San Bernardino, CA, August 28, 2012 – After a 24-year-old woman from Fontana was hospitalized with West Nile Virus the CDC wants to raise public awareness of the virus. The case in Fontana is the first human case of West Nile Virus in 2012 in San Bernardino County. West Nile Virus activity across the nation has been at a record-high. Almost 700 human cases of the virus (including 26 fatalities) have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The California Department of Public Health encourages the public to participate in the WNV surveillance program, by reporting dead birds or squirrels to the State West Nile Virus toll-free hotline at 877-WNV-BIRD, or online at the California West Nile Virus website. Property owners with pools are encouraged to keep them clean. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in unmaintained green pools and can fly up to 1.5 miles per hour, potentially transmitting the virus and impacting entire neighborhoods. You should report green pools and other sources of mosquito breeding to the County of San Bernardino’s Mosquito and Vector Control Program at 800-442-2283.
