Woodbridge, Lake Ridge Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus

Prince William County announced Wednesday that mosquitoes sampled from northern Woodbridge and Lake Ridge have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

The county said its Mosquito Control Program has performed an intensive treatment in the vicinity of the positive mosquito pools so as to kill adult mosquitoes and breeding larvae in residential areas. "The Prince William Mosquito Control Program will continue to monitor the area and possibly conduct an adulticide spray based on future trap numbers," said a press release.

To limit your exposure to mosquitoes: 

• Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing.
• Use insect repellent products with no more than 50 percent DEET for adults and less than 10 percent DEET for children. Follow label instructions when using insect repellents.
• Turn over or remove containers in your yard where any water may collect, such as old tires, potted plant trays, buckets and toys. 
• Eliminate any standing water in yards or on tarps or flat roofs.
• Chlorinate or clean out birdbaths and wading pools every three to five days.
• Clean roof gutters and downspout screens regularly. Mosquitoes breed and feed in standing water in roof gutters.

The county advises that the virus can spread to birds, humans, horses and other mammals through the bite of an infected mosquito. But, most people that are bitten do not get sick. Those who do have a mild flu-like illness.

People over the age of 50 are at the greatest risk for serious illness; encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) for example. Very few people who contract the virus suffer from these more severe symptoms.