Two more Miami-Dade residents contract West Nile virus, health officials say
Miami-Dade County has reported two more cases of West Nile virus.
On Thursday, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County said a third and fourth county resident have contracted the West Nile virus infection from local transmission.
The month of May saw Miami-Dade’s first two cases of West Nile virus, both in county residents and through local transmission.
The health department placed the county under a mosquito-borne-illness alert. Health officials are reminding residents to “Drain and Cover.” Drain standing water in garbage cans, gutters, buckets, pools, coolers, birdbaths and pet water bowls. Also throw away old tires, drums, bottles, cans and other broken appliances.
Cover skin with clothing and apply repellent with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-methane-diol or IR3535.
The health department said West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. There are no medications nor vaccines to treat or prevent it.
Fewer than 1 percent of those infected develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. People with mild symptoms usually recover within a week with treatment. People over 60 and those with weakened immune systems are at a greater risk for severe disease, health officials said.
Those infected by the virus usually don’t feel sick. Roughly 1 in 5 develop a fever or other symptoms, such as headaches, pain and fatigue. Symptoms typically appear between two and 14 days after the mosquito bites.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 5:53 PM.
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