Mosquito Tests Positive For West Nile Virus Near Spring City

A mosquito has tested positive for West Nile Virus in Phoenixville, according to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

“(Officials) are responding with additional surveillance and control as needed,” said Brandon Cwalina, with the DEP.

It is the first positive sample in Chester County in 2015, officials said.

The sample was found in a mosquito pool in an unspecified location.

Traps are placed by the DEP across the county as part of routine surveillance measures.

The chances of contracting West Nile Virus are very small and chances of becoming ill are even smaller. However, about 20% of infected individuals may experience flu-like symptoms that could include fever and a rash, according to Mayo Clinic.

In less than one percent of infected victims, West Nile causes a severe neurological infection which may cause confusion, convulsions, tremors, inflammation of the spinal cord, and coma, Mayo Clinic states.

Chester County health officials advise residents to take precautions, including:

• Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active
• Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants when outside
• Use insect repellents when mosquitoes are active
• Dispose of open containers that may collect water, such as tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, etc.
• Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers so that water will not collect
• Keep your property clear of old tires
• Clean roof gutters, particularly if leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug drains
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use
• Turn over wheelbarrows and don’t let water stagnate in birdbaths
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools when not in use
• A swimming pool left untended by a family on vacation for a month can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on pool covers
• For stagnant pools of water that cannot be removed or drained, homeowners can buy Bti products such as mosquito dunks at lawn/garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring bacterial product kills mosquito larvae but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

Officials say this “heightened” concern will likely remain in effect until the first frost in mid-October.