Des Moines, IA- The mosquitoes are biting and state health officials have already confirmed Iowa’s first human case of West Nile virus this year.
Wednesday is the first day of summer and epidemiologist Elizabeth Schiffman tells Radio Iowa that cases of West Nile typically don’t start appearing until mid-summer.
“At this time of year, we’re usually telling people to be more aware of ticks because this is kind of the prime risk season for ticks and the diseases that they can transmit, and the mosquitoes are kind of close behind there,” she says.
The state’s first case was reported Friday in an older adult, between 61-and-80 years, in Plymouth County. A total of nine Iowans were diagnosed with West Nile virus last year, with no deaths.
Schiffman says it’s difficult to predict if we’ll see a lot of cases because of mosquitoes’ short life cycle and their sensitivity to weather conditions.
“It can be hard to tell until the season is almost upon us because they need the right mix of hot weather and rainfall to really make all the parts of that cycle happen in the right way so that it overflows into humans,” Schiffman says.
Experts say that anyone who spends time outdoors should wear insect repellent and dump out any standing water where mosquitoes might breed. Those infected with West Nile may show no symptoms, or they may have a fever, headache, disorientation, and muscle weakness.
