West Nile virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. You can reduce your risk of being infected by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites.
There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent infection. Fortunately, most people infected will have no symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms. Less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness.
Help us fight West Nile virus! If you see a dead bird in King County, report it through the Washington State Dept. of Health's online dead bird reporting website.