DELAWARE - The Delaware Department of Agriculture is alerting the public to Delaware’s first confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in both a person in New Castle County and two horses in Kent County.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the human infected with the mosquito-borne illness is recovering.
The two horses, a 5-year-old stallion and a 1-year-old geldling, were not vaccinated, officials say. The stallion has recovered while the geldling is currently recovering.
West Nile Virus is spread through mosquito bites, typically in the summer and fall. The Department of Agriculture says the peak period for disease transmission is from mid-August to mid-October.
While most people see no symptoms, Delaware officials say about 20% of people can experience a fever, body aches, headache, nausea, and vomiting, among other symptoms. A smaller number of people may experience serious illness or death.
Horses infected with West Nile Virus can experience fever, anorexia, head pressing, depression or personality change, wobbling or staggering, weakness, blindness, convulsions, muscle spasms in the head and neck, or hind-limb weakness.
The Delaware Department of Agriculture urges neighbors to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites and prevent transmission, including wearing lighter-colored clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and applying insect repellent with 10 to 30% diethyltoluamide (DEET).
For more information about West Nile Virus:
-To report suspected cases of human West Nile Virus, contact the DPH Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (OIDE) at 302-744-4990 during regular business hours from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday; 888-295-5196 outside of normal business hours; fax: 302-622-4194; or email reportdisease@delaware.gov.
-Animal health questions should be directed to the Delaware Department of Agriculture at 302-698-4500. Ask for the Poultry and Animal Health Section.
-For mosquito biology/ecology and control, contact the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Mosquito Control Section at 302-739-9917.
-For requests for mosquito relief in upstate areas from Dover to the north, contact Mosquito Control’s Glasgow field office at 302-836-2555.
-For mosquito relief requests in downstate areas south of Dover, contact Mosquito Control’s Milford field office at 302-422-1512.
