Check out this week’s radio segment here or read the transcript below.  It reminds listeners to be wary of West Nile virus into October.

The summer is gone, but Iowans shouldn’t put away their mosquito repellant just yet.

This is the Iowa Environmental Focus.

In mid-September, a Pottawattamie County man became the first Iowan to get the mosquito-borne West Nile virus. This may seem too late in the year to worry about mosquitoes, but in Iowa the virus season often goes till mid-October.

While it is uncommon for the virus to seriously affect people, its presence in humans typically coincides with a high spread of West Nile among birds and mammals.

The Department of Natural Resources offers suggestions for limiting the prevalence of the virus, such as draining standing water and keeping pets inside during dusk and dawn. People worried about catching the disease should also stay inside at those times, cover their skin while outside and use insect repellent with DEET.

For more information, visit IowaEnvironmentalFocus.org.

I’m Jerry Schnoor from the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research.

Thank You.