NewsDesk @bactiman63
The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County (DOH-Volusia) recently reported a confirmed a human case of West Nile virus (WNV).
This is the first human WNV case reported in Florida.
Most people do not develop any symptoms, but one in five people can experience headache, body ache, joint pain, diarrhea or rash. Severe illness can occur in people of any age, however people over 60 years of age are at greater risk. Symptoms of severe illness include high fever, neck stiffness, tremors, muscle weakness and vision loss.
While the peak period of transmission in Florida is July through September, mosquito-borne diseases can be transmitted throughout the fall. West Nile virus is transmitted to wild birds by Culex mosquitoes. Occasionally, an infected mosquito will bite a human or animal (particularly horses) and cause disease. Culex mosquitoes are known to bite from dusk to dawn.
In 2022, WNV positive samples from one human, 83 sentinel chickens and two mosquito pools have been reported from 14 counties.
Nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 98 total human WNV cases in 17 states were reported through August 23, including six fatalities.
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