West Nile virus to become the next epidemic in the US?

Yesterday in our local news we found out that pools of mosquitoes infected water tested positive for west Nile virus in Southern GA.

This virus was first found in NY 6 years ago, since then it has spread through the US.

Now because the recent rains and very humid south bashes of mosquito with the virus has been found.

My concern is about the states in the south that has been flooded, many areas will be breeding ground to mosquitoes and many of them will be carriers to West nile virus.

ALBANY, Ga., -- The Georgia Division of Public Health has confirmed that a mosquito pool in Dougherty County tested positive for West Nile Virus. This is the first time West Nile has been identified in Dougherty County this year. To date, no human infections of West Nile have been identified in the Southwest Health District.

Dougherty and Valdosta are the two counties that has tested positive in bashes of mosquitoes collected.
This brings the concern that bashes all over the southern part of the country is full of mosquitoes carrying the virus.

www.walb.com...

The mosquito was found in birds but now the infected virus is found on other animals and spreading faster.

www.cdc.gov...

www.walb.com...

How long before the virus turns into the human as a host and an epidemic develop and is not vaccination against the virus either.

For the last two days the news has been drilling about how to keep yourself safe from mosquitoes bites, but taking in consideration how our children spend so much time outdoors during this time of the year is almost impossible to have them mosquito bite free.

Should we be concern?

It's been noted here in North Dakota, too

I do hope this can be contained...

I tell you is spreading faster than they can track it, and what it makes it more dangerous is that is spread to animals, and when animals interact with humans like pets you can imagine the result.

The communities need to make sure that the local government keep the mosquito population low with insecticide.

Also people needs to make sure that their properties are not breeding ground to the mosquito.

We have The Dengue mosquito in Puerto Rico and the symptoms are just like the west Nile virus.

And has mutate in recent years to a very rare hemorrhagic version.

I had the dengue when I was twelve and I still remember, and my mother had the hemorrhagic version and was put in quarantine for a month because she was one of the first ones to got it and they had not clue what it was.

We all can become infected by mosquitoes we are just lucky.

We had a small out break in Ohio a few years back but the winter took care of that one. I don't see it getting out of control. Anyways its only deadly to babies and old people. If you are really concerned start mating Bats and spiders. A natural way to get rid of those pesky mosquitos.

I heard that Tennessee has attributed one death to West Nile.

It's not getting much press this year, due to so many things happening. But there was so much rain here earlier this year, I had a feeling it would return.

I'm not sure it's less worrisome even if it's old people and babies who are more likely to die.

(I'm not sure of the point you're trying to make, Tim)

I've found a few birds on the property dead without a scratch on them so West Nile is in Southern Ontario now, like it's been for the last 4-5 years. No one has died that I know of, but it's only a matter of time before someone does die. I don't think it will become an epidemic though, it's not virulent enough. Bird Flu is much more dangerous IMHO.

I'm not sure it's less worrisome even if it's old people and babies who are more likely to die.

I am not trying to make any point. It sounded worse then what I was thinking.
My bad

-New Orleans I am sure is going to have a problem with this. They will probably have mutated super mosquitos because of all the toxins in the water.

Does anyone get the mosquito treatment from their city. A truck driving around blasting a ton of bug spray into the air. We get it a lot this time of year

Ah, I see what you mean, I think, Tim

I think this city has help with mosquito control..but I'm not sure. We're right on the Red River, which doesn't help matters.

It also doesn't help much that I seem to be the favourite delicacy of the local mosquitoes. I can be outside for literally 20 seconds and come back in with four or five bites.

Not fun.

We have the truck coming around at nigh, it helps but we still have them.

The problem is not so much in the northern states because the northern states has the weather to take care of them.

But the south with its long humid hot tropical kind of weather is the perfect grounds for them, just like in the Caribbean.

The dengue has been found in souther parts of Florida but is very suggestible to cold temperatures, even in PR when the temperature falls under 70's for a extended period of time they disappear.

But now with so much warmer long summers due to weather change the south is going to have a big problem with the mosquitoes.

I was looking at some pictures a friend sent me from Korea. One picture showed a truck spraying what looked like smoke into the air. The caption read something like 'mosquito control'.
Until seeing this, I was'nt even aware of this type of action. I live in Canada on the East coast so mosquito population is minimal most of the warmer months. I have however seen a few dead birds over the past few years that appear suspicious.