West Nile Virus Detected In Horsham Mosquito

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — Horsham Township officials are reporting that a mosquito has been found carrying the West Nile Virus.

Officials said they were informed by the Montgomery County Health Department on Thursday about a positive West Nile Virus mosquito sample collected in Kohler Park.

The Department of Environmental Protection has reported that there have been 29 mosquitoes found with the virus so far this summer although the county health department has not released any data.

Horsham officials did not provide any more information about the mosquito sample.

Many communities in the Philadelphia region get sprayed for mosquitoes to avoid the spread of the West Nile Virus usually throughout the late summer months.

Horsham officials said that if adult mosquito control is recommended, the township would be notified by th county health department and residents would be provided with information about the mosquito spraying.

Anyone with questions about the finding in Horsham should contact the MCHD at 610-970-5040.

Montgomery County health officials began placing mosquito monitoring traps around the county in early June to get a better picture of how the area is being impacted by the bloodsuckers and the diseases they carry.

Mosquito numbers in Montgomery County and the surrounding area have been increasing in recent years, along with the number of West Nile cases.

The Montgomery County Office of Public Health offers the following tips to stay safe and to eliminate mosquito breeding areas:

• Wear protective clothing such as long pants, long sleeve shirts, and socks
• Spray permethrin, an insecticide product, on clothing, shoes and gear, but not directly on your skin
• Mosquitoes will breed in any stagnant water that stands for five or more days, so it's important to identify and eliminate all sources of standing water
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic posts or similar water holding containers
• Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected water
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling container that are left outdoors
• Have clogged roof gutters cleaned on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to block drains
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use
• Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish
• Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated as a swimming pool that is left untended becomes a source of mosquito breeding