Disease

It's official - West Nile Virus has made it to the North Shore.  Here's a run down on what you need to now, how to identify symptoms of infection what to do if you feel you have been infected. While no symptoms appear in most people infected with West Nile Virus, those that do show symptoms could be in serious jeopardy. West Nile virus is spread by mosquitos that host the virus, so your best bet to avoid infection is to prevention.  There is currently no vaccine for the virus.

If you spend any amount of time outdoors on the North Shore, you should be aware of ticks, where they live, how they feed and what to do if you find a tick on your body or biting into your skin. Ticks are arachnids that are closely related to spiders. They feed by attaching themselves to animals and sucking blood. Ticks on the North Shore primarily transmit two dangerous infections - Lyme Disease and Babesiosis (a blood parasite commonly confused with malaria).