Harford County Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile: Health Officials

Maryland’s first human case of West Nile virus for 2014 was recently reported near the District of Columbia, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The infected person lives in the North Capital region, where a horse also tested positive for the virus, the department reported.

In addition, mosquitoes tested positive for the virus in Harford, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Talbot counties, according to the report. They were found in “mosquito pools”—sites where health officials trap and test the insects across the state.

“Help reduce the number of mosquitoes by draining any sources of standing water—even small ones—where mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed,” Harford County Health Officer Susan Kelly said.

The Harford County Health Department suggests these preventive measures:

• Fix leaky faucets.
• Empty birdbaths or anywhere there’s standing water twice a week.
• Clear clogged rain gutters.
• Aerate ornamental pools/water gardens.
• Install window screens so mosquitoes can’t get inside.

The human case of West Nile in Maryland was “not unexpected,” Maryland Health Secretary Joshua Sharfstein said; there were 47 cases reported in 2012 and 16 cases in 2013, according to the state health department.

While most people don’t experience symptoms, some may experience a headache, fever, body aches, rash and swollen lymph glands as a result of West Nile virus, a disease that affects the nervous system. It’s most dangerous to adults older than 50 and those who are immunocompromised. Less than 1 percent of those with West Nile may experience disorientation, coma, high fever, neck stiffness, paralysis, convulsions and tremors, according to Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which reports it can be fatal.

The state health department recommends avoiding activity outside at dawn or dusk; wearing long sleeves and pants; and using an EPA-registered insect repellant to prevent getting West Nile.

Related: Harford Health Department Warns of West Nile, Tiger Mosquitoes