While cases of West Nile detections are being reported all over the country, it appears that residents are doing too little to prevent infections. Abandoned pools are the first thing that they should watch for, and unfortunately the green pools are not only linked to foreclosures, but are also found in the backyards of negligent owners.

Over the past two years, the virus has been responsible for hundreds of deaths in the United States, and currently there has been a resurge of reported detections in dead birds and mosquitoes all over the country. In addition to the measures linked to treatment of standing water, residents are advised to wear insect repellent containing permethrin or DEET on top of clothing and wear long sleeves and pants while outdoors, especially at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

In many counties, special larvicide is being sprayed to limit mosquito breeding. Also, several places have issued recommendations that recreation programs should be shortened to avoid exposure at dawn and dusk, when the mosquitoes are usually feeding.

One abandoned pool can hatch millions of mosquitoes, and officials are out spreading larvicide, deploying mosquitofish which efficiently eat away eggs and larvae, and using very thin layers of mineral oil, which prevents larvae from receiving vital oxygen.

Another problem is that, compared to past years, this year's infections are mostly caused by the most virulent strain, which is known to affect the brain and spinal cord, the central nervous system. The season normally begins in April and lasts until September, but due to warm weather this year, the first cases of the West Nile virus have been reported as early as March 19.

Last year, around 120 people died of the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. West Nile virus was first spotted in New York in 1999 and has since spread westward, ultimately appearing in every state. Last year, the U.S. confronted with no less than 2,630 human cases.

The infection starts with one bite from an infected mosquito; for some people this could show no symptoms, while for others could manifest through fever, headache, chills, weakness and drowsiness. The most severe cases lead to meningitis or encephalitis, including low levels of consciousness and fatigue.