Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are an unpleasant fact of summer. But 2012 has been especially bad for running into these irritating insects. Because some carry West Nile Virus. And they're known to have infected some 2,000 people in 48 states this year. At least 87 people have died from the infection, which can cause swelling in the brain. Almost half of the cases have been in Texas. And to lower the risk of infection , some areas have taken extreme measures , including aerial pesticide spraying. But people can take some simple measures on their own to reduce their risk. In an essay in Annals of Internal Medicine, public health experts make recommendations.