MACON, MO -- We haven't seen too many puddles or areas with standing water for the mosquito population to use for growth this year, but you can still contract the West Nile virus.
In the state of Missouri two people have contracted the disease, in Illinois five and in Iowa one. Click here for a complete list of infections reported.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) the 693 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the second week in August since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999.
Map courtesy of the CDC Division of Vector-Borne Diseases here.
Next time you are scratching that mosquito bite, pay attention for symptoms of fever, nausea, headache and other abnormal symptoms. These symptoms can take anywhere from three to fourteen days to surface and medical attention is required.
“There is no specific treatment for West Nile Disease. You just treat the symptoms and you definitely need to be seen by a doctor. It could be the West Nile Virus Encephalitis, you could have meningitis, or many other complications from the West Nile,” Cindy Malloy from the Macon County Health Department said.
To help prevent contracting the virus, a bug spray containing Deet should be applied when outdoors. Also empty or change any water that may be collecting in bird baths, small pools, or tires.
(KTVO reporter Brian Doogs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website contributed to this report.)
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