TULSA — Officials with the Tulsa Health Department say a sampling of mosquitoes from Tulsa County has tested positive for West Nile virus.
The months of July through October are typically the highest risk months for exposure to West Nile in Oklahoma, but the Health Department begins a mosquito surveillance program each May. And although there have been no confirmed cases of West Nile in humans, officials say it's important for residents to take precautions against the potentially deadly virus.
West Nile is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, which feeds on infected birds and then transmits the virus when biting humans, horses, and some other mammals.
Symptoms include fever, headache, dizziness and muscle weakness. Long-lasting complications can include difficulty concentrating, migraine headaches, extreme muscle weakness and tremors and paralysis.