Ames, Iowa — The West Nile Virus has been found in a mosquito population in O’Brien County.
The mosquitoes were found in an Iowa State University trap in the last week of July. Mosquito experts at Iowa State University indicate that this is the first time this year that infected mosquitoes have been found in O’Brien County. They say that means that the virus is now circulating in the area and people can expect it to continue to circulate at high levels through the end of September.
We talked to Dr. Ryan C. Smith, Assistant Professor in the ISU Department of Entomology, and he tells us about it.
He says they do have traps elsewhere in our area, but the fact that they haven’t trapped any West Nile-infected mosquitoes yet does not mean that those areas are free of infected mosquitoes.
He says that while most cases of West Nile are minor, some even cause death.
He tells us how to prevent exposure to West Nile.
Dr. Smith says that the tri-state area has historically had higher numbers of West Nile cases.
You would think that the dry conditions we’ve been in would limit West Nile, as mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. But that’s not the case, says Smith.
He says that’s why it’s so important to eliminate standing water, especially at this time.
