West Nile Virus and Ticks 06.29.2011
Nebraska’s first case of West Nile was diagnosed in May last year. There were 7 confirmed cases in the Two Rivers District.
West Nile Virus and mosquito borne disease prevention:
Mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn
Wear long sleeves and pants
Get rid of standing water or use mosquito dunks/larvacide
Insect repellents: DEET, Picaridin/KBR 3023, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus/PMD and IR3535 have all been approved by the EPA and CDC
For mosquitoes – choose the right repellent for the length of time your will be outdoors. Reapply according to product directions.
10% concentration for 1-2 hours
15% concentration for 2-4 hours
20-50% for 5-8 hours
Children over 2 months of age can use repellent containing up to 30% DEET
Tick Borne Disease Prevention:
Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two
hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all
parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their
children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button,
behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then
attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs. Tumble
clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.
Repellent with 20-50% DEET is recommended to protect against tick bites.
Permethrin treatment of clothing and equipment can provide protection against
both mosquitoes and ticks.
