Going After Mosquitoes to Prevent West Nile

West Nile virus has not yet been detected in Allegheny County this year, but starting today the Health Department begins treating storm water catch basins to combat the breeding of mosquitoes that can carry the virus.
"Every year we treat these catch basins to try to keep mosquitoes from reaching high numbers," said department spokesman Guillermo Cole. "The more the mosquitoes there are, the more likely we'll have mosquitoes with West Nile that could potentially be transmitted to humans."

The virus was detected in a mosquito sample taken early this month in neighboring Greene County, but according to Cole, "it's just a matter of time" before the virus is found in mosquitoes in Pittsburgh.

Department staff use pesticides that are non-toxic to people, pets and aquatic life. Cole says they will treat 10,000 catch basins in certain areas of Pittsburgh including eastern and western wards as well as on the North Side and South Side "because they have a history of West Nile activity."

Cole says although there have been no human cases of West Nile in Allegheny County since 2007, last year saw a surge in mosquito samples that tested positive...58.
He says the worst year for West Nile in the county was 2002 when 22 people contracted the virus; 4 of them died.

He says the catch basins will be treated from 4 to 9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Treated basins will be marked with bright green chalk.

The department is asking residents to help stop West Nile by eliminating mosquito-breeding sites around their homes by getting getting rid of items that hold water such as old tires, cans, unused flower pots; cleaning out roof gutters and storm drains; changing the water in birdbaths once or twice a week; and, emptying and turning over plastic wading pools when not in use.

Allegheny County's West Nile Status Assessed

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is hoping to determine the strength and pervasiveness of the West Nile virus in the area through its annual surveillance initiative. ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says this effort is fueled in large part by public cooperation in limiting standing water where mosquitos may breed and reporting certain species of dead birds. "Those species include crows, hawks, owls, blue jays, and falcons, so anytime someone sees a dead bird of that species, we ask them to report that. In addition, if anyone sees five or more dead birds of any species, we'd also like to know about that," says Cole. Though annual reports of bird and human instances indicate the decline of the virus in the area, Cole says mosquitos are still testing positive for the virus and thus the threat of human infection remains. Mosquitos pass the virus on to birds and birds back to those insects, but birds cannot pass it to humans; only mosquitos can do that. If an infected bird is found in a particular area, Cole says mosquito control work will be done in that community. Anyone who wishes to report a dead bird should call ACHD at (412) 687-2243 or visit the department's website at achd.net.

West Nile virus confirmed in a Mosquito

Pennsylvania has it's first reported case of West Nile Virus. In Luzerne County a mosquito was found to test positive for West Nile. The area in Luzerne County will now be sprayed with a material known as BTI which has been concentrated so it will only affect mosquito's. Last year there were only 10 reported human cases of West Nile, with cases occurring primarily in late summer and early fall. Pennsylvania has an aggressive campaign against West Nile virus as opposed to other states who only start spraying pesticide after a human case is reported. Pennsylvania begins its spraying after the first positive case is documented.

Keep Mosquitoes (And West Nile) From Breeding

The Allegheny County Heath Department wants you to keep West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes away from your homes and neighborhoods by destroying potential breeding sights. Standing water is where the bugs will multiply, so ACHD recommends draining any outside containers after heavy rainfall. Spokesman Guillermo Cole says even a bottle cap filled with water can attract mosquitoes to breed. Also, puddles in your yard or driveway and clogged gutter or storm drains should be fixed. You don't have to run outside after every rainfall, as it takes a few days for mosquitoes to breed, and even longer in colder weather. The safest move is to remove or cover any outside containers. There are currently no confirmed reports of the West Nile virus. Cole says these are preventative measures as the mosquito season starts to head off a later outbreak.