If you have a swimming pool, immediately remove water that collects on pool covers and make sure the pool's pump is circulating Turn over wading pools when not in use.
Clear leaves and drains: don't let things pile up. Clear leaves and twigs from eavestroughs, storm and roof gutters throughout the summer. Check flat roofs frequently for standing water. Make sure drains and drainage ditches are not clogged. Stop mosquitoes from entering your home Check windows and door screens for holes and make sure they fit snugly into the frames, so mosquitoes cannot get in.
Where is WNV found? The first cases in B. Since then, it has established itself in the continental United States and provinces of Canada. How likely am I to get sick with WNV from one mosquito bite? In areas where mosquitoes carry the virus, usually only a small number of mosquitoes will be infected. Most mosquitoes that bite humans are not able to carry WNV, but there is no easy way to tell the difference between ones that can and ones that cannot.
Therefore, it is important to prevent any mosquito bite. Is there a vaccine against WNV? No, a human vaccine for WNV doesn't exist to protect people. A vaccine exists for horses and has been used experimentally in other animals. Unofficial document if printed. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms.
About 1 out of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. You can reduce your risk of WNV by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.
West Nile virus. Rarely, a person can get very ill with problems that affect the central nervous system, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Their symptoms can include:. Mosquitoes get infected by feeding on birds that carry West Nile virus. They can spread it to people and animals through bites. In the U. Someone with symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis may get a lumbar puncture spinal tap. This test collects some fluid from around the brain and spinal cord for testing in a lab.
Most West Nile virus infections get better on their own. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help ease minor aches and pains, and drinking plenty of fluids can prevent dehydration. Someone with more serious symptoms needs care in a hospital, with IV fluids, breathing help, and other treatments. Yes, fogging will provide temporary relief from mosquitoes. However, new mosquitoes will quickly reinvade your backyard from nearby untreated areas, often later that same evening.
The best way to control adult mosquitoes is through community or government sponsored programs that control adults over a wide area. Yes, the flooded area can be treated with floating Bti briquets or other approved larvicides.
A longer term solution would be to fill in the depression, if feasible, or improve the drainage in that spot. If your farm, particularly the irrigation system, has water that stands for more than a week then it is a potential mosquito breeding site.
Maintain your irrigation system so that water moves freely. Avoid leaks that allow ponding, and control vegetation that may impede water movement. Mosquito repellents are an effective means of personal protection against mosquito bites. Mosquito repellents lower the risk of contracting West Nile virus and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
They allow you to continue to work and play outdoors even when mosquitoes are active. Use of a mosquito repellent is particularly important in areas where mosquitoes are active and management programs are not available or are not ongoing.
The most important transmitters of West Nile virus are active at dusk and dawn. However, other kinds of mosquitoes, which also may be able to transmit the disease, bite during the day. To be on the safe side, use a mosquito repellent whenever you plan on being outdoors for extended periods of time, but especially during the evening hours. To be on the safe side, use a mosquito repellent whenever you plan on being outdoors for extended periods of time, especially during the evening hours.
Follow the instructions on the label. Mosquito repellent products differ in how long they last depending on the amount and type of active ingredient, as well as how it is formulated. It is generally not necessary to use mosquito repellents indoors.
If you are getting bitten indoors there are other steps to eliminate mosquito activity that should be taken first. The most important is to make sure all windows and doors are screened and that the screens are in good repair. They work over fairly short distances so the mosquitoes remain in the area but do not land on your skin. Most studies have shown that the mosquito repellent called DEET is the most effective, and most public health agencies recommend the use of mosquito repellent products with this active ingredient.
There are products with other active ingredients available, which generally have to be applied much more frequently than DEET products in order to be effective. How does the percentage of DEET in a product relate to the amount of protection it gives? The percentage DEET affects the amount of time that a single application of the product will last. Lower percentage products give the same level of protection as more concentrated products, but do not last as long.
DEET is the safest and most effective mosquito repellent known. It has been used billions of times over the last 50 years with only a few reports of adverse effects. The risk of adverse effects from DEET use is substantially lower than the risk of contracting West Nile virus or other mosquito-borne illness while using a less effective mosquito repellent. Are non-DEET mosquito repellents effective e. Skin-So-Soft, plant-based repellents? Also, alternative products are made from ingredients that have not been tested so thoroughly for safety and effectiveness as DEET.
Until recently, repellent labels were required to use the approved chemical names of active ingredients, which for DEET is either N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide or N,N-diethlymethylbenamide. It has been used billions of times over the last 50 years with only a handful of reports of adverse effects.
What are some general considerations to remember in order to use mosquito repellent products containing DEET safely?
