WASHINGTON – West Nile virus has been detected across Benton, Yakima, and Grant counties.
“Just because we have West Nile virus in the area, it’s not a reason to be fearful. It’s just a reason to be knowledgeable and aware,” Kevin Shoemaker, Benton County Mosquito Control assistant manager, said.
West Nile virus spreads through the transmission from migratory birds to mosquitoes, which then infect local bird populations. Benton County Mosquito Control has 66 weekly test sites for collecting and identifying mosquito species. These efforts are focused on evaluating the effectiveness of larvicide and testing for diseases.
Shoemaker said the virus is commonly found in multiple counties each year, particularly in drought years.
“The data seems to indicate that when you have a drought year, you have less water bodies, or smaller water bodies. And so the statistical exposure of birds and mosquitoes occupying the same water sources goes up,” Shoemaker said.
So far, there have been no human or animal cases of West Nile virus reported in Washington, but Shoemaker urged people to remain vigilant.
“So if I’m bitten by a mosquito, right, 80% of the time a person exposed to a mosquito, even if it has West Nile virus, you’re not going to have any symptoms whatsoever. And then you’ve got about almost 20% where you could be mildly ill to feeling pretty crummy,” Shoemaker said. “But then it’s the less than 1%, one out of 150 infections, not bites, but one out of 150 infections that can result in the really serious forms of the disease.”
Prevention measures such as using EPA-approved insect repellent, wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers arms and legs and staying indoors from dusk to dawn can help limit the risk of West Nile Virus.
“So we fully expect near the end of September to see a pretty dramatic shift in the mosquitoes’ behaviors. So I would say we probably have a good three weeks left in the season,” Shoemaker said. “We will continue to trap mosquitoes. As far as testing for West Nile virus, we know that it’s in multiple areas of the district. And at this point, it doesn’t make sense to keep testing because we know it’s all over the place.”
More information can be found on the Benton County Mosquito Control District’s website here.
