Wells County Health Department provides advice on West Nile protection

The Wells County Health Department offers some advice in protecting from West Nile.

Questions about West Nile may be directed to the Wells County Health Department at 824-6489. The Health Department is located at 223 W. Washington St., Bluffton, and office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
West Nile information and brochures are available to the public during office hours.

Mosquitoes will remain active as warm weather persists, but there are several things you can do to protect your family and to reduce your risk of becoming infected.

If possible avoid outdoor activities from dusk until dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. If you will be outdoors during this time, wear long sleeves and pants, and be sure to use an insect repellant containing DEET.

Continue to protect yourself until after the first hard freeze of the year. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and will develop in as little as four days. Eliminate areas of standing water on or near your property by disposing of old tires, cans, and containers that hold water. Clean out clogged gutters and stagnant water in bird baths or wheel barrows.

Cover unused swimming pools, but be aware that water that collects on top of swimming pool covers can also serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Even a small container with water in it can be a breeding site, allowing up to 1,000 mosquitoes to develop in one week.


West Nile virus is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people infected with West Nile virus show few or no symptoms, but those over the age of 50 or who have compromised immune systems are more at risk for severe illness.

Symptoms include fever, headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, and sore joints, and usually occur 3-15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. More severe infections are marked by rapid onset of a high fever with head and body aches, stiff neck, muscle weakness, disorientation, tremors, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord), convulsions and, in the most severe cases, coma or paralysis.

In some individuals, West Nile virus can cause permanent neurological damage or death. See your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of the disease.