Vector Control Goes Hi-Tech to Fight the Bite!

.... It’s West Nile virus season again; are you prepared to Fight the Bite? West Nile virus (WNV) is a disease that is transmitted to people through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get the virus when they feed on infected birds.

....West Nile virus affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. The elderly, children and people whose immune systems are compromised are at the highest risk of developing serious illness such as meningitis and encephalitis. Neurological effects of the virus such as paralysis and weakness can be permanent. West Nile virus can also be fatal and there is no vaccine or cure.

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Bill's fight for his Life

.... Being a County of San Diego Public Information Officer, Bill Polick knew a lot about West Nile virus (WNV) --- but he never thought he would become part of the West Nile “story.” Today he hopes by sharing his story he will help others avoid getting sick. Polick knew about West Nile virus long before most county residents. He Bill does not remember being bitten by a mosquito. He does remember “waking up on Monday morning with a rash” from his neck to his feet. He immediately went to see his doctor who sent him to the lab for some blood work to try to determine the cause of the rash. By this point, the virus was attacking Bill’s brain. He has “no memory of going to the lab or driving back to work.”

.... Bill’s Fight for Life Accelerating Effects Five Easy Ways to Fight the Bite was present at the County’s 2001 news conference that exposed the threat WNV poses to San Diego residents, two full years before the virus was even confirmed to be in San Diego County. But, in September 2008, Bill fell victim to the virus. WNV is a potentially life-threatening disease carried by birds. Mosquitoes transmit the virus from infected birds to people and horses. The virus often goes undiagnosed as many people who contract the virus show no symptoms. Others get mild symptoms ranging from headaches to muscle stiffness, rash, fever and nausea. These symptoms are often mistaken for the flu.

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Amazing Grace

.... What you don’t know can hurt you! Just ask Grace Oberst, a San Diego County resident, who contracted West Nile Virus in September 2007, at the age of 67. Though Grace was aware that the virus is present in San Diego County, she didn’t know how hard the virus could hit. She didn’t know how to protect herself from the virus and the mosquitoes that transmit the disease from infected birds to people. And she didn’t know about the symptoms associated with the virus. Like a lot of people, she “didn’t think it would ever happen to me.”

West Nile Virus can be difficult to diagnose as it can produce a wide variety of symptoms. Most people that contract the disease don’t develop any symptoms at all, while others...

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