Mosquito Spraying In Owings Mills Planned

OWINGS MILLS, MD — One week after Reisterstown was sprayed for mosquitoes, the Maryland Department of Agriculture announced it was planning to hit Owings Mills as well. In collaboration with the Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services, state agriculture officials will be spraying in Owings Mills Wednesday due to a public health concern over the potential for mosquito-borne diseases.

The spraying will take place within a 1-mile radius of the intersection of Owings Mills Boulevard and Crondall Lane after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

An ultra low-volume truck will move through the area to conduct the spraying.

The truck sprays a permethrin-based solution, which kills adult mosquitoes; and while authorities say there are minimal impacts, they advise avoiding outdoor activities during the spraying.

The following communities will be sprayed after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26:

• Academy Acres
• Academy Lane
• Allyson Gardens
• Brushwood
• Gwynbrook
• Morningside Heights
• Owings Ridge
• Pleasant Fields
• Sarawoods
• Timberscape
• Worthington Place South
• Wyndham Commons

People can do these things to prevent their risk of contracting mosquito-borne illness:

• Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and hats
• Reduce standing water — dump rain that has accumulated in places like garbage cans
• Install, inspect and repair window screens in homes and stables
• Use an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent
• Clean bird baths and pet bowls and remove unnecessary water containers

The Maryland Department of Health maintains a West Nile page with information about reported cases.

What Happens If You Get West Nile Virus?

While 80 percent of people infected do not have symptoms, about 20 percent of those with West Nile virus have a fever with headache, body aches, diarrhea, rash and/or swollen lymph glands within two to 14 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people recover on their own but fatigue and/or weakness may last weeks or months.

Fewer than 1 percent of people infected with West Nile virus experience more severe symptoms — such as tremors, paralysis, convulsions, neck stiffness, high fever, muscle weakness and coma — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It can be fatal, particularly for sensitive groups such as those over 60 years of age and people with compromised immune systems.

Once it is discovered that a person has West Nile virus, the Maryland Department of Agriculture will spray around a three-quarter mile radius of where an individual infected with the virus resides, and there will be routine spraying throughout the state where communities participate in mosquito spraying, officials said.
Anyone who would like more information about the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Mosquito Control Program may call 410-841-5870.

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