What's the trendy new disease being touted by the media? It's the Zika virus ... and it's transmitted by mosquitoes.
Uh oh. Summer is coming. Mosquitoes, too.
Well, no. The mosquitoes that will soon be buzzing Hawthorn Woods, don't carry the Zika virus. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not a single person has gotten the virus from a mosquito in the contiguous United States.
Foreign countries are different. Zika virus is a danger if you travel to Mexico, the Caribbean and some South American countries. Tropical mosquitoes in these areas carry the virus. More than 350 "travel-related" Zika cases have been reported in the United States, where people returned from a foreign country after being infected.
The glaring risk of Zika virus is its connection to severe birth defects, including brain damage. Pregnant women, or those planning to become pregnant, should be especially cautious about foreign travel.
Otherwise, Zika virus disease isn't fatal. It does have some uncomfortable symptoms – fever, rash and joint pain. So, if Zika comes up in conversation this summer, rest easy. Like malaria and dengue fever, it's transmitted by tropical mosquitoes that don't frequent Hawthorn Woods, southeastern Wisconsin or northern Illinois.
Just like mosquitoes love woods, though, we aren't out of the woods regarding mosquito--borne illness. West Nile virus, which appeared in the U.S. about 15 years ago, is a threat. In the Hawthorn Woods area, Illinois had 72 cases reported in 2015. Wisconsin had nine.
Hawthorn Woods local mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus. Its danger to people varies. In the vast majority of cases, an infected person has no symptoms.
About one in five infected people displays fever and other symptoms: headache, body pain, vomiting and rash. Most recover in full.
Yet, a fraction of those infected encounter serious neurologic illness, and can even die. People over 60 are at highest risk. With Hawthorn Woods summer activities nearing – pool parties, family gatherings, the 4th of July and others – it's worth considering how to protect yourself and others from the West Nile virus.
Protecting against mosquitoes, period, minimizes the chance of running into one (or more) harboring West Nile. A mosquito repellent application by The Mosquito Guy keeps mosquitoes away for 30 days. We travel to Hawthorn Woods and throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Prices start at just $125 per treatment. It's a small expense to pay for peace of mind regarding West Nile ... and the peace of no mosquitoes buzzing around your ears. Call 262-521-1258, request a mosquito control quote or e-mail margie@themosquitoguy.com, to schedule an application for your Hawthorn Woods yard.
Zika virus isn't a concern here. Other mosquito-borne ailments are. The Mosquito Guy will ensure that you, and those you love, are guarded from all.