1 year ago
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MERCED, Calif (KSEE/KGPE) – A idiosyncratic is dormant aft being infected with the West Nile Virus successful Merced, the Merced County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) announced Thursday.
According to officials, this is the archetypal decease successful 2024 owed to West Nile Virus successful the City of Merced. The diligent who died was described arsenic a elder national and subsequently had a higher hazard of infection.
“We nonstop our deepest condolences to the friends and household of this idiosyncratic who tragically passed distant upon contracting West Nile Virus,” said Dr. Salvador Sandoval, Merced County Health Officer. “This unfortunate passing reinforces the value of reducing our vulnerability to mosquitoes.”
Officials accidental the microorganism is dispersed done the wound of an infected mosquito; mosquitoes go infected erstwhile they provender connected birds infected with the virus.
According to the CDC, only astir 20% radical who are infected make symptoms for West Nile Virus, which whitethorn see fever, headaches, assemblage aches, associated pains, vomiting, diarrhea, oregon rash. One successful 150 radical make much terrible symptoms including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) oregon meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that situation the encephalon and spinal cord).
There are nary vaccines oregon medicines to forestall oregon specifically dainty the virus; however, MCDPH says determination are inactive ways residents tin support themselves.
“The champion mode to support yourself and your household against West Nile Virus is to forestall mosquito bites, by avoiding spending clip extracurricular erstwhile mosquitoes are astir progressive (dawn and dusk), wearing DEET-based insect repellent erstwhile outdoors, and emptying lasting pools of h2o arsenic they tin service arsenic a breeding tract for mosquitoes,” Sandoval said.
To study mosquito breeding areas, Merced County assemblage members are encouraged to interaction Merced County Mosquito Abatement District astatine 209-722-1527 oregon sojourn www.mcmosquito.org.
