July 26, 2022 - Harrisburg, PA
Summertime is for swimming pools and lemonade, not for mosquito bites and diseases like West Nile Virus, so the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging residents to Fight the Bite and protect themselves. “The best parts of summer aren’t itchy bites and being sick, so we want people to protect themselves from mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses,” said Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. “It doesn’t take much to Fight the Bite and protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes. Common sense and insect repellent can go a long way towards a safe and happy summer.” One human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) has already been reported in Pennsylvania this year. Symptoms of WNV in humans are typically like those of a mild flu, but the virus can lead to a more serious condition that includes swelling of the brain, muscle convulsions, coma, paralysis, and death. Since DEP first began monitoring for the virus in 2000 there have been 48 fatal cases of West Nile Virus in Pennsylvania. Speakers: Jennifer Stough, Water Program Specialist for DEP’s Vector Management Program Nathan Reigner Director of Outdoor Rec for DCNR
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