West Nile virus detected for second time in county
For the second time this summer, West Nile virus has been detected in mosquito samples in Butler County.
The Mercer County Conservation District announced Monday samples collected in Zelienople borough were positive for the virus.
Mosquitoes from a sample in Franklin Township previously tested positive in July.
As of now, there are still no human cases of the virus in the county.
According to a release by the conservation district — which covers Butler, Crawford and Mercer counties — additional monitoring and appropriate control work will be conducted in the area where the samples were collected.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, about 80% of people do not develop symptoms, while around 20% have a fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting and a rash.
About 1 in 150 people will develop severe illness with symptoms including blindness, disorientation, coma, convulsions, headache, high fever, muscle weakness, neck stiffness, numbness, paralysis, stupor and tremors. People who are over 60; who have certain medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes and kidney disease; or who have received organ transplants are at greater risk of severe illness.
No vaccine or specific antiviral treatments are available for West Nile virus.
Businesses and residents in Zelienople are encouraged to take extra precautions, such as applying insect repellent and wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outdoors during dusk and dawn.
Eliminating standing water, such as bird baths, discarded tires or any other containers capable of retaining water will reduce the number of mosquito breeding habitats.
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s “skeeter meter,” showing the risk of West Nile virus mosquito activity for the week, was set at “very high.”
