Upstate New York Mosquitos Test Positive For Jamestown Canyon Virus – What Is It?

Mosquitos are much more than annoyance than can spoil a backyard barbeque or a campfire. The tiny flying inspects are always looking for new hosts, using their tube-mouths (called proboscis) to suck blood from their victims, leaving itchy raised bumps on your skin.

Continue Reading Below: List of Plants That Naturally Repel Mosquitos From Your Yard

Because of the number of hosts a mosquito will feast on, they are a known and prolific spreader of viruses and disease - some of which can cause death. Among the deadliest are Malaria, West Nile Virus, Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever and many others, according to experts at Pfizer.

Another lesser-known virus spread by pesky critters has been detected in Upstate New York.

Recent testing on a population of mosquitos in the Madison County town of Sullivan has found the Jamestown Canyon Virus.

What is the James Canyon Virus?

The Jamestown Canyon Virus can be fatal in some cases, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms of Jamestown Canyon are similar to those of a cold or flu in most cases, officials say. They include fever, headache and fatigue, along with cough, sore throat or a runny nose.

Severe cases of the virus can cause more serious conditions including encephalitis - which involves infection and brain or the membranes around your brain and spinal cord. In these cases, symptoms will include stiff neck, confusion, loss of your coordination, difficulty with speech and even seizures, the CDC says.

While fatalities associated with Jamestown Canyon Virus are rare, they do happen, says the CDC.

The agency also says of those infected with a severe case of Jamestown Canyon, about half of them require hospitalization.

If you think you've been infected with Jamestown Canyon Virus, you are urged to contact you healthcare provider.

The CDC says there is currently no medication that is recommended to fight the disease. Rather, in most cases the treatment is similar to a cough, cold or flu:

• Rest
• Drink a lot of fluids
• Use over the counter pair relief medicine

In more severe cases involving hospitalization, treatments include more powerful pair killers and intravenous fluid supplementation, officials say.

In addition to using bug spray or wearing long sleeves and pants to protect yourself from mosquitos, below are recommendations on how to help keep the pesky insects away from your yard and home.