About West Nile Virus West Nile symptoms include fever, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches and occasionally can also include skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms generally appear three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Residents should use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants while outside. People should avoid being outside from dusk until dawn and drain standing water near their homes. For more information about West Nile virus and mosquito activity in Boulder County, visit BoulderCountyMosquito.net or call the Colorado Health Information Line at 1-877-462-2911.

Mosquitoes from traps at two parks in the city of Boulder have tested positive for the West Nile virus, Boulder County Public Health announced Wednesday.

The positive tests came from traps in two mosquito ponds in Boulder at Stazio Ballfield, 2445 Stazio Drive, and Christensen Park, 3100 Kings Ridge Blvd.

It’s the first time mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile in Boulder County this year.

“This is the first positive pool in Boulder County, but we are seeing higher than our historic average mosquito counts for this time of year,” said Lane Drager, Boulder County Public Health Consumer Protection program coordinator, in a statement. “So no matter where you live, now is the time to be proactive in protecting ourselves and our families from West Nile virus.”

West Nile has been found in mosquitoes in five other Colorado counties this year: Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo and Weld.

There has been one case of West Nile virus in a human so far this year in Colorado, and Boulder County saw 11 cases last year.

Humans can contract West Nile from the bite of an infected mosquito. More serious infections can cause inflammation of the brain, meningitis, loss of vision, paralysis, coma, tremors, convulsions and death.

There is no treatment, cure or human vaccination for the virus.

Health care providers can only treat the symptoms to help patients feel better and possibly recover more quickly.

Mitchell Byars: 303-473-1329, byarsm@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/mitchellbyars