PRESS RELEASE SOUTHEAST UTAH HEALTH DEPARTMENT

West Nile virus has been found in a mosquito trap near Slickrock Campground. Please take extra precautions while outdoors by using mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and making sure to have good window screens or use a screened tent if sleeping outside.

If a person is infected by West Nile virus, the risk of serious disease is low. Most of those affected will have a mild to severe flu-like illness with muscle aches, fever, rash, and headache that usually lasts a few days but can last months. Less than one in a hundred will get meningitis or encephalitis. Those at greatest risk of serious disease are those with weakened immune systems, diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease. The elderly are at greatest risk for severe complications