By: Mary Duffy
All the moisture the San Juans received this spring will have one drawback: It will create more standing water and more places for the mosquitoes that transmit the West Nile virus to lay eggs. The first domestic case of the virus was documented in New York City in 1999, and after crossing the Continental Divide, it showed up in horses on the west end of San Miguel County last summer. Spread by mosquitoes from birds to horses and humans, the virus is responsible for over 60 deaths in Colorado alone. “If the disease shows its normal pattern,” says county environmental health officer Dave Schnek, “we can expect this, the second summer, to be the worst.”

The only way to thwart infection is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. Although only one of the over-50 species of mosquitoes in Colorado transmits the West Nile virus—Culex tarfalis—it’s impossible to know which kind of mosquito is sucking your blood.

Culex tarfalis emerges in July and may not even proliferate at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet, but it’s best to be on the safe side and take precautions. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, avoid outdoor activity in the evening and early mornings, and coat exposed skin with insect repellent containing DEET. Any standing water in flowerpots, old tires or buckets is a potential harbor for mosquito larvae and should be emptied. Water features that hold stagnant water should be treated with B.t.i. briquettes, which contain a natural bacterium that is toxic to mosquito larvae.

Although there are complications that can result from the West Nile virus, it is seldom fatal in humans. Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with the virus won’t show any symptoms at all. Indications are fever, headache, body aches, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash, all lasting just a few days. The virus is a danger to the elderly and those who are immunologically compromised.

Horses, which can also succumb to the virus, can be vaccinated against West Nile. Horses and birds infected by the virus do not transmit it to humans or other animals.

According to Schnek, who urges people to take all precautions, West Nile is “less likely to occur in Telluride than a lot of other places.” Thanks to the altitude, he hopes that “the mosquitoes that carry the virus might not be here at all.”

Telluride Visitor Guide