Always follow the label instructions on the product container. Generally these precautions will include:. How should mosquito repellent products containing DEET be used on children? Adverse reactions are rare, with the most common one being skin rash.
The very few cases of more severe reactions have been associated mostly with failure to follow label precautions. If you suspect an adverse reaction, stop using the product and consult your physician. Should parents spray insect repellent on their children before they go to school? This will depend on the amount of time the child will be outdoors during the day, as well as the amount of local mosquito activity and risks from West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illnesses. This will depend partly on school policy.
It is also important to be sure that the child is capable of applying the mosquito repellent safely and according to the label instructions. The citronella is released only when leaves are wounded or crushed. Attract and kill devices use different combinations of ultraviolet light, CO 2 , and octenol to attract mosquitoes to an electrocuting grid.
In one study, just 0. Another study estimated that up to billion beneficial insects are killed annually in the United States by these devices. Female mosquitoes use volatile chemicals, such as CO 2 , find their hosts.
As they get close to the trap, they detect the CO 2 and move towards the higher concentrations in the trap. More recently, traps that produce octenol, as well as CO 2 , have been shown to be even more attractive to female mosquitoes.
No controlled scientific study has shown that these devices reduce mosquito biting rates outdoors. Attract and kill devices become more effective at trapping mosquitoes as CO2 and octenol attractants are added. The most effective of these traps has been shown to be as effective as DEET in a contained environment large outdoor tent with a known number of mosquitoes.
There is no scientific evidence to date that they are effective in reducing mosquito biting rates under natural conditions. Lighting that lacks certain wave lengths may not be attractive to mosquitoes, or other night flying insects. However, it has no repellent effect.
Sonic repellers were first marketed in the s. They purported to imitate the flight sound of a male mosquito and worked on the assumption that a mated female mosquito would avoid further contact with males. Other devices were supposed imitate the flight sounds of dragonflies.
Although testimonials as to their effectiveness abound, whenever these devices have been tested in the laboratory or field, they have shown no repellency. There are many testimonials as to the effectiveness of sonic repellers. However, these devices when tested in the laboratory or field never have shown repellency. Devices have been developed, which are supposed to mimic the sounds made by bats. These have been tested in controlled experiments and were found to be ineffective in reducing mosquito biting rates.
While some insects do avoid bats, mosquitoes do not. Are ultrasonic mosquito repellers effective in preventing mosquito bites? Ultrasonic mosquito repellers are supposed to mimic the sounds made by bats, which are known to be important mosquito predators.
These devices have been tested in controlled experiments and were found to be ineffective in reducing mosquito biting rates. West Nile virus outbreaks are prevented through mosquito control programs. The components of a an effective mosquito control programs usually include 1 surveillance of mosquito and virus activity; 2 preventive control of mosquito larvae through reduction of standing water and treatment of water with larvicides; 3 personal protection through the use of mosquito repellents and proper clothing; and 4 control of adults with insecticides if other measures fail to keep the risk of West Nile virus transmission below acceptable levels.
In Colorado, mosquito control programs operate at the county or city level. Contact your local health department to find out how mosquitoes are controlled in your area. What is Colorado doing to control the mosquito population should West Nile virus return?
There is no statewide mosquito control program. However, the Colorado Department of Health and the Environment assist local mosquito control programs in determining local risks for West Nile virus and other mosquito borne diseases and the need for mosquito control.
Consult with your local health department to find out what plans there are for local or community mosquito control programs. Colorado communities vary in mosquito control from no control program to organized yearly control efforts. Contact your local Department of Health to find out what your community is doing to control mosquitoes. Effective mosquito control programs monitor for mosquito and virus activity.
They map out areas of mosquito and disease activity and increase their control efforts where mosquitoes and virus levels are increasing.
As a last resort, they may spray for adults if the health risks from West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illness outweigh the risk from exposure to the insecticide. What agencies conduct mosquito and West Nile virus surveillance and provide mosquito control services?
This will vary across the state. Ask your local health department how mosquitoes are managed in your community. A variety of methods have been developed over the years for monitoring mosquitoes. Larval mosquitoes typically are collected from standing water with a long handled white ladle dipper. Adults can be collected in their resting areas with handheld vacuums or with a light trap. Light traps are usually a combination of a black light, sources of attractive volatile chemicals such as CO 2 and octenol, and a receptacle to trap and hold the adult mosquitoes.
If there are public health advisories to avoid areas with high concentrations of mosquitoes, should I cancel planned outdoor activities in the evening?
You should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites if high mosquito populations are present. What is the sentinel chicken surveillance program and how are the chickens tested? West Nile virus and related mosquito borne illnesses build up in bird populations before they move into humans, horses and other less favorable hosts.
