A particularly wet winter in some parts of the country has jump-started the mosquito season this summer and it's past time to start taking precautions to protect you, your family and your home from an invasion.

The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) says the incidence of West Nile Virus infections -- mostly in birds and animals -- has spread across the U.S. from the East to West Coast, hopscotching across some states.

The West Nile Virus, commonly found in Africa, West Asia and the Middle East, and discovered in the U.S. in 1999, is a flavivirus which affects the central nervous system.

Typically carried by mosquitoes that feed on birds' blood, the virus is spread to horses, other mammals and humans when the mosquito sucks blood. Dogs and cats appear to be much less vulnerable, the CDC says.

Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with the virus will not show any symptoms at all.

One in 150 people infected will develop severe symptoms including a high fever, headache, stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis that can last several weeks with permanent neurological effects.

Milder symptoms can appear in up to 20 percent of the people who become infected. That could include fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days. However, even some healthy people have been ill for several weeks.

The CDC says "there is no specific treatment for West Nile virus infection. In more severe cases, intensive supportive therapy is indicated, often involving hospitalization, prevention of secondary infections (pneumonia, urinary tract, etc.), and good nursing care."

That means, it's never been more true -- the best medicine is the preventive brand.

Here's what the CDC recommends.

1. Remove all standing water and moisture from under, in or around your home where mosquitoes can lay eggs. That includes removing moisture from damp crawl spaces, draining improperly sloped grading and drying out driveway potholes, among other locations where water puddles, ponds or accumulates.

2. Volunteer to help clean up your neighborhood. Breeding sites can be anywhere you may not see if it's hidden by trash. Neighborhood clean up days can be organized by civic or youth organizations to pick up containers from vacant lots and parks, and to encourage people to keep their yards free of standing water. Wear protective clothing and insect repellent when you perform such tasks.

3. Keep your swimming pool water sparkling, properly treated and well-filtered without allowing algae to form.

4. Peak mosquito hours are from dusk to dawn. When outdoors, at least during those periods, use insect repellent that contains DEET and wear long sleeved shirts, pants rather than shorts, socks and shoes. Spray clothing with DEET or other repellents not formulated for your skin.

5. Make sure your home has well-fitting screens that are not in disrepair on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Your local health department or vector control division can recommend treatments for home and horse stable owners to help mosquito proof a residence. They may also offer door hangers with mosquito prevention tips that homeowners' associations and other community groups can hand out within your neighborhood.

6. If you own horses, have them vaccinated for the disease.

7. Inform your health department if you find a dead bird that shows no signs of injuries. Do not handle the bird. Reporting dead birds helps authorities monitor the virus and, perhaps, prevent a widespread outbreak.

The American Mosquito Control Association and the National Pesticide Information Center offers additional assistance and information.

Published: June 23, 2005

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A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.