CDC warns that Its still Mosquito Season

While the calendar might say it’s fall, the weather says otherwise and that means mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses are still a problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West Nile virus cases have been reported in people from 46 states, with approximately 1,295 cases, including 67 deaths so far in 2017, compared to 2,038 human cases and 94 deaths in 2016. The CDC updates these numbers weekly at https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/statsmaps/preliminarymapsdata2017/index.html. In 2017, West Nile virus infection has been detected in 17 people in South Carolina to date, compared to an average of ten cases per year over the last five years. One person has died from the infection, reports the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental control (DHEC). Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so it is crucial to take steps to remove areas around your property where water can accumulate. In addition, it is also important to mow the lawn, trim shrubbery, and cut down weeds to remove areas where adult mosquitoes can find cool, dark, and damp areas to rest. To learn more about preventing mosquito bites and the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses, go to www.scdhec.gov/mosquitoes.