The Salt Lake County Health Department has found St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) in several mosquito pools in Salt Lake County for the first time. That adds to the mosquito-borne illness risk, since West Nile virus was earlier detected.
For those in the area who’ve been sloppy about taking preventive measures, it’s time to take avoiding mosquito bites seriously. Per the county health department’s announcement, “Because mosquitoes can travel several miles, everyone in the region should take precautions against mosquito bites to avoid exposure to this and other mosquito-borne viruses.”
The symptoms and transmission of the two viruses are similar, but West Nile is much more common. While SLEV has been found before in the state, this is the first time it’s been seen in mosquito pools in northern Utah, according to department spokesman Nicholas Rupp.
About SLEV
Most people diagnosed with the St. Louis encephalitis virus won’t develop any symptoms. But it has the potential to make someone very ill. Symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. As with West Nile, there’s also a neuroinvasive form that can create more serious illness. Symptoms of that can include high fever, neck stiffness and neurological symptoms such as tremors, confusion and paralysis. In extreme cases, the illness can cause long-term disability or even kill…