PITTSBURGH — An Aspinwall man in his 60s has been identified as the first case of West Nile Virus in a human in Allegheny County in three years. People there couldn’t believe there was a human case of the illness.
“Why now? The season is over. Skeeters?” said Kevin Murray. “That’s pretty off the wall to happen here.”
“It’s a little bit concerning to say the least. Everyone has mosquitoes and one kind of wonders is there a number of them that are infected,” said Steve Paff.
The state Department of Health has reported two other cases of West Nile Virus this year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both in eastern Pennsylvania. The Health Department has set up additional mosquito traps in the Aspinwall area as part of its West Nile surveillance efforts.
Additionally, the program has treated targeted areas where West Nile has been detected with a mosquito pesticide called Zenivex E20 that is not harmful to humans or pets.
According to the CDC, between 70 and 80 percent of people that become infected with West Nile Virus do not develop symptoms and are not impacted. Approximately 20 percent who become infected will develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.
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Most people with these symptoms will recover completely and on their own. Less than 1 percent of people infected with the virus will develop severe symptoms of neurologic illness caused by inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues.
Anyone who believes they or someone they know has West Nile Virus should consult a healthcare provider for evaluation and diagnosis. ACHD officials urge the public to protect themselves from mosquitoes by getting rid of standing water in yards, making sure that open windows and doors have screens, and using insect repellent on exposed skin, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
When used as directed, insect repellent is the best way to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Complaints regarding properties with stagnant water can be reported here.
The last time human cases of West Nile Virus were detected in Allegheny County was 2018, when there were five cases. Previously, there were two cases in 2017, three cases in 2015, one case in 2014, one case in 2011, one case in 2007, six cases in 2005, 11 cases in 2003 and 21 cases in 2002.
For more information on the West Nile Virus, including frequently asked questions about prevention, symptoms and transmission, visit the CDC’s webpage on the disease.
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