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WEATHER RENEWS RISK FOR DEADLY VIRUS
Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News
07-28-09 - 9:30 a.m. - The monsoon-like summer the area is experiencing is increasing the risk of West Nile virus.
Soggy backyards, puddles of water dotting the landscape, and standing water in buckets, tires, and other items are providing a perfect breeding ground for virus-transmitting mosquitoes.
Since the first outbreak of West Nile virus in the New York City in 1999, the virus has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States. Â
The Centers for Disease Control report that there were a total of forty-six instances of West Nile virus in New York State during the much drier summer of 2008. Thirty-two of those cases led to meningitis or encephalitis; six were fatal. |
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“To elderly people and people that are immune-compromised, the West Nile Virus can be a severe illness,” Senior Public Health Technician Ed Coons told ccSCOOP.
A spokesperson for CDC said mosquitoes need only two inches of warm water for five days to grow from an egg to an adult. With the forecast calling for temperatures to reach into the mid-80s this week, the time is right for a mosquito boom.
The risk became even greater last week with the discovery downstate of infected mosquitoes that can pass the disease on not only to birds but to humans. "This type of mosquito can not only infect birds but also humans, and that can be a real problem," Coons explained.
The best preventive methods are to remove standing water where the mosquitoes breed. This includes all areas where water can pool, including a wheelbarrow, planter, pool cover, bird bath, discarded tire or tire swing, or even an upside-down Frisbee. A CDC official advised that once or twice a week, residents should check their yards for standing water and remove the water immediately. Coons advised that, if possible, pools of standing water be removed from lawns with a rake, shovel, or hoe.
The CDC also offers the following tips for preventing mosquito bites:
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Generally, the more active ingredient a repellent contains the longer it can protect you from mosquito bites. A higher percentage of active ingredient in a repellent does not mean that your protection is better—just that it will last longer. Choose a repellent that provides protection for the amount of time that you will be outdoors.
- When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.
- Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors with infants.
- Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening, which are peak mosquito biting times.
- Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors.
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CAUTIONS FOR APPLYING REPELLENTS
- Avoid applying repellent to the hands of children since ingredients in the repellents can irritate the eyes and mouth.
- Be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's DIRECTIONS FOR USE printed on the product.
- For detailed information about using repellents, see the CDC’s frequently asked questions about Insect Repellent Use and Safety.
- Spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. Do not apply repellents containing permethrin directly to exposed skin. Do not apply repellent to skin under your clothing.
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While West Nile virus led to a major response from county health officials when it first made its appearance in the area a decade ago, there is not likely to be a similar level of response this year. Coons said that although the concern remains as high, the funding is not there. He said there are no plans to use mosquito-killing cakes in storm drains as had been done a decade ago, and there will be no monitoring of mosquito populations in the county to determine if the virus is present. Monitoring in 1999 succeeded in turning up a colony of infected mosquitoes which the Health Department quickly eradicated.
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