THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REPORTS THE FIRST WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTION OF THIS YEAR.
THE INDIVIDUAL IS A MIDDLE-AGED ADULT AGE 41-60 FROM NORTHERN IOWA AND THE INFECTION WAS CONFIRMED THROUGH A TEST AT THE STATE HYGIENIC LAB.
IOWANS ARE SPENDING MORE TIME OUTSIDE WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF MOSQUITO BITES, AND BITES FROM INFECTED MOSQUITOS ARE THE PRIMARY METHOD IN WHICH HUMANS ARE INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS.
MOSQUITOES ACROSS IOWA ARE TESTING POSITIVE FOR WEST NILE, SIGNALING RISK STATEWIDE.
FOR THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST THE VIRUS, IOWANS SHOULD USE AN INSECT REPELLANT WITH DEET, PICARIDIN, PARA-MENTHANE-DIOL, OR OIL OF LEMON EUCALYPTUS.
INSECT REPELLENT LOWERS THE RISK OF MOSQUITO BITES.
OIL OF LEMON EUCALYPTUS AND PARA-MENTHANE-DIOL SHOULD NOT BE USED ON CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 3 YEARS, AND DEET SHOULD NOT BE USED ON INFANTS YOUNGER THAN 2 MONTHS.
IF YOU ARE ALSO USING SUNSCREEN, APPLY SUNSCREEN FIRST AND INSECT REPELLENT SECOND.
IN 2024, 21 IOWANS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH WEST NILE VIRUS, WITH ONE DEATH.
