12-year-old Guthrie girl infected by West Nile Virus

A 12-year-old Guthrie girl has tested positive for the West Nile Virus. This is the second person from Guthrie to be affected by the virus.

The girl was taken to Mercy Hospital Logan County on Wednesday for fever, headache and vomiting. The girl required an IV for dehydration and spent six hours at the medical facility receiving treatment.

Upon her mother’s request, tests were sent off for proper diagnosis. Once tests are sent off,  it takes four days for the results to come back.

The 12-year-old’s mother, Jen Woodard, notified Guthrie News Page and wants everyone to know that this virus needs to be taken seriously.

“I just hope everyone takes West Nile seriously,” Woodard pleaded. “Check for standing water around your house and pay attention to your kids if they start to complain of unexplained headaches nausea or sore neck.”

Woodard noted that their family had not been out of Guthrie so her daughter was infected locally.

“She is still suffering from headache and nausea four days later,” Woodard said. “My daughter is lucky that it was not worse. I was worried enough to take her in to the doctor and didn’t think it was just a flu bug.”

Former Guthrie mayor Jon Gumerson continues to battle the effects of the virus. Despite, the virus no longer in his system, Gumerson continues to battle the effects it has had. Related story: West Nile Virus active in Oklahoma, Guthrie

City of Guthrie will not spray for mosquitos

“We will not utilize spraying in the City as it is not particularly effective and the potential health risks associated with releasing insecticide into the air outweigh any benefit. Instead , the City of Guthrie’s West Nile Virus program is focused on disrupting the life cycle of mosquito larva in order to prevent them from getting into the world as adults who will bite,” City Manager Matt Mueller said.

Any areas of standing stagnate water provide a prime mosquito breeding ground. Even areas such as a coffee can or soda bottle lid can hold enough water for larva to thrive.

“We are encouraging our residents to be aware of these areas on their property and make sure they are kept clean and dry. Some areas that can be of concern are bird baths and other decorative water features if they are not chlorinated or inhabited by fish. If there are areas of stagnate water around your property, you can place larvicide discs in the water and that will prevent it from being a breeding ground,” Mueller said.

Mueller said larvicide discs around town or can be picked up at no cost from the City of Guthrie. Also to prevent breeding, the Code Enforcement office will be diligently working issues of junk trash and debris, tall grass and weeds, and other issues that can lead to mosquito breeding areas.

More information about how you can keep you and your family safe from mosquito borne illness can be found on the Center of Disease Control’s website at the following link:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/prevention_info.htm