Denver confirms presence of West Nile virus as season starts early along Front Range

03.07.2025    The Denver Post    3 views
Denver confirms presence of West Nile virus as season starts early along Front Range

Colorado s West Nile virus season is starting a bit early but experts aren t sure whether a wet spring will translate into a tough year for the sometimes-deadly mosquito-borne illness Denver released its first mosquito that tested positive for West Nile on Thursday becoming the second Front Range county to confirm the presence of the virus this summer Not all counties set out mosquito traps so Colorado residents can t assume their local bugs don t carry the virus if they haven t heard about disclosed cases Mosquitoes need standing water to breed so storms that leave puddles could benefit them But the amount of rain is only one factor in how plenty of people will become severely ill with West Nile declared Dr Daniel Pastula chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine Summer temperatures influence how ongoing mosquitoes are and how plenty of pick up the West Nile virus depends on whether birds passing through Colorado have evolving infections he disclosed We haven t been able to predict ahead of time when there s going to be a bad West Nile season he revealed Residents along the Front Range may get a bit of warning from counties mosquito traps though When bugs test positive for West Nile that signals the exposure is up and people need to be especially vigilant about avoiding mosquito bites Pastula announced Larimer County located its first infected mosquito of the year on June Typically West Nile season starts in early to mid-July Greater part West Nile cases in Colorado happen between July and September though mosquitoes can live until the first snow or hard freeze Pastula stated About of West Nile cases are asymptomatic or have mild features that people typically don t seek remedy for In about one in cases though the virus invades the brain or spinal cord and about one in infected people die Pastula explained Those who survive a severe affair sometimes experience paralysis or cognitive damage he announced Colorado recorded West Nile cases and zero deaths last year according to robustness department content But the state saw cases and deaths from the virus in and cases and deaths in Related Articles undocumented Coloradans could lose Medicaid coverage under Trump tax bill FDA vaccine official restricted COVID vaccine approvals against the advice of agency staff Gun suicides in US reached record high in Here s how millions of people could lose healthcare insurance if Trump s tax bill becomes law Colorado sues federal physical condition agency to stop sharing of Medicaid material with ICE People who are over have compromised immune systems or have chronic conditions such as diabetes or kidney malady are at higher peril for the virus to infect their nervous systems But occasionally people with no obvious peril factor become seriously ill Pastula declared The western Great Plains and the Front Range have higher than expected rates of severe West Nile possibly because the mosquito species that live here are more aggressive toward people than those on the coasts he declared I have seen healthy - and -year-olds with severe West Nile ailment and permanent neurological damage he reported It is much better to avoid getting this People can protect themselves by wearing insect repellent and long pants and sleeves while outside Limiting outdoor activity around dawn and dusk also lowers the chances of a bite Using air conditioning or screens over open windows will keep mosquitoes out and dumping any standing water on your property will limit opportunities for them to breed Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get medical news sent straight to your inbox

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