NO DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. A MOSQUITO VIRUS THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE 1961 HAS BEEN FOUND IN NEBRASKA FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S SAMANTHA PASTORINO TALKS ABOUT THE JAMESTOWN CANYON VIRUS AND HOW YOU CAN STAY SAFE THIS SUMMER. THE JAMESTOWN COUNTY VIRUS OR JCV WAS DISCOVERED IN MOSQUITOES CAPTURED AT CUNNINGHAM LAKE ON JULY 25. THE VIRUS HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND IN NEBRASKA BEFORE. DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR LINDSAY HUSE SAYS JCV IS RARE, ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE QUITE SERIOUS. ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH THIS VIRUS ACTUALLY END UP HOSPITALIZING FOR THEIR CARE. ABOUT, BUT THANKFULLY, NO HUMAN CASES HAVE BEEN DETECTED THIS YEAR. WE ARE TOLD THAT SYMPTOMS CAN RANGE FROM FEVER AND HEADACHES TO NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS MENINGITIS. THE VIRUS CAN LAST FROM TWO DAYS TO TWO WEEKS. THERE IS NO CURE FOR JCV. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN GIVE THAT WILL MAKE THE VIRUS ITSELF GO AWAY. SO YOUR BODY HAS TO FIGHT IT ON ITS OWN. UNFORTUNATELY, DR. HUGHES SAYS NEBRASKA DIDN’T START TESTING FOR JCV UNTIL JUNE. She says it may have been around longer. Now that we know, we should be able to increase our testing. You know, both in mosquitoes and in humans, we talked to people at Lake Cunningham on Friday, where they found a bunch of infected mosquitoes. It’s a little shocking and a little scary. Just because you know, there’s a lot of people out there enjoying the lakes and going for walks and canoeing and kayaking and running. If you have kids, your first instinct is, what’s this going to do to my kids? For everyone else, the new information isn’t going to stop them from enjoying the outdoors. This summer. I’M GOING TO GET BITE ANYWAY. I PUT ON THE BUG REPELLENT AND I’M GETTING BITE AGAIN, SO I’M GOING TO
‘It’s pretty shocking’: Mosquito virus first discovered in Nebraska
A mosquito virus that has been present since 1961 has been discovered for the first time in Nebraska. Jamestown Canyon virus, or JCV, was discovered in mosquitoes collected from Lake Cunningham on July 25.
Updated: 6:28 p.m. CDT July 19, 2024
A mosquito virus that has been around since 1961 has been discovered in Nebraska for the first time. Jamestown Canyon virus, or JCV, was discovered in mosquitoes collected from Lake Cunningham on July 25. The virus had never been discovered in Nebraska before. Douglas County Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse says JCV is rare. “It can be quite serious, about half of the people diagnosed with this virus end up having to be hospitalized for their care. Fortunately, there have been no human cases this year,” Huse said. Symptoms, we’re told, can range from fever and headache to neurological disorders like meningitis. The virus can last anywhere from two days to two weeks. “There is no cure for JCV. There is nothing we can give that will make the virus itself go away. It’s something your body has to fight off on its own,” Huse said. Dr. Huse says Nebraska didn’t start testing for JCV until June. She says the virus may have been around longer. “Now that we know, we should be able to increase our testing, both on mosquitoes and humans,” Dr. Huse said. We spoke to people at Lake Cunningham on Friday, where the batch of infected mosquitoes was found. “It’s pretty shocking and pretty scary. There’s a lot of people out and about enjoying the lakes, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, running. If you have kids, your first instinct is how is this going to affect my kids,” said park visitor Paige Maschman. For others, the new information won’t stop them from enjoying the outdoors this summer. “I’m going to get bitten anyway. I put on bug spray and I’m still getting bitten. So I’m going to keep walking,” said park visitor Lynn Potocki. The Department of Health recommends using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants and making sure you have screens on your windows as a precaution. Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
A mosquito virus that has been present since 1961 has been discovered for the first time in Nebraska.
Jamestown Canyon virus, or JCV, was discovered in mosquitoes collected from Lake Cunningham on July 25. The virus has never been discovered in Nebraska before.
Douglas County Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse says JCV is rare.
“It can be quite serious, about half of the people diagnosed with this virus end up needing to be hospitalized for their care. Fortunately, no human cases have been detected this year,” Dr. Huse said.
We are told that symptoms can range from fever and headache to neurological disorders such as meningitis.
The virus can last from two days to two weeks.
“There is no cure for JCV. There is no medication that can make the virus itself go away. It is a virus that your body has to fight off on its own,” Dr. Huse said.
Dr. Huse says Nebraska only started testing for JCV last June. She adds that the virus may have been around longer.
“Now that we know this, we should be able to increase our testing, both in mosquitoes and in humans,” Dr. Huse said.
We spoke to the people at Cunningham Lake on Friday, where the batch of infected mosquitoes was found.
“It’s pretty shocking and a little scary. There’s a lot of people out there enjoying the lakes, walking, canoeing, kayaking and running. If you have kids, your first instinct is, what’s this going to do to my kids,” said park visitor Paige Maschman.
For others, this new information won’t stop them from enjoying the outdoors this summer.
“I’m going to get bitten anyway. I put on bug spray and I still got bitten. So I’m going to keep walking,” said Lynn Potocki, a park visitor.
The Department of Health recommends using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and making sure you have screens on your windows as a precaution.
Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7