Protect yourself from West Nile

Its not really summer until you’ve been bitten by a mosquito, those nasty little pests that love hanging out in the mornings and the evening hours, just waiting to make you itch for hours.

Along with that itch, though, is the possibility of contracting West Nile Virus, a commonly transmitted disease carried by mosquitoes.

While West Nile Virus has been detected in every county in Wyoming, the Wyoming office of Epidemiology has only confirmed one case of infection this year. That case is in Campbell County. There are no avian or equine cases reported in the state as of this week.

Remember the “5 D’s” of West Nile Virus:

Dawn and Dusk -- when possible, avoid spending time outside at dawn and dusk.

Dress – wear shoes, socks, long pands and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are most active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials to keep mosquitoes away from the skin.

Drain – reduce the amount of standing water in or near your property by draining or removing it. Mosquitoes may lay eggs in standing water.

Deet – for additional protection, use an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin.

There are no medications to treat West Nile Virus nor any kind of vaccine to prevent it. Luckily, most people infected with the virus will have no symptoms, but about one in five will develop a fever along with other symptoms.

Less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness.