HEALTH

First West Nile case in Utah County

Sep 11, 2019, 12:33 PM

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

BY COLBY WALKER

KSLNewsRadio

UTAH COUNTY, Utah — The Utah County Health Department has confirmed a human case of West Nile Virus.

This comes after county officials found that the virus was present in mosquito populations at the end of August.

County officials say that this is the first human case of the virus in Utah County since 2017.

“This should serve as a reminder to all residents to take steps to prevent mosquitoes and West Nile Virus.

”The importance of using insect repellent with DEET can not be overstated,” says Mosquito Abatement Director, Dan Miller. “We encourage residents to use online tools to request free services from the Health Department’s Mosquito Abatement District.

“Another great online tool is the interactive GIS maps showing current and past mosquito trapping activity, including positive WNV mosquito pools,” Miller said.

The Utah Health Department also reminds people to follow the Mosquito Prevention “D’s”:

DRAIN standing water
DAWN and DUSK are times to avoid being outside
DRESS appropriately by wearing long sleeves and pants when outside
DEFEND yourself by using insect repellent with DEET
DOOR and window screens should be in good working condition
DISTRICT personnel are available to address mosquito concerns. Call 801-851-7637 or fill out a service request form online at: http://goo.gl/Yi1yKs. You may also visit the mosquito abatement website for more information. http://bit.ly/UCHDMosquito

The person who has been infected with the virus has not been identified.

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