WNV-Mosquito Bite Odds (According to NYC Dept of Health)

[The following is an excerpt from the New York City Health Department web site early in 2000. If you do the math, you¹ll see that even the “authority” most in favor of massive spraying says that the chances of becoming sick from West Nile Virus AFTER being bitten by a mosquito is 1 in 300,000!]

Feb-14-00 10:52

Q. If I live in an area where birds with West Nile Fever have been reported, and I am bitten by a mosquito, am I likely to get sick?

A. No. Even in areas where mosquitoes do carry the virus, very few mosquitoes — perhaps only nne out of 1,000 — are infected. The chances that anyone bites will be from an infected mosquito are very small.

Q. But if I am bitten by an infected mosquito, won’t I get sick?

A. Probably not. Even if you are bitten by an infected mosquito, your chances of developing illness are roughly one in 300.

Q. I’ve gotten a mosquito bite. Should I be tested for West Nile-like virus?

A. No. Most mosquitoes are not infected with the West Nile-like virus. Illnesses related to mosquito bites are rare, especially in New York City. Patients with mild symptoms are likely to recover completely, and do not require any specific medication or laboratory testing.

Submitted by Pete Dolack

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