A case of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in Sanborn County.
Casey Miller of Woonsocket was recently diagnosed with the Virus. She is the first diagnosis in Sanborn County and just the fifth in the state of South Dakota.
According to County Health Nurse Marla Feistner, the four other confirmed cases are in Brookings, Buffalo, Jones and Spink counties.
Miller began experiencing headaches after delivering her baby boy six weeks ago. After several weeks of CT scans and blood work the diagnosis of West Nile was made.
There is no cure for the virus and Miller was told to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest.
To prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of WNV, the State Department of Health recommends the following personal precautions:
• Use mosquito repellents (DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535) and limit exposure by wearing pants and long sleeves in the evening.
• Limit time outdoors from dusk to midnight when Culex mosquitoes are most active.
• Get rid of standing water that gives mosquitoes a place to breed.
• Support local mosquito control efforts.
Personal precautions are especially important for those at high risk for WNV – people over 50, pregnant women, transplant patients, individuals with diabetes or high blood pressure and those with a history of alcohol abuse. People with severe or unusual headaches should see their physicians.
Three mosquito pools have tested positive for WNV so far this season in South Dakota, two in Brookings County and one in Hughes County. All of the positive pools were Culex tarsalis, the primary carrier of the virus in South Dakota.