Pasadena Health Dept. Confirms Five West Nile Virus Cases

The Pasadena Public Health Department today announced that tests have confirmed five human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) this month in its jurisdiction. The last case of WNV previously confirmed by the Pasadena Public Health Department was in December 2012.

WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Signs and symptoms may include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Up to about 80 percent of people infected have no apparent symptoms and can go undiagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Severe cases, while rare, can include brain inflammation, paralysis or death.

For more information on WNV, visit:

Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/westnile

California’s West Nile Virus website http://westnile.ca.gov

The Pasadena Public Health Department, www.cityofpasadena.net/PublicHealth, recommends that anyone exhibiting symptoms or who suspects they might have WNV should seek immediate medical care.

To protect against WNV, it is important that the public take the following precautions to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and to prevent being bitten:

• Empty all standing water in containers left outside
• Keep swimming pools clean with all circulation and filtration equipment operational and drain water from pool covers
• Check for mosquito larvae in still water sources such as bird baths and ponds
• Wear insect repellants containing DEET
• Avoid areas likely to be inhabited by mosquitoes at dawn and dusk
• Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors
• Check window and door screens for holes
• Report dead birds and squirrels to the West Nile Virus and Dead Bird Hotline at (877) 968-2473 or online at http://westnile.ca.gov

The proportion of mosquitoes infected with WNV is at the highest level ever detected in California, health officials said. The risk of infection is also highest at this time of year, especially during summer weather and drought conditions.

Health Department staff travel throughout the City at least once a week to treat gutters, puddles, pools, and other free-standing water sources water that serve as prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The Department also collaborates with the Pasadena Police Department to use police helicopters to look for stagnant pools and green standing water.

For vector control information; to receive free mosquito fish to prevent breeding, or to report a green pool or still water source, call the Department’s Environmental Health Division at (626) 744-6004.

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