If you have in mind going to the lake or river these days, we should remind you not to forget your insect repellent, if you want to prevent possible deadly mosquitoes bites.

Because the number of insects testing positive for the West Nile Virus has increased lately, health officials started warning people to take precautionary measures in order to forestall further fatalities.

Avoiding mosquito-infested areas, eliminating standing water where the mosquitoes can breed, repairing damaged window screens and doors and wearing trousers and long-sleeved shirts are recommendations coming from heath officials.

People become infected with the mosquito-borne virus when bitten by the infected insects. High temperatures are propitious to spreading the West Nile virus in birds and mosquitoes. Prime time for the mosquitoes is during the summer and into the warm fall months before hard frost, between dusk and dawn. Normally, the first big freeze signifies the end of the mosquito season.

As maintained by health experts, an estimated 20% of humans infected with the West Nile virus present fever, headache, nausea or body aches. In almost 1% of the cases, serious illness such as tremors, coma and paralysis, are to be developed by the victims of the mosquitoes.

In this period of time the infected transmitters of the virus fly from farmland to inhabited areas, changing their habitat, due to harvested crops. "Now would be an excellent time to check your property for areas that might attract mosquitoes," stated Lloyd Douglas, manager of the East Side Mosquito Abatement District.