•
PORTLAND, Maine

Dora Mills shares her expertise on West Nile virus with 'WMTW'

Dora Mills speaking with WMTW about prevention and symptoms of West Nile virus
Dora Mills speaking with WMTW about prevention and symptoms of West Nile virus

People in Maine are being urged to take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes after some of the insects in York County tested positive for the West Nile virus.

According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, this is the first direct confirmation this year that the disease is being carried by mosquitoes in Maine.

Dora Anne Mills, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, University of New England vice president of Clinical Affairs and director for the Center for Excellence in Health Innovation, spoke to WMTW about prevention and symptoms of West Nile.

“Symptoms generally start with a high fever and really severe headache,” Mills said. “It can progress to encephalitis, an infection of the brain. It can also lead to death.”

Mills says prevention includes covering up with clothes and using repellent. The federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends repellents that contain DEET.

State health officials announced earlier this week that a person from Cumberland County was diagnosed with the virus, but they believe that person contracted the disease while outside the state.

The last time a test found West Nile virus in Maine mosquitoes was September 2015, according to state data.

Dora Mills being interviewed by WMTW
Dora Mills being interviewed by WMTW

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.