Mosquito with West Nile Virus found in Ambler park

The Borough of Ambler posted a notice today that a mosquito with the West Nile Virus was detected at Ricciardi Park in the borough. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection conducts testing throughout the state. In this case in Ambler, a trap was used in the park and the mosquitos were collected on July 26th and reported on August 2nd.

What is the West Nile Virus? From the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website:

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis, a brain inflammation and is typically spread by the bite of a mosquito. West Nile Virus was first detected in North America in 1999 and found in Pennsylvania in 2000. Prior to that, it had only been found in Africa, Eastern Europe, and West Asia.

In Pennsylvania, West Nile Virus maintains itself in nature by cycling between mosquitoes in the genus Culex and certain species of birds. A mosquito (the vector) bites an uninfected bird (the host), the virus amplifies within the bird, an uninfected mosquito bites the bird and is in turn infected. This cycle compounds itself through summer and fall, increasing the likelihood of someone being bitten by a diseased mosquito.

You can learn more about the West Nile Virus here.