West Nile Virus Found In Berrien County

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health-department-e1444740134920-20

The West Nile virus has been found in Berrien County. Berrien County Health Department spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the illness was confirmed in a woman in late July. She couldn’t tell us more about the specific case, but said it was the first this year in the county. West Nile is relatively rare in the county.

“Over the last decade, Berrien County has had about five cases of West Nile virus in a human, so it’s not something that we’ve seen every year here, but we have had human cases of West Niles virus in the past,” Conrad said.

Conrad tells us West Nile virus usually has no symptoms, but more serious cases will involve a mild illness with a fever, and severe cases can result in a stiff neck, stupor, or coma. Conrad says West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes.

“You want to make sure that you’re removing standing water from around your house,” Conrad said. “Any pools of water that might be in flower pots or kiddie pools, spare tires or toys. Mosquitoes can breed in as little water as what’s found in a bottle cap.”

Conrad says the three Rs can prevent West Nile. They are Remove, Repel, and Repair. That is, remove standing water, use bug repellent that includes DEET, and repair broken screens. You can find out more about West Nile virus at the Berrien County Health Department’s website.