You may already be getting rainy weather, or you may still be getting plenty of hot summer days. Either way, don’t pack up the citronella candles just yet! (Out of citronella candles? Plenty of places are selling bug-away gear like candles and bracelets for clearance prices).
Many areas are reporting a late summer uptick in mosquitoes carrying West Nile. That means you need to continue to practice mosquito safety: get rid of standing water around your house, try and avoid being outside at dusk and dawn, and wear long pants/sleeves (and repellant) if you do.
(If you hate citronella, there are other, more expensive scents you can use).
If you got bit this summer, we’re just starting diagnosis season. It can take two weeks for the virus to incubate and symptoms to begin to appear, more time for patients to see their doctor, and then blood testing/official diagnosis can take much longer.
Most people experience symptoms like fever, headaches, and muscle weakness. That is similar to a lot of diseases, but to differentiate West Nile Virus—you also will have an altered mental status. A sudden change in personality or behavior is pretty much ALWAYS a reason to see your doctor.
And don’t forget to take care of yourself: some people don’t respond as badly to West Nile Virus. So shore up your immune system: sleep enough, eat well, rest your mind, support yourself with colloidal silver.
Let’s look forward to the end of mosquito season! (Oh wait, then it will just be cold and flu season. We can’t really win.)
Are you in an area with renewed mosquito warnings? What precautions are you/your city taking?
