I NEED WATER!!!

     Ugh it is SO hot! I don't know WHY I ever chose to walk in the desert! Hey, look its the Nile River! YAY WATER! Oh god, I hope it's not a hallucination...



please be real!














     Ah, better. Well, I learned something when I was there. I learned about this new virus. It's called the West Nile Virus. Well I bet you guys are thinking, "How do you get it?" You get it from mosquitoes. Ugh I hate mosquitoes. But basically, they come and bite you, however that mosquito needs to have the virus. So, you're talking a hike or something, and then this mosquito comes and bites you. At first you think, it's just a normal mosquito bite. But the reality is, it's much more than that.



EWWWWWWWWWWW! I HATE MOSQUITOES!














     A mosquito bite from regular mosquito is no fun. But a bite from one that has the West Nile Virus? Absolutely no fun. Symptoms from West Nile start appearing 5 to 15 days after being bitten. You usually have these:
-severe headaches
-fever
-nausea and vomiting
-disorientation
-chills
-muscle aches, pain, stiffness
(If you have any of these symptoms after getting bit by a mosquito, call a doctor!

this is what you should do

    Before you start freaking out, let me tell you how to prevent it. STAY AWAY FROM MOSQUITOES! As in, when you go outside, make sure to wear bug spray. Also, try to have DEET in the spray. Try not to let mosquitoes breed. They can breed in any place that has still water. Cover pools when you're not using it. Stay away from water at dusk and dawn, that's when mosquitoes are most active. But sadly, they are still active during the day. Lucky us...



yeah, I don't think that's gonna get rid of him...





















     Here's some more good news. This virus rarely affects people. It mainly affects birds. You may have seen a bird randomly fall out of the sky. Scientists usually take the bird and test it for West Nile. But, even if a human does get it, there really isn't anything you can do. It just goes away by time. They do have a vaccine, though. Yay for humans! We can prevent it! We can stay healthy! Woohoo!



her name is Suzy














        There still is a lot I didn't cover about this topic. So, I'm gonna give you a link. Click Here!!!!  There are four different sections. There's also a comic! Be sure to look at all of them! Alrighty then, that's my blog on West Nile! Bye!!! Science Fun:)



PEACE OUT!!!!!