Jamestown Canyon Virus Detected In Kalamazoo County Mosquitos

The summertime brings lots of joy and fun but at the same time, there are some things that aren't so enjoyable. Firstly, the weather can be quite hot, muggy, and sticky especially when you start sweating bullets. There's always the danger of becoming sunburnt and exhausted, but everybody knows the bugs come out to play.

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Some of them like butterflies, fireflies, and ladybugs can be harmless but others will inflict pain that goes beyond their annoyance. Ticks, earwigs, and other insects find their way inside of our homes and will try and get a taste of our blood, just like another big that could cause major damage, the mosquito.

Mosquitos are some of the most annoying bugs that we deal with in the summertime as we are always swatting at them or using products to repel them. Unfortunately, we can't always keep them at bay and have to deal with itchy mosquito bites hoping they weren't carrying something dangerous.

Mosquitos have been known to carry deadly illnesses and viruses that can cause severe pain or even death. Most of the time, Michigan residents don't have to worry much about these diseases unless they travel down south or to another country. Although, every once in a while, something slips through the cracks, and we have to take precaution about mosquito bites throughout the summer.

Have You Heard Of Jamestown Canyon Virus?

Kalamazoo County health officials notified the public that they had discovered the first case of the mosquito-borne Jamestown Canyon virus. Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services reported the positive case after a routine testing of county mosquito pools.

Environmental Health Division Manager Lucus Pols says:

Mosquito surveillance continues to be of great importance in providing early notification to our community of positive virus detection. Early detection is the key to bringing awareness to our citizens of the continued need to be vigilant in mosquito bite prevention.

WoodTv Via MSN reports:

Most people who catch Jamestown Canyon don’t have any symptoms, but some people can develop fever, headache and fatigue. It’s rare, but some cases can be severe, causing meningitis or encephalitis. Older people or those with weakened immune system may be more likely to develop a serious case.

There are multiple ways to protect yourself from mosquitos carrying viruses like Jamestown Canyon and West Nile such as:

• Wear a mosquito repellent that contains 10% to 35% DEET.
• Stay indoors at dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear light-colored clothing, as well as long sleeves and pants.
• Remove standing water in your yard, which can be a mosquito breeding ground.
• Keep window and door screens in good repair.

As of last week, state health officials found 4 mosquito pools in Saginaw with Jamestown Canyon while they have detected West Nile in pools in Bay and Midland County. Last year 7 people in Michigan contracted Jamestown Canyon while 31 people got West Nile.