Tips on keeping your child safe from mosquito-borne disease
Six children in East Tennessee hospitalized after contracting La Cross virus.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Doctors are warning people about mosquito-borne viruses after six children were sent to an East Tennessee hospital with the La Crosse virus.
“I do know that it actually works to keep mosquitoes away,” Nashville parent Lisa Reed said.
It’s a preventative measure Reed said means even more after six cases of a mosquito-borne called La Crosse hospitalized children in East Tennessee.
“That’s terrifying having an 11-year-old son that likes to come outside and play,” Reed said.
She isn’t the only parent worried about it in Nashville.
“I’m shocked. He has been getting torn up. I’m worried,” Dwayne Small said as he and his 11-year-old son left a Nashville park event on Wednesday.
WSMV4 asked doctors at Vanderbilt University what parents need to do to protect their kids from mosquito-borne viruses like La Crosse, West Nile and EEE.
“Use inspect repellent whenever you’re outdoors, and this is particularly important early in the morning and the evening,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of Preventive Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University.
That’s not all Schaffner said parents can do to keep their children safe.
“If you’re out because it’s so warm, wear long sleeves and long trousers. It gives the mosquitoes fewer targets to hit,” Schaffner said.
The Knox County Health Department said the kids were hospitalized because La Crosse cases are more severe in children under age 16.
“He plays outside every day, so it’s concerning,” Small said.
While parents are lathering up their children with repellent, doctors say they should also stay away from wooded areas and get rid of standing water near their homes to avoid mosquitoes using it as a breeding ground.
“I don’t want to say hinder your kids from going outside because then you’re making a decision of whether or not you’re going to allow them to have fun,” Reed said. “If anything, make sure you’re keeping the spray on deck.”
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.
