Marie Heilman knew there was something seriously wrong when she couldn’t get out of bed until 7pm one day. Marie, mother of four children and an indefatigable volunteer in the Sacramento community, rarely slept past 7am. She assumed she had the flu, resolving to get some rest and be back on her game in no time. However, her fatigue was soon accompanied by persistent nausea, vertigo and searing pain that stretched from her lower back to the top of her head. Marie was, in fact, suffering from the West Nile Virus, a disease her doctors didn’t identify until it was almost too late. “My husband was actually the one who came up with West Nile diagnosis because I had every symptom except the rash,” Marie recalls. “The doctors had no idea what it was because the blood tests and even a spinal tap revealed nothing. They admitted me thinking I had meningitis and gave me antibiotics and fluids for my headache.” Marie believes she was bitten while hosting a barbecue at her Winters home. The first symptoms appeared two weeks later. While her reaction to being bitten was more severe than most, the trending abundance of mosquito populations in Yolo and Sacramento Counties suggest there will be more West Nile cases in the future. Fortunately, since 1946 the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District (SYMVCD) has monitored mosquito levels to assess the threat of disease transmission and reduce annoyance levels. The agency also educates the public and develops programs to control mosquitoes and other vectors; i.e. insects or animals that can transmit a disease to humans and other animals. The most recent statistics from 2016 in Yolo-Sacramento Counties indicate that the two Culex species of mosquito that carry the West Nile virus remain in the Sacramento area. This has intensified efforts to control the mosquito population and educate the community about the seriousness of mosquito-borne diseases. “We [have seen] a higher abundance of mosquitoes,” says SYMVCD spokesperson Luz Maria Robles, citing the 2016 Annual Report. The number of mosquitoes was six times the 2015 numbers. “Eighty percent of West Nile virus cases are symptom-free. The remaining will suffer from fatigue, fever and even a rash that lasts a couple of weeks.” One in 150 cases, however, is neuro-invasive, a condition that can lead to paralysis and even death. Marie Heilman’s condition was so severe that her husband signed a “Do Not Resuscitate” form and her oldest child begged her “not to go.” The mosquito is actually the most dangerous insect on the planet “The mosquito is actually the most dangerous insect on the planet,” confirms Robles. Mosquitoes have caused more human deaths than any other animal in history. SYMVCD technicians are well aware of these statistics. They survey Sacramento and Yolo counties 12 months a year to combat mosquito-borne disease, maintaining traps at 60 permanent sites, collecting samples that are categorized into 20 species. These specimens are then tested for disease. The public is also encouraged to report large mosquito populations and other indicators like the appearance of dead birds that might indicate the presence of West Nile and other mosquito-borne disease. Fightthebite.net, the SYMVCD website, has public information about how to limit mosquitoes – eliminate standing water, for one – and other useful information. The West Nile and Spraying FAQs address community concerns about the virus and vector control respectively. There are also up-to-the-minute updates about West Nile cases and spraying schedules. A valuable set of downloadable brochures instruct readers how to “Fight the Bite,” not just from mosquitoes but also yellowjackets, paper wasps, ticks and bees. The helpful online checklist instructs readers exactly how often to change the water in every vessel from pets’ water bowls to wading pools. In addition, the agency lists techniques for personal protection against mosquitoes in any environment and especially during the summer season when mosquitoes are most populous. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District offers many other valuable public resources. They provide a free home inspection, mosquito-eating fish for ponds and troughs, and mosquito-repellent wipes for outdoor events. They also provide insect repellent to homeless shelters and give presentations to school classes and community groups. The SYMVCD’s spraying program is the least understood of its many functions. Far from a random operation, each potential spraying site is carefully studied to identify the abundance and species of mosquitoes as part of the mission to minimize the problem using the least invasive methods available. All pesticides comply with EPA and California Department of Pesticide Regulation standards. The Department of Public Health also monitors the SYMVCD program. “I still have constant pain and muscle spasms throughout my body ten years later,” says Marie Heilman, who responded to West Nile by joining the SYMVCD Board of Directors. Though night driving became problematic, a result of the lingering virus, at every opportunity she urges her community to utilize the abundant Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District resources to thwart the mosquito. --- (Images: courtesy of the Center for Disease Control)