West Nile Mosquito Reported In Bensalem

BENSALEM, PA — Add Bensalem to the list of locations where a mosquito carrying the potentially dangerous West Nile virus has been found this season.

The mosquito was reported on Friday by Pennsylvania's West Nile Control Program. It is believed to be the seventh mosquito carrying West Nile found in Bucks County this season.

Four have been found in Bristol, one in Upper Southampton and one in Warminster.

No human infections in Bucks County have been reported.

West Nile is most commonly spread to people by mosquito bites. About one in five people infected with West Nile develop a fever and other symptoms, and about one in 150 develop serious, sometimes fatal illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

West Nile can cause encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, in those extreme cases.

While the risk of becoming ill from a bite by a mosquito carrying West Nile is low, officials urge residents to take precautions, like using repellent and removing standing water from their property.

West Nile virus appeared for the first time in Pennsylvania in birds, mosquitoes and a horse in 2000.