YAKIMA COUNTY, Wash. – The Yakima Health District has reported the first case of West Nile Virus in a mosquito sample in Washington this year. The sample was found at Hisey Park in Granger.
Though there hasn’t been a human case of West Nile Virus in Yakima County since 2021, health officials emphasize the importance of preventative measures.
“Yakima County is particularly vulnerable to West Nile virus due to a different combination of environmental factors,” said Stephanie Ruiz, communications specialist for Yakima Health District.
The virus, transmitted through mosquito bites, often goes unnoticed.
“Eight out of ten infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms,” Ruiz said. “Those who do have symptoms, such as fever, accompanied with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting or diarrhea or a skin rash.”
In some cases, approximately 1 in 150, the illness can severely impact the central nervous system. Ruiz explained that Yakima County’s susceptibility is due to its bird migration path and wetlands around the Yakima River.
Ruiz shared important preventative measures: “Wearing long sleeves and pants and hat, when you are going into areas with mosquitoes and also even around our homes, keeping mosquitoes out of our homes, such as using a tight fitting screen on your windows or doors, and also removing any standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs that can include buckets, rain gutters, bird baths, old tires, or anything else that holds water.”
The Yakima Health District has placed signs in high-risk mosquito areas to educate the public on prevention methods.
