Experts issue advice and warning amid Kern County’s first 2024 West Nile virus case

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern County health officials confirmed the first human case of the West Nile virus of this year.

Kern County Public Health made the announcement Friday morning, encouraging residents to protect themselves from mosquitoes, which spread the disease. They further specified that mosquitoes often feed on birds that carry the disease. Thus, the virus is transmitted from birds to mosquitoes then to humans.

But there’s no vaccine for humans. The only prevention is not getting bit.

“This year, we’re actually doing pretty good, but any case of West Nile is not a good one,” said John Krolnik, superintendent of operations at Kern Mosquito & Vector Control District.

Compare that to past years, like the 32 total in 2019 and 15 just last year.

“Approximately 80% of cases will have no symptoms at all,” explained Assistant Division Director of Kern Public Health Services, Paul Rzucidlo. “And then a very, very small percentage, like 1%, can develop neurological symptoms like limb paralysis, tremors, altered mental states.”

Experts said common symptoms can include a fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting and muscle weakness. The virus can even be fatal.

As for treatments, “It’s all supportive care at that point,” said Rzucidlo.

Experts emphasize prevention is the life saver.

“We usually send crews out there and just try to search for more mosquito populations,” Krolnik said. He said his crews often target city sumps, drains, farming fields, vineyards, orchards.

“They’re always looking for mosquitoes, and when we find them, we use biological pesticides to take care of them.”

The Kern Mosquito & Vector Control District serves about 1,600 square miles, with fewer than 70 staff members.

“[We serve] throughout the city as well as the neighboring outskirts of the city. And so, these different markers are just marking the different trap types,” explained Nour Nesheiwat, the district’s entomologist.

Nesheiwat also noted the Southern house and Western encephalitis mosquitoes are most likely to carry the West Nile virus.

Their team sets up traps, including carbon dioxide, gravid and BG Sentinel ones.

They also use mosquito foggers, as well as mosquito-eating fish, among other methods, to kill the mosquitoes.

Krolnik said the goal is to get the bugs before they become biting adults.

But how do you not get bit? Get rid of any possible breeding ground — stagnant water.

“Green pools, wading pools, flowerpots, dog bowls, any standing water… Make sure to wear long sleeve shirts and pants if they’re not going to wear insect repellant, you know, mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn,”Krolnik advised.

He also said the biggest mistake people make is letting their pools go green once the summer ends.

And while the summer season is “just busy,” as Krolnik said with a laugh, he made clear just because it’s starting to cool down doesn’t mean we’re in the clear.

September and October are called the “push,” as mosquitoes lay more eggs ahead of the fall.

And because we’ve already seen one case of West Nile Virus pop up, it’s likely more will trickle in, he said.

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