Sarasota County Confirms Locally Acquired West Nile Virus Case; Health Advisory Issued
The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory on October 23 after confirming a human case of locally acquired West Nile virus. The county health department and Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services have coordinated surveillance and prevention, and mosquito control treatments have already been conducted in the area.
According to the health department, West Nile virus affects the central nervous system and can cause serious illness, though about 80 percent of infected people show no symptoms. The virus is carried mainly by Culex mosquitoes, including the southern house mosquito, which thrives in hot, humid conditions and commonly flourishes in backyards. The virus normally circulates between birds and mosquitoes, and can spread to people when a mosquito bites an infected bird and then a person.
The department said statewide surveillance continues for mosquito-borne illnesses including West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, chikungunya and dengue, and encouraged residents to report dead birds to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to assist monitoring.
Source: GSM·America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：萨拉索塔市天际线。摄影：Cullen Morgan，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: the Sarasota skyline, by Cullen Morgan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
