West nile virus precautions

Surveillance of horses. The Department of Agriculture will continue to work closely with private veterinarians, Michigan State University and horse owners to detect cases of encephalitis including West Nile virus in horses. If a horse is infected with the virus, there is no risk for that horse to directly transmit the virus to other animals or humans.

Mosquito surveillance. The Michigan Department of Agriculture will coordinate an educational workshop to provide information for local health departments regarding source reduction, personal protection and mosquito collection and identification. The Department of Agriculture will partner with other state and local agencies to carry out this workshop. Laboratory efforts. The Michigan Department of Community Health has increased epidemiology and laboratory capacity to conduct surveillance for West Nile virus.

The laboratory has Biosafety Level 3 facilities and appropriate training from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to enhance existing capacity to detect West Nile and other mosquito-borne viruses. Health Care Provider education. Efforts to educate the medical community about the West Nile virus will continue to assist neurologists, infectious disease doctors and emergency room providers to identify and treat individuals.

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Avoid applying repellent to children under 2 years of age, and to the hands of older children because repellents may be transferred to the eyes or mouth potentially causing irritation or adverse health effects. Maintaining window and door screening to keep mosquitoes out of buildings. Draining standing water in the yard.

In severe cases when a neurological condition is developed, patients may need to be hospitalized. West Nile virus West Nile virus is a disease transferred through the bite of an infected mosquito. Culex mosquito source: CDC. Signs and symptoms After being bitten, symptoms can appear within days, but up to 80 percent of people will not develop any symptoms. Transmission and prevention Mosquitoes are active from dusk until dawn, and most West Nile virus cases occur between June and September.

These precautions include the following measures: Use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or IR when venturing outdoors Wear long sleeves and pants while outside Close windows and doors securely, make sure all screens on windows do not have large holes Use air conditioning if available Emptying any standing water on your property, which can be found in bird baths, buckets, flowerpots, gutters, pool covers, tires and pet water dishes.

Minimum PPE Requirements At minimum, personnel are required to don gloves, closed toed shoes, lab coat, and appropriate face and eye protection prior to working with West Nile Virus. Additional Precautions Not applicable. An icosahedral, enveloped virus of 40 to 50 nm in diameter. None currently available for WNV fever. Report all exposures.

Twenty cases have been reported of workers who acquired WNV following percutaneous inoculation while handling infected fluids and tissues with no deaths. Blood, cerebrospinal fluid, tissues, infected arthropods, oral and cloacal swabs and feather pulp. Notify others working in the lab. At minimum, personnel are required to don gloves, closed toed shoes, lab coat, and appropriate face and eye protection prior to working with West Nile Virus.