West Nile Virus found in Sarasota County mosquitoes. Here’s how you can protect yourself.

Sarasota County health officials issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory on Thursday after mosquitoes trapped in Venice tested positive for West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus “affects the central nervous system and can cause serious illness,” the City of Venice said in a Facebook post. But 80 percent of people will not experience symptoms, according to the Center for Disease Control.

The 20 percent of people who do will experience fever and possibly “headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash,” the CDC says. However, most people with this type of West Nile Virus can expect to make a full recovery.

The pools that tested positive for the disease were collected in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County, near Venice. According to the city, that area has already been treated by Mosquito Management Services.

In Sarasota County, no cases of the virus have been reported in humans.

The Sarasota County Health Department urges people to protect themselves using the “drain and cover” method: Draining standing water and covering oneself with mosquito repellant.

To do this, the Health Department recommends:

• Draining water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots or any other containers where sprinkler or rain water has collected.
• Discarding old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances and other items that aren’t being used.
• Emptying and cleaning birdbaths and pet’s water bowls at least once or twice a week.
• Protecting boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water.
• Keeping swimming pools in good condition and appropriately chlorinated.
• Emptying plastic swimming pools when not in use.
• Covering doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out of your house.
• Repairing broken screening on windows, doors, porches, and patios.
• Wearing shoes, socks, and long pants and long-sleeves in areas where mosquitoes are present.
• Applying mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing. Using mosquito netting to protect children younger than 2 months old.

For additional questions, the Sarasota County Epidemiology Department can be reached at 941-861-2873.

Follow Emily Wunderlich on Twitter @EmilyWunderlich.

This story was originally published July 26, 2018 at 1:40 PM.