With a new one reported this month, Bay County now has three cases of the West Nile Virus. Health officials are urging residents to be cautious of the mosquito-borne illness.
Bay County health spokeswoman Heather Kretzer says eight out of 10 people who have West Nile will have no symptoms at all.
“So, in those particular cases, there’s not really a need to worry about anything, but the reason why we send the alert is because of the people who could potentially get ill,” she said. “And, there’s about 1 in five people who may have mild illness and those symptoms include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.”
Kretzer says older residents with serious medical conditions, like cancer and diabetes, should especially be careful and take proper precautions to avoid mosquitoes. That includes covering your skin with clothing or mosquito repellent, removing any nearby standing water, and covering doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out of your house.
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