A human case of West Nile virus has been reported in Berrien County, and health officials say that’s a reminder to avoid mosquitoes.
Berrien County Health Officer Guy Miller tells us the case was reported in the past week. However, he says it looks like the infected person contracted the illness while traveling overseas. Miller notes West Nile reporting is based on address, and not where the person got infected.
“Even if you did travel outside the country, you came back in and let’s say you got West Nile virus, it would report as a local case and we would follow up with you,” Miller said. “We get your travel history, we figure out where you’ve been, where your exposure was, and then we try to match the potential time that you might have been bitten by a mosquito and how long it would take for that virus to start presenting symptoms, and that’s called your incubation period. Then we try to figure where you would have been during that incubation period.”
In this case, the person wouldn’t have been in Berrien County at that time. Then again, Miller says West Nile has been detected in plenty of other places around Michigan this summer, so it’s safe to think some mosquitoes in the county can transmit it.
Miller advises everyone to take steps to avoid mosquitoes and mosquito bites. That means stay away from swampy areas at dawn and dusk, wear light colored-long sleeves and pants, and use bug spray containing DEET.
Miller also recommends taking steps to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds nearby, like draining standing water and cutting grass near other vegetation.
The symptoms of West Nile virus include headaches, body aches, joint pain, and fatigue. In rare cases, patients can develop encephalitis or meningitis. Miller says in very rare cases, the illness can be fatal. On the plus side, he adds many people who come into contact with the virus never even know it.