West Nile in Wyoming

Wyoming and Hot Springs County has seen some West Nile Virus activity this season, especially equine and avian cases.

Hot Springs County was one of the counties where pools which were tested were found to have positive results for mosquitoes carrying the virus. Other counties included Fremont, Goshen and Natrona Counties.

There have been no fatalities reported, but Fremont County did report two positive human cases.

Campbell, Johnson and Natrona Counties all reported single cases of the virus in birds, and there have been a total of nine positive equine cases – two in Campbell County, two in Fremont County, one in Johnson County, three in Park County and a single case in Sheridan County.

Nearly 300 pools were tested across the state with 11 having positive results.

Remember the “5 D’s” of West Nile Virus:

Dawn and Dusk -- when possible, avoid spending time outside at dawn and dusk.

Dress – wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are most active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials to keep mosquitoes away from the skin.

Drain – reduce the amount of standing water in or near your property by draining or removing it. Mosquitoes may lay eggs in standing water.

Deet – for additional protection, use an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin.

There are no medications to treat West Nile Virus nor any kind of vaccine to prevent it. Luckily, most people will have no symptoms, but about one in five will develop a fever along with other symptoms.