El Dorado County detects first West Nile virus case of 2023. Here’s how to protect yourself

Grace Scullion
·1 min read

A person near Placerville contracted the West Nile virus, the first case in El Dorado County this year, according to county officials.

The individual is recovering, officials said.

The new case is the 26th in California. The virus can be transmitted through bites from infected mosquitoes. In 2022, there were 207 human case were detected in the state, according to the California Department of Health.

Eight in 10 people do not show symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but some can have fever, severe headaches, fatigue or a stiff neck. Rare severe cases — which develop in 1 in 150 infected people — can result in tremors, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.

The CDC recommends people who think they have contracted the virus to contact their health care providers. Doctors are required to report positive cases to county officials.

The best way to guard against West Nile is to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

The county issued the following recommendations:

  • Draining standing water to limit where mosquitoes can breed

  • Use bug spray with DEET when outdoors

  • Dress in long sleeves and pants outdoors, especially at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active

  • Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens

  • Report dead birds and tree squirrels, which can pass West Nile on to mosquitoes, to the State West Nile Virus hotline at 877-968-2473 or westnile.ca.gov.