Mosquito Known To Carry West Nile Virus Found In Clinton County

A new fear has been unlocked this summer.

I'm sure your ankles and legs are full of mosquito bites from sitting outside this summer. You've probably tried every single bug spray, sat by fires, and nothing is keeping those little pricks away. Well, you might want to find bug spray with a high amount of DEET because that could help prevent you from getting West Nile Virus or Yellow Fever.

The mosquito species known for carrying those diseases, along with dengue, has been confirmed to have been found in just a couple of Iowa counties and several cases have been reported in Illinois. Now, that mosquito has been found right here in the Quad Cities area.

Officials have confirmed that the Asian Tiger Mosquito has been identified and confirmed to be in Clinton County in Eastern Iowa.

In a press release, the Clinton County Environmental Health Department says that through a surveillance program offered by Iowa State University, they have recently identified an invasive species of mosquitoes in the area. Of particular importance to note, the Aedes Albopictus, otherwise known as the Asian Tiger Mosquito, has been detected in Clinton County.

This species is known to affect humans by passing on dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile. It can also cause heartworm in canines.  At this time, no communicable diseases have been reported. Iowa State University does test the mosquitoes for disease and will inform us of any findings. These particular mosquitoes tend to be out during the day as well as dawn and dusk.

Dengue Symptoms:

• nausea
• vomiting
• muscle aches
• joint & bone pain
• rash
• pain behind the eyes
• headache
• low white blood cell counts

West Nile Virus Symptoms

The CDC says that most people (8 out of 10) infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms. Some people can develop severe symptoms, including:

• high fever
• headache
• neck stiffness
• stupor
• disorientation
• coma
• tremors
• convulsions
• muscle weakness
• vision loss
• numbness
• paralysis

Yellow Fever Symptoms

• fever, chills
• severe headache
• back pain
• general body aches
• nausea, vomiting
• fatigue (feeling tired)
• weakness
• Severe symptoms include
  • high fever
  • yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)
  • bleeding
  • shock
  • organ failure

Ways to protect your family include limiting water-filled containers on your property or changing them at least once per week; wearing long-sleeved clothing and using repellent products that contain DEET.