DHHS Recommends Continued Mosquito Precautions to Prevent Illness | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH     State health officials are encouraging residents and visitors to take precautions to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses this fall.

    "In North Carolina, mosquito-transmitted diseases can happen through October," said Dr. Zack Moore, State Epidemiologist. "Although most mosquitoes produced after hurricanes do not transmit diseases, heavy rains from Hurricane Dorian have filled containers and tree holes around homes in some areas, possibly creating more habitat for mosquitoes that can also carry infectious viruses."

    West Nile virus is the most common virus spread by mosquitoes in the continental United States. In North Carolina, La Crosse encephalitis virus is the most common virus spread by mosquitoes. People can also get sick from eastern equine encephalitis virus, though infections are very uncommon in North Carolina. In rare cases, mosquito-borne viruses can cause severe disease or even be deadly.

    There are no vaccines licensed for use in humans against mosquito-borne viruses that may be acquired in North Carolina, and no specific medications to cure them once a person is infected by a mosquito, so the first line of defense is to protect yourself against mosquito bites any time you are outside by taking the following actions:

  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors.
  • Use mosquito repellent that contains DEET or other EPA approved ingredients when outside; use caution when applying to children and always follow the instructions on the label.
  • Dress children in clothing that covers their arms and legs.
  • Reapply insect repellent as directed; if you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.

    Additionally, take the following precautions to limit standing water and other mosquito breeding sites in the environment around your home:

  • Drill holes in recycling containers, toys, or any outdoor items that can hold unwanted water.
  • Clear roof gutters of debris.
  • Dispose of tires, or keep them under cover so water cannot collect in them.
  • Repair screened windows and doors, making sure they fit tightly.
  • Plug or fill tree holes - water in tree holes is the primary habitat for the mosquito that transmits La Crosse encephalitis.

    More information on the prevention of mosquito bites is available on the Division of Public Health's website and www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you.


  • NC Department of Health and Human Services
  • 2001 Mail Service Center
  • Raleigh, NC 27699-2001
  • Ph: (919) 855-4840
  • news@dhhs.nc.gov

Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Summer fun with the dog North Carolina Health, Body & Soul, Health and Fitness Grandmothers and Gooseberry


HbAD0

Latest Health and Fitness

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching a Community Partner Engagement Plan to ensure the voices of North Carolina communities and families continue to be at the center of the department’s work.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live Spanish-language Cafecito and tele-town hall on Tuesday, Feb. 27, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how to support and improve heart health as well as prevent and manage heart disease.
Part of ongoing effort to raise awareness and combat rising congenital syphilis cases
Recognition affirms ECU Health’s commitment to providing highly-reliable, human-centered care
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching a new Statewide Peer Warmline on Feb. 20, 2024. The new Peer Warmline will work in tandem with the North Carolina 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by giving callers the option to speak with a Peer Support Specialist.
A subsidiary of one of the largest health insurance agencies in the U.S. was hit by a cyberattack earlier this week from what it believes is a foreign “nation-state” actor, crippling many pharmacies’ ability to process prescriptions across the country.
The John Locke Foundation is supporting a New Bern eye surgeon's legal fight against North Carolina's certificate-of-need restrictions on healthcare providers.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the following statement on the Trails Carolina investigation:
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released a draft of its 2024-25 Olmstead Plan designed to assist people with disabilities to reside in and experience the full benefit of inclusive communities.

HbAD1

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Tues., Feb. 20, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how to support and improve heart health as well as prevent and manage heart disease.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is investing $5.5 million into the FIT Wellness program, part of the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program in the UNC School of Medicine, to improve reentry services for the justice-involved population.
As of Feb. 1, 2024, 346,408 newly eligible North Carolinians are enrolled in Medicaid and now have access to comprehensive health care, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Medicaid Expansion Enrollment Dashboard.
Controversy surrounds a healthcare provider’s decision to block parents from having access to their children’s prescription records.
Members of the North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA) visited Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14, 2024, to meet with elected officials and advocate for policies to improve access to care in rural areas.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the request for proposal to hire the organization that will help manage the Children and Families Specialty Plan.
As part of its commitment to improve the health and well-being of North Carolina children and families, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the launch of its Child Behavioral Health dashboard.
February is National Children's Dental Health Month, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is emphasizing the importance of children's dental hygiene to overall health and well-being.

HbAD2

 
Back to Top