Summer Recreation 

West Nile Virus

West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.  It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. You can reduce your risk of WNV by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites.

Keep the following in mind to reduce the risk of contracting West Nile Virus:

• Mosquitoes carrying WNV, bite between dusk and dawn.
• Wear long sleeves, long pants and use EPA-registered DEET mosquito repellent.
• Always follow instructions before applying DEET to children, do not use DEET repellent on children under 2 years old, instead dress children in clothing that covers arms and legs.
• Cover strollers with mosquito nets.
• Reapply insect repellent as directed.
• If using sunscreen and repellent, apply sunscreen first, repellent second.
• Permethrin-treated clothes provide protection after multiple washings; do not use permethrin (an insecticide that repels and kills mosquitoes) directly on skin. 

Visit https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html for more information

Safe Kids Bash is an educational event for the community that promotes injury prevention, safety awareness, and health and wellness in a variety of different areas. Safe Kids Day is held each August. If you would like to be a sponsor or participate in Safe Kids Day, Please contact: 435-247-1161 or email tstubbs@tricountyhealth.com

Our first year, we had about 500 people in attendance with 28 different vendors offering resources in our community for families. We gave away 50 bookbags with school supplies, bike helmets, life jackets and so many other fun prizes. 

Join us every summer as we walk towards 10K steps a day. The walking challenge lasts 6 weeks and includes a weekly walk together with information on health and wellness, prizes and a grand finale walk with bigger prizes for those who participated in the weekly challenges. This year the prizes were custom corn hole boards and a river rafting trip.