Two viruses detected in Adams County mosquitoes
HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) -The South Heartland District Health Department said its most recent collections of mosquitoes trapped in Adams County last week tested positive for two different viruses.
Two samples of mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile Virus, while a third sample had Cache Valley Virus (CVV), which is permanently present in the U.S.
According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, CVV is spread by infected mosquitoes. But it is rare in humans, with only 10 cases ever reported in the country.
The CDC reports that CVV is an illness that causes infection of the brain and infection in the lining of the brain and spinal cord. The initial symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and sometimes rash.
CVV can also cause reproductive diseases in animals, primarily in sheep, but also cattle and goats, leading to stillbirths and birth defects in the animals if infected during pregnancy.
There are no vaccines or medicines for CVV; however, there are some preventative measures that we can all take.
Bever said, “‘Fight the bite’ by using an EPA-registered repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.”
The health department suggests that you drain standing water every few days to reduce the sites where mosquitoes breed. This includes bird baths, child swimming pools, and anything surfaces that can collect or hold water.
The City of Hastings began adulticide fogging on Wednesday night and continued the efforts on Thursday morning. City officials said they would continue fogging in parks, around schools, and on roadways in the evenings and the early mornings.
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