Wyoming Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit Manager Clay Van Houten says there are common sense actions people can take to help keep mosquitos and ticks spread from ruining our outdoor fun and spreading disease.
Diseases include West Nile virus which is spread by mosquitoes when they feed on infected birds and then bite people, animals, or other birds. Among those who become ill, symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph nodes. A very small number develop West Nile neuro-invasive disease with symptoms such as severe headache, fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis. Serious diseases sometimes spread by infected ticks in Wyoming include tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.
To avoid either ticks or mosquitos, apply insect repellents such as those containing 20 percent or more DEET and/or picaradin. In areas where ticks may be present, wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to see ticks crawling on clothing and search yourself and children for ticks when returning from those areas and remove the ticks if found.
