Zika Virus Spread Prompts Bowie Town Meeting

​BOWIE, MD — With concern rising about the spread of the Zika virus and West Nile virus in the state, Bowie city officials have planned a community meeting to learn more about the health concerns.

Maryland Department of Agriculture entomologist and mosquito expert Jeannine Dorothy will talk about mosquitoes and answer questions at a community meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the Kenhill Center in Bowie.

Recent news reports about the spread of the Zika virus and the incidence of West Nile virus in Maryland over the last several years have raised mosquitoes from a nuisance to a public health concern, city officials said.

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In an effort to educate the public about mosquitoes – from how they spread, to how they transmit diseases, and how they can be controlled -- the City of Bowie has teamed up with the Maryland Department of Agriculture to host a community meeting on mosquitoes.

»SEE ALSO: Mosquito Invasion: Tips from Maryland's Bug Guy

The meeting will include a presentation by entomologist Jeannine Dorothy on mosquito biology and habits, habitats, the differences between container-breeding mosquitoes like the tiger mosquitoes and other mosquitoes, what MDA programs entail, and what homeowners and organizations can do to control the spread of mosquitoes. There will also be a discussion of mosquito-borne diseases, such as the Zika virus.

Following the presentation there will be an opportunity for residents to get their questions about mosquitoes answered.

A University of Maryland expert says that the type of mosquitos that carry yellow fever could also carry the Zika virus – which can cause severe birth defects – and those insects spend the winter underground in the DC area. Contrary to the early reports that the insects with the virus are mostly in the Caribbean and South America, Maryland’s Bug Guy says mosquitoes that carry yellow fever spend the winter in Prince George’s County.

Tips from Maryland’s Bug Guy blog to avoid mosquito bites:

• Apply mosquito repellent to exposed skin before you go outdoors. He recommends any brand that contains up to 30 percent DEET.
• Place a small fan on your patio if you eat outdoors. The light breeze created by the fan will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes flying and biting.
• Eliminate standing water by cleaning your gutters, dumping your birdbath twice a week, turning over your wheelbarrow, emptying the wading pool, and getting rid of water-filled containers.
• Add a soil microbe known as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a.k.a. Bti to an aquatic water garden or standing water on your property that could breed mosquitoes. The microbe comes in doughnut-shaped tablets that can be placed in water to kill mosquito larvae.

The Kenhill Center is located at 2614 Kenhill Drive in Bowie. For more information, contact Erica Benkert in the City of Bowie Public Works Department at 301-809-2336or email ebenkert@cityofbowie.org.