Officials urge caution with mosquitoes
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:32 PM PDT
ONTARIO — Mosquitoes are here, and that means West Nile virus is also embedded locally.
The Malheur County Health Department and the Vector Control District officials are asking area residents to start taking precautions to keep from getting bites from the species of mosquitoes which spread the virus.
Those mosquitoes are generally out between dusk and dawn. Vector Control District monitors have been out and report that some larva has been found and abatement steps taken. Ken Freese, one of the abatement district monitors, said his team plans to set out traps to try and find the hot spots. With limited funds, the crew is still working to figure out what kind of measures it can take.
People who are outdoors during the early morning or early evening are advised to use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus and reapply as necessary when mosquitoes start to bite. People should also wear long sleeves and long pants during the critical hours.
People at most risk from mosquitoes include people age 50 and older, outdoor workers such as farmers, farm workers and groundskeepers, and people outdoors for recreation. Any standing water is a potential mosquito breeding site so things like changing pet water dishes daily and replacing water in birdbaths at least weekly, as well as emptying wading pools when not in use, are critical to keep the mosquito population down.
While there has not been any West Nile virus found locally, as the weather warms up mosquitoes are beginning to show their presence, particularly in the larva stage.
Vector Control District Board member Carl Hill said some mosquito larva has been found in the Ontario area but not much.
“Very little at this point,” Hill said.
“The monitors have been keying on the Ontario, Nyssa and Vale areas,” he said.
Hill confirmed that the board is looking at performing barrier sprays around locations where there will be a lot of people gathering to hold down the mosquitoes during outdoor events. These could include rodeo grounds and the fairgrounds. Hill said the board has heard barrier spraying has been successful in other areas.
People who find dead birds, such as crows, ravens or other blackbirds should contact the Vector Control District so birds can be tested for West Nile Virus. They can be the earliest warnings that the virus is present.
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Had It wrote on Jul 7, 2009 10:11 PM: