Picnics can be great at a local park or even in your own backyard, but the Kent County Health Department wants you to play it safe this summer. Here are their tips for West Nile and food-borne illness prevention.
West Nile is a virus spread through the bite of a mosquito. Most mosquitoes get the virus from biting a bird that has the virus in its blood. Symptoms of West Nile include mild fever, head and body aches, skin rash and swollen glands. There are no long-term effects from this mild illness, but in some rare cases (1%) the illness has been known to cause meningitis and encephalitis, which can lead to death.
So, what can you do to protect your family from West Nile virus?
Wear bug spray, lotion or gel with DEET whenever spending time outdoors.
When you can, wear clothes that cover the skin like long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Wear light colored clothing because mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.
Put mosquito netting over baby carriers and strollers.
Avoid strong scented perfumes, shampoos and hairsprays, which attract mosquitoes.
Check your window and door screens for holes where mosquitoes can get in. If you don’t have screens in your windows, keep them shut.
Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most likely to be out and biting.
Posted Jul 9th 2009 3:55 PM by Maranda
Filed under: Where You Live
What a beautiful day for a Park Party!! Over 7,000+ kids and families came out for a day of free fun at Garfield Park in Grand Rapids!! Our biggest party ever in the city. A huge thanks to the Grand Rapids Police Department for welcoming us into the city and offering great support! It was so awesome to meet such wonderful families!
Last night Bethany Christian Services kicked off their Families Helping Families campaign. Families gathered at Celebration Cinema North and pledged to participate in a community service event on August 15 along with other families around the country.
Join us Thursday, July 9th at Garfield Park in Grand Rapids for the fourth Park Party of the summer! The event runs from noon – 2 p.m. Come early because the USDA, the MDE and Grand Rapids Public Schools will be serving FREE Lunches for everyone 18 and under starting at 11:30 a.m.! Also, this is the final week to bring your gently used items to a Park Party to donate to Goodwill Industries. Amway volunteers will be on-hand with several dozen volunteers to help make things happen! See you Thursday!
What an awesome day in Ionia! The third Park Party of the summer took place at the Ionia Free Fairgrounds and over 4,300 families joined us for a day of FREE fun! It was great to meet so many wonderful people! Also, a huge thanks to the City and the Free Fairgrounds folks for making us feel so welcome!!
