Mosquito Virus Hits Metro Detroit: What You Need to Know
In 2023, Metro Detroit recorded its first two human instances of a virus spread by mosquitoes. Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) was detected in a Macomb County resident and an Oakland County resident.
The bite of an infected mosquito is how JCV and other viruses spread through mosquitoes. The majority of those who contract the virus show no signs of sickness, although some do so two to 14 days after the attack.
JCV symptoms include a high fever, disorientation, lethargy, headache, and muscle weakness. Rarely, JVC can lead to serious illnesses including encephalitis and meningitis that affect the brain and/or spinal cord.
Between 2012 and 2021, the CDC received 10 JVC case reports from Michigan. In 2022, there was one human JCV case and 12 mosquito pools that tested positive for JVC, according to Michigan.
Old tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flower pot saucers, and trash cans are common places to find standing water.
Outdoor Bug Spray to Combat Mosquito Virus
In just a week, mosquitoes can go through their entire life cycle. Use of an outdoor bug spray designed to kill adult mosquitoes is advised by the CDC. Dark, humid environments are frequently home to mosquitoes.
You only have one alternative choice if you can’t get rid of the standing water where you live: larvicides. Larvicides kill mosquito larvae and pupae before they develop into bothersome adults. When used properly, larvicides do not harm people, animals, or the environment, according to the CDC.
Liquid, tablet, bit, pellet, granule, and briquette larvicides are available. They are applied where mosquitoes lay their eggs, which is anyplace there is standing water.
This can include tires, water-collecting pool covers, buckets and rain barrels, fountains, gutters or downspouts, non-chlorinated swimming pools, and tree holes. For standing water that won’t be used for drinking and can’t be covered, emptied, or removed, use larvicides.
Source: www.clickondetroit.com
