07/03/2026
While we appreciate the rain, we also have to deal with unintended consequences. This includes mosquitos! While you are out celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation, please work to prevent bites and be aware of the risk of West Nile Virus from any mosquito bite.
Prevent bites by:
• Using EPA-registered insect repellents.
• Wearing long sleeved, loose-fitting shirts and pants.
• Avoiding the outdoors at dusk and dawn.
• Using screens on windows and doors.
• Using mosquito netting on strollers and playpens.
• Managing standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
West Nile Virus (WNV) is the most important mosquito-borne disease in Kansas. The virus was first detected in North America in 1999 and has since spread across the continent.
• The mosquitoes that carry WNV are most active at dusk and dawn.
• It can take 2-14 days for symptoms to appear after a bite from an infected mosquito.
• Symptoms range from mild flu-like illness with fever, headache, body aches, rash, vomiting and diarrhea, to severe illness.
• About 1% of people infected with WNV develop neurological infection that can cause brain damage and even death.
• Older people and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.
• From 2021-2025, Kansas had 98 cases of neuroinvasive WNV and seven deaths.
• No vaccines or specific treatments exist for WNV in people.
• The only way to prevent WNV infection is to prevent mosquito bites.
DID YOU KNOW: Horses can also get WNV from infected mosquitoes. Talk to your veterinarian about how to prevent WNV in horses.
Learn more about West Nile Virus: https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/about/index.html
