8/28/17
by News Department on 08/28/17West Nile in Sch. Cty...
Eight municipalities in Schuylkill County have had mosquitoes test positive for the West Nile virus this year.
According to the Republican Herald, those mosquitoes were found in Cressona, Schuylkill Haven, Gilberton, Frackville and Tamaqua boroughs, along with Rush, Mahanoy and West Mahanoy townships.
There have been 16 positive samples of the virus in the county. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the West Nile virus is mostly spread by mosquitoes, but can also be spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breast feeding and during pregnancy.
The virus causes flu-like symptoms and can result in encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain. Symptoms can show three to 14 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus.
There were 16 positive cases of the virus detected in humans statewide in 2016; none of those were in Schuylkill County.
