Cases of West Nile Virus found in Michigan birds are becoming more common in the state. Just recently in Mid-Michigan a crow in Jackson County tested positive for the virus.
Health departments across the state continue to monitor the situation.
So far a human in Michigan has not contracted the virus.
As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, mosquito protection is on the mind of many campers in Mid-Michigan.
At Alice Springs Campground in Ionia, it’s the calm before the Fourth of July storm.
People already camping are prepared for the pesky mosquitoes that we all love to hate.
“They are a pain in the rear,” said Deb VanDongen, camping at Alice Springs Campground. “They’re noisy, they bite you and it itches.”
“At home I have a mixture that I put together and spray it around my bushes,” said Diane Playter, also camping at Alice Springs. “That helps to keep the mosquitoes down, it’s a home remedy type thing.”
Campers say mosquitoes aren’t so much a problem. They thank the wind that rarely dies down at Alice Springs Campground.
“They can't hold still on you long enough,” said Playter.
A Jackson County bird testing positive for the West Nile Virus does not come as a surprise to Ken Bowen at the Ionia County Health Department. They're in touch with departments across the state and are prepared to take action if need be.
"There is regional epidemiologists that we're in regular contact with and that's one of the main things that we do at the health department,” said Bowen “We undergo preparedness activities all the time to make sure that we're prepared for an outbreak of anything."
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following tips to help avoid getting bit by a mosquito:
- Use insect repellents when you go outdoors. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide longer-lasting protection.
- Wear long sleeves and pants from dusk through dawn when many mosquitoes are most active.
- Install or repair screens on windows and doors. If you have it, use your air conditioning.
- Empty standing water from containers such as flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, and birdbaths.
The Ionia County Health Department says another bird has tested positive recently for the West Nile Virus in Washtenaw County.
Click here for more information about the West Nile Virus from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
