Mosquitos in Vegas? The Wild Wild West Nile Virus and your children.
There is a recent surge in mosquitos infected with West Nile virus in parts of the Las Vegas Valley. While it cannot be spread from person to person, West Nile virus can be transmitted from the bite of an infected female mosquito to a person. In children, the virus rarely causes severe diseases, but symptoms can include headache, flu-like symptoms, fever, rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph glands that are self-limited.
To limit exposure to mosquito bites this summer, we recommend the following:
- Consider staying indoors at dusk, dawn, and early evenings when mosquito activity is at its peak of the day.
- Whenever possible, dress your children in long sleeves if you’re outdoors where there are mosquitos with bug repellants.
- On exposed skin, consider applying bug repellant directly by hand application and reapply every 1.5-4 hours depending on the concentration of the insect repellant.
- Be aware of pools of standing water that attract mosquitoes.
Dr. Eileen Shi
Board-Certified Las Vegas Pediatrician
Your pediatrician should always be your child’s advocate and believe your child always comes first. Little Roots Pediatrics families on their wellness journey with Concierge Pediatric care. We integrate evidence-based care with holistic health principles to provide the most up-to-date, direct-access pediatric care.