Peak Mosquito Season Approaches, Montco Officials Warn Of Diseases

NORRISTOWN, PA —As warm and wet weather continues to proliferate and mosquito breeding grounds are formed and flower, officials in Montgomery County are warning residents to take precautions.

Mosquito populations and mosquito-born diseases like West Nile Virus have grown more prominent in recent years.

The county's Office of Public Health has already begun routine mosquito surveillance throughout the county, and chemical sprayings to reduce populations in high risk areas are likely to begin soon. Crews monitor trends in mosquito behavior and growth in the region, and target pesticide sprayings to specific areas based on an analysis of those patterns and lab data.

"If mosquito surveillance and testing show that there is a threat to human health, OPH may initiate a spray to control adult mosquitoes," the county said in a statement. "It is well documented that reducing populations of mosquitoes decreases the possibility of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Spraying is conducted by trained certified OPH personnel, who specialize in public health."

West Nile virus appeared for the first time in Pennsylvania in birds, mosquitoes and a horse in 2000. West Nile can cause febrile illness, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), according to the CDC. The elderly and those already sick are those most vulnerable to the virus.

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