A scary Nixle alert hit smart phones this afternoon, informing the public that some mosquitoes in Peabody have tested positive for the West Nile Virus.
But don’t panic. Although you should take the alert seriously by taking proper precautions while outdoors between dawn and dusk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that your chances of getting any symptoms of the disesase are slim.
Most people, according to the CDC will develop no symptoms after being bitten, and less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness associated with West Nile.
Even so, it’s wise to make you take the following precautions provided by the PPD and Peabody Department of Health:
- Please take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, such as wearing insect repellent and protective clothing, especially if outdoors between dusk and dawn.
- Eliminate standing water around your home and make sure your screens are intact.
- For more information visit www.peabody-ma.gov or call the Peabody Health Dept at 978-538-5926.
Follow Bob on Twitter @eyeonpeabody
Take precautions and do NOTHING about lower Sping Pond turning into a stagnant swamp every summer. that lower pond is so choked with weeds it looks like you can walk across it. the treatment plant has to get the water moving again (even a little) like it was many years ago. it use to be crystal clear. with MacArthur Park being feet from that shore line parents better take precautions down there.