Denver resident dies from West Nile virus

A Denver resident has died from West Nile virus. The 71-year-old died after a hospitalization. 

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment is urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves from West Nile virus. 

“We are thinking of the family during this difficult time,” said Bob McDonald, DDPHE’s Executive Director and Denver’s Public Health Administrator, in a statement. “This mosquito season has been particularly bad in Colorado, and I urge everyone to take WNV seriously and take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from mosquito bites.”

Additional Information from Denver Department of Public Health and Environment:

Since the beginning of the mosquito season, DDPHE disease intervention specialists have investigated 23 cases of WNV. The virus is not spread through person-to-person transmission, but through the bite of an infected mosquito. In Colorado, most WNV cases are diagnosed in August and September, but cases can be identified as early as May and as late as December. Generally, the mosquito season extends from late-April until mid-October, with the end usually signaled by the first freeze in the fall.

While everyone is at risk of being infected with WNV, those over 50 years old, or with weakened immune systems, are at greater risk of developing serious illness. Symptoms of WNV typically include fever, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, but can also occasionally include skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms generally appear three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. While most infections are mild, more serious infections can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and/or meningitis (inflammation of the brain’s lining), loss of vision, paralysis, coma, tremors, convulsions, and even death.

Residents experiencing WNV symptoms should consult their doctor. While there no treatment, cure, or human vaccination for the virus, medical professionals can treat symptoms to help patients feel better and possibly recover more quickly.

DDPHE recommends residents do their part and help protect the community against WNV by taking the following precautions:

•    Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water on your property.

•    Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, wheelbarrows, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers.

•    Check for water-holding containers both indoors and outdoors.

•    Do not water your cement or the street. It can result in pools that support larval mosquitoes.

•    If you are making landscape decisions, consider ways to minimize overspray (of irrigation) to streets and gutters.

•    Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with DEET. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women. 

•    Avoid activity outdoors from dusk until dawn.

•    When outdoors, wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. 

•    Use mosquito repellent as well as candles, incense, and other means to deter mosquitos from your vicinity.

•    Use screens on windows and doors. Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.

For more information about WNV, mosquito activity in Denver, or proactive steps to take, visit the DDPHE Mosquito Control webpage or call the Colorado Health Information Line at 877-462-2911.