West Nile Peak Season At Hand

As summer winds down, the mosquito-breeding season heats up, and with it comes an increase in cases of West Nile Virus. Throughout August and September, West Nile activity increases dramatically throughout the United States.

And although most people who contract it show no ill effects, West Nile is capable of doing severe damage to a vulnerable person's brain and spine, and has taken more than 500 lives, explains The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.

West Nile is, of course, spread by mosquitoes.

Senay stresses that, despite the "alarming" number of cases over the past couple of years, the chances of getting sick from a single mosquito bite are extremely low.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80 percent of those who become infected with the virus never even know they have it. They never develop any symptoms.

About 20 percent will develop what's called West Nile Fever with flu-like symptoms such as a headache, fever, and muscle aches.

The only way to really know for sure that it's West Nile is by doing a blood test.

Fewer than one percent of those infected will develop a very serious version of the virus called West Nile Neuro Invasive Disease, which can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and can be life threatening.Those at highest risk for serious illness are the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems.

West Nile has been in the U.S. for about six years. It really started making headlines back in 1999, when people in the Northeast started contracting it.

Back then, it was found in only four states. Now, it's spread through most of the nation.

So, says Senay, it's obviously here to stay, and even though there are precautions being taken by local health officials, it still spreads easily.

Some states and regions of the country are seeing a lot of cases, and many of the same regions are affected year after year. California, for example, has 84 cases, and they have resulted in the deaths of two people. South Dakota has 28 cases.

Those numbers are dramatically lower than the statistics from 2004, which saw more than 2,500 cases nationwide and 100 deaths.

So far this year, only three people have died from West Nile. But it's also just the start of the peak season for mosquitoes and mosquito breeding, so Senay says you can expect to see these numbers rise over the next few weeks.

The best way to prevent West Nile is to avoid mosquito bites. Fighting mosquito bites reduces your risk of getting this disease and others that mosquitoes can carry. It's a good idea to wear long sleeves during peak mosquito biting hours, which are from dusk to dawn, and spray insect repellent containing either DEET, or the chemical picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, directly onto your clothes and on any exposed skin. All are now recommended by the CDC.

Keep in mind that mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing, so insect repellent can make a big difference. Even if you're outside only a short time, it takes just a second for that mosquito to find you and bite.

You also want to mosquito-proof your home. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Drain any standing water from around your home. Empty backyard pools, garbage cans, and receptacles that have collected rain water; also, any bottles left around, and any puddles. Check all around your house.

Of course, problems arise when there's a neglected pool in the neighborhood. Encourage your neighbors to check their homes for standing water and take care of their pools.

You also want to keep mosquitoes out of the house. Make sure windows and doors are protected with well-fitted screens that have no holes. And go over to Grandma and Grandpa's house and help them do the same things.

Since the virus is carried by birds, report any dead birds you see, especially crows, to your local authorities. Keep in mind, there are a lot of reasons that birds die. Don't panic. A dead crow in your yard doesn't necessarily mean the whole area is a West Nile virus hot zone.

For a West Nile question-and-answer page that has links to a host of resources on to the virus, click here.