tested for the virus after experiencing flu-like symptoms. She did not need to be hospitalized, Fresno County Department of Public Health officials said Wednesday.
West Nile virus is most often spread by mosquitoes and can be fatal. But less than 1 percent of those infected will experience serious illness, and about 80 percent will have no symptoms, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Across the state, seven other human cases have been reported this year, including one in Tulare County, according to the latest figures from the state health department. Earlier this week, a horse in the Clovis area tested positive for the virus.
The West Nile virus often mimics influenza, with fevers, body aches and eye pain.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health recommends the following precautions to avoid mosquito bites and West Nile virus:
Apply insect repellent to exposed areas of the body, particularly during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most prevalent.
Use tightly fitted screens on doors and windows to keep mosquitoes outside.
Report green or neglected swimming pools.
Report ill or dead birds and squirrels.
"We keep the number of mosquitoes down just as low as we can get them, but beyond that everybody has to take care of themselves," Farley said.
