Risk Factors for West Nile Virus Infections

Risk Factors

People over the age of 50 or people with poor immune symptoms are at the highest risk for developing severe West Nile virus disease. The most important risk factor is exposure to infected mosquitoes. The more time people spend outside, the more chance mosquitoes may bite them. It is important to reduce the risk of mosquito exposure when outdoors by using appropriate insect repellent and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds in surrounding areas. Please refer to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services at [https://epi.utah.gov/west-nile-virus/] or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at [https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/prevention/index.html] for appropriate insect repellent information.