West Nile virus found in mosquitoes in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Mosquitoes collected in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood tested positive for West Nile virus, the Allegheny County Health Department said on Friday.
The mosquitoes were collected by the health department's Housing and Community Environment Program last Tuesday.
Last year, the county only recorded one human case of West Nile virus, but the patient, a woman in her 80s from the city's Elliot neighborhood, died after she was hospitalized.
The health department said it will continue to set mosquito traps as part of its ongoing surveillance efforts, which include trapping mosquitoes to monitor the spread of the virus. In the spring, the county treats wetlands that are known to be breeding sites with mosquito larvicide. Catch basins are also being treated in the city and Mt. Oliver, McKees Rocks and Wilkinsburg.
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is spread to people from infected mosquitoes.
Most people infected with West Nile virus don't feel sick, according to the CDC. Only one in five people infected develop symptoms, which include a fever, a headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea and a rash. The health department says less than 1% of infected people become seriously ill.
There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat West Nile virus, the health department says. People who believe they have the virus are encouraged to consult a health care provider.
ACHD vector control specialist Nicholas Baldauf said the species of mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus are active from dawn to dusk. Residents can deter mosquito bites while using bug spray or covering up with clothes, Baldauf said.
Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a half inch of stagnant water, so residents are encouraged to keep an eye out.
"County residents play an important role when it comes to reducing the area's mosquito population," Baldauf said. "Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a half inch of stagnant water, so residents should pay close attention to potential breeding sites like stagnant water in tires, unused swimming pools, buckets, corrugated piping, and clogged gutters."