Health Department Checking Birds for West Nile Virus

Summer is coming back, and so are the mosquitoes. That also means the risk for the spread of West Nile Virus around our area, so the Fond du Lac County Health Department is accepting dead birds to test for the virus. Mosquitoes get the virus from birds – and can then spread it to humans. And while West Nile sounds scary, Kim Mueller from the Health Department says it rarely has a severe impact on people, as “80% of people infected with West Nile Virus do not get sick. If they do get sick, they will experience simple mild symptoms such as fever, headache, or rash. And less than 1% of individuals will get seriously ill.”

Mueller recommends limiting time spent outside at dusk and dawn, wearing light-colored clothes, and using repellent with active ingredients like DEET. Eliminating areas that collect water also reduces the breeding of mosquitoes.