SALT LAKE CITY — The St. Louis encephalitis virus — which is similar to West Nile virus — has been detected in Utah’s mosquitoes, the Salt Lake County Health Department announced on Wednesday.
A statement from the health department says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed this year is the first time the virus has been detected in northern Utah.
It was detected in mosquitoes in southwestern Utah in 2022 and 2023, and in Millard County in 2024, along with Utah County birds in 2005.
A resident of Salt Lake County was infected with St. Louis encephalitis virus, also known as SLEV, in 2016, but the source of the infection was not determined.
Mosquitoes from multiple locations in the county have tested positive for the virus, the health department said. Since mosquitoes can travel several miles, county health officials urge everyone in the region to take precautions and prevent mosquito bites.
The statement says symptoms of the St. Louis encephalitis virus are similar to those of the West Nile virus, and most people who contract it will not have symptoms. Those who do have symptoms can experience fever, headache, vomiting and tiredness, and some can develop a neuroinvasive form of the virus that can lead to tremors, disorientation and paralysis.
Like West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus can — in some rare cases — cause long-term disability or death.
Mary Hill, epidemiology bureau manager with the county health department, encouraged providers to consider a St. Louis encephalitis virus diagnosis for patients with matching symptoms.
St. Louis encephalitis virus is not transmitted from person to person outside of blood transfusion, according to health officials; it is spread by mosquitoes that feed on infected birds. There are currently no vaccines or medications for the virus, and the only way to prevent it is to prevent mosquito bites.
Some suggestions from the county health department on how to avoid mosquito bites include:
- Use an EPA-registered repellent.
- Wear long sleeves and pants after dusk.
- Drain any standing water in your yard, making sure to also clear debris from the roof gutters.
- Cut weeds and tall grass short, as “adult mosquitoes look for these shady places to rest during the hot daylight hours.”
The health department urges county residents to be cautious until the first frost.
Last week, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services reported that St. Louis encephalitis virus was detected in three mosquito pools — 0.36% of pools tested across the state — while West Nile virus was detected in 64 pools, or 7.55% of pools tested.
The statewide report says there have been three human cases of West Nile virus reported in Utah this year: two in the Bear River health district and one in Salt Lake County. There have also been three cases of West Nile virus in horses, two in Utah County and one in the Bear River health district.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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