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Tuesday’s Health Report: How Louisiana residents can prevent West Nile virus
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BATON ROUGE — As cases of West Nile virus increase in the U.S., it is increasingly important to learn how to prevent its spread.
"There's specific mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Not every mosquito carries it, so getting bitten by a mosquito doesn't mean you're going to get West Nile virus, but the mosquitoes that have been infected through a bird exposure that has it, then they carry it in their belly and when they bite you, they can transmit it to humans,” Dr. Lysette Cardona, an infectious disease specialist, said.
In most cases, a person who gets infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. Those who do may get a fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.
In rare instances, West Nile can be deadly. There is no specific medication or vaccine to treat West Nile which is why prevention is so important.
"I think for West Nile and most mosquito-related illnesses, the best protection is prevent mosquito bites. And so at a personal level, if you're going to travel, or if you're around areas where there may be a lot of exposure to mosquito bites, just make sure you're using the repellents that are safe for you, and or any specific netting and things like that if you're camping," Cardona said.
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S. Louisiana is among the top states regarding cases this year only behind Texas, California, New York, Mississippi and Nebraska.
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