Mosquito Surveillance and Control Plan for Putnam County

The Environmental Health Services division of the Putnam County Health Department is undertaking a comprehensive mosquito surveillance plan for the county. We will monitor Putnam County for the mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus, LaCrosse Encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and St.Louis Encephalitis.

Presently we are surveying the county for potential "hot spots" where mosquitoes of those species indicated as carriers of disease exist in large numbers and/or are associated with dense human populations or areas of frequent human activity. These locations will be mapped and cataloged for purposes of periodic sampling of both larval (immature life stage) and adult mosquitoes.

Complaints routinely investigated by our sanitarians will include quick surveys of the site for potential and actual mosquito problems. Various habitats will be considered as not all species of mosquitoes prefer the same living accommodations. Large numbers of 'container breeding' mosquitoes (also usually disease carriers) can be controlled simply by removing trash or debris from a living area. Rimless tires, stagnant birdbaths and unused swimming pools can all serve as mosquito breeding areas. Standing water that persists for more than a few days may be treated by the use of non-toxic growth regulators ( BT or "Mosquito Dunks") or drained. Health Department sanitarians will be on the lookout for these conditions. Sanitarians are already performing mosquito larva collection; larva will be identified if possible to allow us to focus on disease-carrying species.

The West Virginia Office of Laboratory Services will be processing oral swabs taken from dead birds that have been reported to us by the public. Dead birds to be reported to the PCHD include crows, blue jays, and birds of prey - owls, hawks, eagles, etc. as they are more likely to die from West Nile Virus infection than other types of birds. These should be reported now through November. We will not be collecting the dead birds themselves, only the oral swabs. (A useful web site for bird identification is http://www.ronausting.com.)

We will submit mosquitoes collected from Health Department adult traps for viral testing. Adult mosquito traps when available will be set up in problem areas for counts and identification.

Public education is our best tool in dealing with mosquito borne disease. Updated information will be available through this web site or by contacting our office at (304)757-2541.