LA County Confirms First Human Case Of West Nile Virus This Year

REDONDO BEACH, CA — A South Bay resident is recovering from West Nile virus, the year's first case in the county, Los Angeles County health officials confirmed Tuesday.

The patient was hospitalized in late July, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said. No further information was immediately available.

Officials warned people to take extra precautions against mosquitos. West Nile virus is a disease caused by the bites of infected mosquitoes.

"We all have to take steps to prevent West Nile virus infections," county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in a statement.

"Spread by mosquitoes, this virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States," Davis said. "There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. Mosquitoes bite during the day and night. So, once a week empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water, both indoors and outdoors. This stops mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water."

Because there is no human vaccine for West Nile virus, residents are urged to be proactive against mosquito bites by wearing insect repellent. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend products with the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus as safe and effective against mosquitoes that can transmit disease when used according to the labels.

One in five people infected with the virus will exhibit symptoms, which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea or a skin rash, that can last for several days to months. Severe symptoms include high fever, muscle weakness, neck stiffness, coma, paralysis and possibly death. One in 150 people infected with the virus will require hospitalization.

County and vector-control officials urge residents to take an active role in reducing the threat of WNV in their neighborhoods by:

• Eliminating standing water in clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, discarded tires, buckets, watering troughs or anything that holds water for more than a week
• Ensuring that swimming pools, spas, and ponds are properly maintained
• Changing the water in pet dishes, bird baths and other small containers weekly
• Requesting mosquitofish from your local vector control district for placement in ornamental ponds
• Wearing EPA-recommended insect repellent when outdoors where mosquitoes may be present
• Reporting neglected (green) swimming pools in your neighborhood to your vector control district

The county documents human cases of the virus every year, at an average of 118 cases per year in the past 5 years, public health said.

“Keeping our neighborhoods safe from West Nile virus is a shared responsibility,” Aaron Arugay, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County West Vector Control District, said in a statement. “Residents can reduce the risk of mosquito bites by eliminating standing water in their yards and using EPA-registered repellents when mosquito activity is observed.”

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

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