West Nile detected recently in Norfolk neighborhood

A mosquito infected with West Nile Virus was found Sept. 14 in Norfolk’s Larchmont-Edgewater neighborhood, prompting health officials to take steps to control the mosquito population in the area.

The virus is spread to humans through mosquito bites, and it can produce symptoms ranging from a mild fever, headache, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea to more severe forms of each of these, as well as paralysis, seizures and coma.

Most people infected with West Nile do not experience any symptoms.

About 1 in 5 experience mild symptoms, but about 1 in 150 cases of infection result in death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those cases that develop into a serious illness, about 10% are fatal, the Norfolk Department of Public Health said in a news release.

To avoid infection, the NDPH advises residents to use insect repellent when outside in mosquito-populated areas; wear long, loose clothes; make sure their home’s doors and windows have effective screens; get rid of places that can have a buildup of standing water where mosquitos breed; and clean roof gutters and downspout screens.

There is no vaccine or specific medicine that can treat West Nile Virus, according to the CDC, so managing symptoms through rest, drinking fluids and using over-the-counter pain medication is the treatment for minor cases,.

Hospitalization is needed to deal with more severe cases.

The risk of West Nile infection is highest during mosquito season, which begins in April in Virginia and continues until temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees or until the first freeze in late fall, according to Mosquito Reviews.