Triangle Tactical Podcast and Blog on Guns, Gear, and Competition Shooting
Has anyone else been following this? As someone who spends a good amount of time in the outdoors, I’ve been monitoring this situation over the past couple of weeks. With over 1,100 cases reported nation wide, and over 40 deaths, this is definitely something to be aware of. This morning the CDC announced that this current outbreak is the largest ever recorded. Texas seems to be the epicenter of the outbreak, but 47 of the 48 continental states have reported cases of the disease (All but Vermont, but nobody cares about them).
The West Nile virus is a virus carried by mosquitoes that can be contracted by humans. From what I’ve read, most cases are quite mild, yet others can lead to death. The CDC has a good FAQ webpage for the disease, where they list the symptoms as “headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis“, not exactly something that I want to contract…
The embedded video below from CNN (I know, I know…) has some good information about how to avoid contracting the virus by following the 4 D’s.
- Deet insect repellent
- Dress in long pants and sleeves
- Dusk and Dawn are the times when mosquitoes are most active
- Drain standing water
Whether you are off hiking and camping, on the shooting range, or just walking your dog, make sure to take come precautions against mosquito bites, as this disease isn’t something to mess around with!
