Guilford County health officials would very much like West Nile virus to remain somewhere other than Guilford County.
And, with North Carolina already reporting its first case of the mosquito-borne disease this year – and mosquitoes carrying the virus found right next door in Forsyth County – Guilford County health officials are telling residents there are some relatively easy ways to help make that happen.
On Monday, Aug. 10, the Guilford County Division of Public Health issued a warning encouraging residents to take precautions against West Nile virus as mosquito activity increases during the warm summer months.
The warning comes less than a week after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the state’s first reported case of West Nile virus disease in 2026.
That case was found in a Gaston County resident. The state also identified a West Nile-positive blood donor in Mecklenburg County during routine screening.
Perhaps more relevant for Guilford County residents, the State Laboratory of Public Health found West Nile virus in multiple mosquitoes collected during July in Forsyth County – as well as Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties.
State health officials said those positive mosquito samples turned up earlier in the summer than has historically been the case.
West Nile virus is carried by wild birds and is generally spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. It doesn’t spread from person to person.
The good news is that most people who get infected never know it.
Roughly 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus develop zero symptoms. About one in five develop symptoms that can include fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.
The much more serious form of the disease is rare. Less than 1 percent of those infected develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system. Symptoms, when they do occur, can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, confusion, seizures, muscle weakness and paralysis.
Older people and those with weakened immune systems or certain chronic medical conditions face a greater risk of severe illness from the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people age 65 and older are three times as likely to develop neurologic illness from West Nile virus as those under 65.
There’s currently no West Nile vaccine for humans and no medication that cures the disease once someone is infected.
That leaves prevention as the best defense – and county health officials say much of that prevention can take place in your own yard.
The mosquitoes most commonly responsible for spreading West Nile virus are found throughout North Carolina and are most active between dusk and dawn.
County officials recommend using an EPA-registered mosquito repellent, particularly after sunset, and reapplying it according to the instructions on the label.
They’re also asking residents to take down mosquito breeding grounds.
After it rains, residents should empty containers that can hold even small amounts of water. That includes flowerpot saucers, toys, buckets and other objects left outside.
Water in birdbaths and pet bowls should be changed at least twice a week.
Gutters should be kept clean and in good repair, rain barrels should have tight-fitting screens or lids and standing water that can’t be drained can be treated with EPA-approved larvicides.
County health officials also recommend draining puddles, ditches and other standing water that remains for more than four days after a rain.
Screens on windows and doors should fit tightly and holes or tears should be repaired.
“Preventing mosquito bites starts with simple actions at home,” Guilford County Assistant Health Director Anita Ramachandran said when announcing the county’s warning on Monday. “Using insect repellent, removing standing water and encouraging your family and neighbors to do the same can protect our entire community.”
Anyone who develops symptoms and believes they may have been infected with West Nile virus should contact a health care provider.
State health officials say August is typically the time of year when West Nile activity begins increasing in North Carolina, and the early detection of infected mosquitoes this summer is another reason not to give the mosquitoes around your house free room and board.
