YPSILANTI, Mich. (WXYZ) — Washtenaw County health officials are urging people to take steps to prevent mosquito bites after West Nile virus and Jamestown Canyon virus were detected in mosquitoes collected from sites in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Independence Lake County Park in Whitmore Lake and Pinckney Recreation Area.
“Unfortunately, mosquitoes can spread disease,” said Juan Luis Marquez, MD, MPH, medical director with Washtenaw County Health Department. “These results confirm the potential for human infections in our local area, and we should all take steps to prevent getting mosquito bites.”
Health officials are recommending the following precautions:
- Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET to exposed skin or clothing
- Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors
- Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes outside
- Empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets, kiddie pools, and other water-holding containers where mosquitoes can lay eggs
