A Buena Park woman was the first person to test positive for the West Nile virus in Orange County for the year, said health authorities Wednesday.
The OC Health Care Agency confirmed the woman was hospitalized in early September but is now recuperating. According to the health agency, there were 19 reported infections and one death related to the virus in 2020.
“West Nile Virus is endemic in Orange County, recurring every year during the summer months and continuing into the fall,” said Dr. Matt Zahn, Deputy County Health Officer in a statement. "The best way to avoid West Nile Virus infection is to take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the continental U.S. While four out of five people infected with the virus do not experience symptoms, one out of 150 develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.
For the 20 percent of people who do experience symptoms from West Nile virus, they include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, tiredness and sometimes a skin rash. More serious symptoms are severe headaches, neck stiffness, confusion, muscle weakness or paralysis.
Anyone experiencing severe symptoms should seek immediate medical care.
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The OC Health Care Agency recommends the following precautions:
--Empty standing water where mosquitoes may breed.
--Use insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or products containing IR3535.
--Limit time spent outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
--Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
More information on mosquito control is available on the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s website at www.ocvector.org.