One way to monitor virus buildup is to cage chickens in high risk areas. Blood samples are taken periodically and tested for the presence and amount of virus. What types of spraying for mosquitoes take place during the year and where? Most control efforts are directed at controlling mosquito larvae. Adult control fogging occurs later in the season, usually in July and August, in limited areas where surveys indicate that preventive measures have failed to keep the risk of West Nile virus and other mosquito borne illnesses below acceptable levels.
Are storm water catch basins significant breeding areas for West Nile virus mosquito vectors? Yes, any source of standing water can be an important source of mosquitoes.
Mosquito control projects often treat these structures with larvicides. Are residential storm water retention basins significant breeding areas for West Nile virus mosquito vectors? Mosquito control projects often treat these areas with larvicides. Several types of insecticides are used to control mosquitoes. Mosquito larvae are controlled most commonly with a bacteria called Bti or an insect hormone mimic called methoprene.
Another bacterial insecticide is based on Bacillus sphaericus. The surface of breeding sites are sometimes treated with oils or similar surfactants, and a conventional insecticide called temephos is used as well. The insecticides used to fog for adult mosquitoes include Anvil sumithrin and piperonyl butoxide , malathion, and Scourge resmethrin and piperonyl butoxide. Other insecticides, such as permethrin, are used to control adult mosquitoes around homes and out buildings. Adult mosquitoes are controlled by treating high risk areas with insecticides applied with ground equipment or aircraft.
Adult control is usually done as a last resort when the health risks from West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illness outweigh the risk from exposure to the insecticide. Adult control lasts a few days at best as the killed mosquitoes are replaced by others that have flown in from untreated areas or that have emerged from breeding sites after the treatment.
Adult control may have to be repeated several times until the risk of disease transmission is sufficiently reduced. Will my entire county, or the state, be sprayed either by trucks or aircraft? West Nile virus activity tends to concentrate in certain high risk areas where inffective mosquitoes and birds occur together.
Effective mosquito control programs monitor mosquito and virus activity and spray for adults only in areas where the risk of West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illnesses is above acceptable levels. If local health officials decide to spray, this means that they have decided that the health risks from West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illness outweigh the risk from exposure to the insecticide. The mosquitoes that are most important in West Nile virus transmission are active during the evening and early morning hours.
Fogging is more effective if the adult mosquitoes are active, so the evening is one of the best times for this control activity. The killing effects of the fog only last for an hour or two.
Mosquitoes that are killed are replaced by others that have flown in from untreated areas or that have emerged from breeding sites after the treatment. If the city has been fogged for mosquitoes, are all mosquitoes in my area eliminated?
No, not all the mosquitoes in the treated area will be killed. Also, those that are killed will be quickly replaced by others that have flown in from untreated areas or that have emerged from breeding sites after the treatment. The objective of fogging for mosquitoes is to kill enough adult female mosquitoes so the disease transmission cycle is broken and the risk of West Nile virus and other mosquito borne illnesses is reduced to an acceptable level.
No, mosquito fogging products are selected for their relative safety. Also, they are applied in small amounts and break down quickly in the environment. It depends on whether they are public employees as well as on what product they are applying. A person hired to fog for mosquitoes, who is not a public employee, needs to have a CDA commercial applicator license. A public employee applying a Restricted Use Product to control mosquitoes must be licensed by CDA in public health pest control.
However, a public employee spraying for mosquitoes with a nonrestricted insecticide product does not need to be certified or licensed. The insecticides used to control adult mosquitoes are among the safest available chemicals, but they do carry some health risks.
There are precautions you can take to minimize your exposure during the application, which include:. Can communities use other methods to control mosquitoes besides fogging? The components of a an effective mosquito control programs usually include 1 surveillance of mosquito and virus activity; 2 preventive control of mosquito larvae through reduction of standing water and treatment of water with larvicides; 3 personal protection through the use of mosquito repellents and proper clothing; and 4 control of adults with insecticides if other measures fail to keep the risk of West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illnesses below acceptable levels.
Other insecticides are used to control mosquito larvae in water or to control mosquitoes around the home. Pesticides are tested extensively for human and environmental safety before their use is allowed. Because of the way they are applied, mosquito treatments use some of the safest available insecticides.
Certain mosquito larvicides need to be safe enough to use in sources of drinking water and to avoid harming other aquatic life. However, no insecticide is completely safe so adult mosquito sprays used in inhabited areas are applied only when public health officials decide that the healths risks from West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illness outweigh the risk from exposure to the insecticide.
Because of the way they are applied, mosquito sprays use some of the safest available insecticides.
0コメント