Mosquitos Test Positive For West Nile Virus In Laurel, Spraying Planned

LAUREL, MD — Mosquitoes in Laurel have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

They were trapped at two locations: Highpoint Trail and Overlook Way; and Oxford Drive and Northlake Court.

If conditions allow, the Maryland Department of Agriculture will be spraying Aug. 20 in Laurel in a three-fourths of a mile radius around the trap sites.

According to Johns Hopkins, the West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and can infect humans, birds, horses and other mammals. Usually, WNV causes mild flu-like symptoms but can also cause life-threatening illnesses such as:

• Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
• Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord)
• Meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membrane)

Symptoms usually appear within three to 14 days of infection. The symptoms of West Nile virus may look like other conditions or health problems. About 20 percent of the people who become infected will develop West Nile fever. These are the most common symptoms of West Nile fever:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Skin rash on trunk of body
• Swollen lymph glands

The more severe form of the West Nile virus affects mostly older adults. It occurs when the virus crosses the blood-brain barrier and can cause:

• Headache
• High fever
• Neck stiffness
• Stupor (a state of impaired consciousness, extreme lethargy and reduced reactivity to outside stimuli)
• Disorientation
• Coma
• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Muscle weakness
• Paralysis

The CDC recommends taking these steps to avoid mosquito bites and West Nile virus:

• Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) when you're outdoors. (If you spray your clothing, there's no need to spray repellent containing DEET on the skin under your clothing.)
• When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants treated with repellents containing permethrin or DEET since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. (Don't directly apply repellents containing permethrin to exposed skin.)
• Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early evening. These are peak hours for mosquito bites, especially those mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus.
• Limit the number of places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs by getting rid of standing water sources from around your home.

Mosquitoes are drawn to people’s skin odors and the carbon dioxide you breathe out. Many repellents contain a chemical, N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), which repels the mosquito. Repellents are effective only at short distances from the treated surface, so mosquitoes may still be flying nearby.