Here’s the lowdown on West Nile scare

Mosquitoes aren’t high on the list of seasonal worries in Los Angeles County. But with two new cases of West Nile virus confirmed here in recent days, the fear factor is rising fast.

“There shouldn’t be cause for panic,” says Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, director of the county Department of Public Health. “But we do want to remind people to take appropriate precautions.”

For example, Fielding says, discourage mosquitoes from breeding near your home by getting rid of pools of stagnant water, and use a repellent containing DEET when you’re outdoors in mosquito-prone areas, especially around dawn or dusk.

The two victims reported this week in Los Angeles County were both middle-aged men, one in the San Gabriel Valley and the other in the San Fernando Valley. Both had pre-existing conditions,and both are recovering, Fielding says.

Though officials aren’t sure what has caused the spike in human cases, the good news is, most mosquitoes aren’t carriers of the virus, which is spread to humans from infected birds. And of the few people who do become exposed, says Fielding, only about one in 150 ends up in the hospital. The vast majority either suffer only minor flu-like symptoms or don’t get sick.

Still, eight human cases have been reported so far this year in five California counties and the virus can cause encephalitis and death in that rare minority. So here are some Department of Public Health recommendations:

• Avoid mosquito-infested areas at dawn and dusk.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.
• Repellants containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of eucalyptus, when used as labeled, are effective defenses against mosquitoes.
• Check your window screens for holes.
• Do not allow water to collect and stagnate in old tires, flowerpots, swimming pools, birdbaths, pet bowls, or other containers. These are prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools; drain water from pool covers.
• Stock garden ponds with goldfish or other mosquito- eating fish. These eat mosquito eggs and larvae.
• Empty and wash birdbaths and wading pools weekly.
• If a recently dead bird (less than 24 hours) is found, call (877) 747-2243 for instructions on handling.
• Report “green pools” or stagnant swimming pools in Los Angeles County by calling the Public Health Environmental Health Bureau at (626) 430-5200.
• If you need more information on West Nile, call (800) 975-4448.
• For even more information, including statewide updates and local numbers to call if you have questions about mosquitoes, click here or here.  For more on the disease itself, click here. And for advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here.

Posted 8/10/11