Coos County Public Health
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Winter Weather Safety Tips
West Nile Virus has already been identified this 2005 summer in Oregon.
In 2004, seven Oregon counties were found with horses or birds infected with West Nile Virus. Coos County Public Health continues to anticipate its eventual arrival to the south coast and Coos County.
It is only a matter of time before the presence of the virus is identified in Coos County. The logical thing to do is presume that West Nile Virus is already here and take the steps to protect yourself and loved ones.
Because it is impossible to determine if a mosquito bite will result in a severe case of West Nile Virus, health officials encourage the public to take reasonable steps to prevent and avoid mosquito bites.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause encephalitis in humans.
What is encephalitis?
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that may have a number of causes including mosquito-borne diseases like Western Equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis
and West Nile virus.
(Click here for information regarding symptoms of West Nile Virus)
Although horses and many birds are also subject to illness from the virus, these animals can not spread the disease to humans. The threat of illness to humans is from the bite of an infected mosquito.
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Protection from Mosquitoes
Avoid Mosquito Bites
In order to protect yourself and your loved ones, Coos County Public Health in conjunction with the Oregon State Health Department and the CDC recommend the following steps be taken:
- Avoid being outside in the early morning, early evening and at dusk, as these are prime mosquito biting times.
- Apply insect repellent containing DEET to exposed skin. Follow the instruction on the container carefully. Use a low concentration for children aged 2-10.
- When using repellent on a child, apply it to your own hands and then rub them on the child. Avoid eyes and mouth, and use sparingly around ears. Do not apply to children's hands. See the CDC website below for complete details.
- We do not recommend using DEET for children under 2 years of age. Check with your health care provider.
- Spray clothing with repellents containing DEET or Permetherin, mosquitoes will bite through clothing.
DO NOT apply permetherin to exposed skin.
Clear Mosquitoes from Your Property
Mosquitoes require only inch of standing water to breed. To reduce your risk of being attacked while at home or in the great outdoors:
- Change water in pet dishes, watering troughs, birdbaths, fountains, and wading pools at least once a week.
- Empty standing water in buckets, cans, bottles, or anything that holds standing water.
- Fill low spots in your yard, driveway or campsite.
- Cover trash containers.
- Get rid of old tires, cans, drums, or containers that may collect and hold standing water.
- Make sure gutters are cleaned out and draining properly.
- Clean flat roofs and air conditioner drains frequently.
- Fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.
- Fill holes in trees.
- Put up bat boxes in trees, barns or on posts a safe distance from your home. Information on how to safely install a bat box is available from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- Install or repair door and window screens.
- Put gold fish into your water troughs and ornamental ponds.
- Consider vaccination of horses with the WNV vaccine. Contact your veterinarian for more information.
Reporting Dead Birds:
- Watching for and reporting freshly dead bird with no signs of trauma. Please call Coos County's Environmental Health Department at 756-2020 ext. 519 or 513. Please leave your name and a phone number where you can be reached if you get our voice mail.
- DO NOT examine dead birds or bring them to the health department. If it is appropriate for us to collect the bird, the Environmental Health specialist will do so.
Please feel free to contact the Coos County Public Health Department for more information on this subject.
Call 756-2020 ext. 510, Monday through Friday, and ask for one of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Nurses.
The Center for Disease Control's website has current and complete information available.
Please click link below.
For the most accurate information on prevention, case information, reporting of dead birds, and contacting state and local health agencies, please click the link below to the Center for Disease Control
West Nile Virus web site, Click here. |
