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Calcasieu Parish
Mosquito Control continues to find more evidence of
West Nile (WN) virus in areas of the parish. State
health officials have just notified the control unit
that 2 locations with sentinel chickens used to
monitor the virus have tested positive. A third site
came back inconclusive and is awaiting verification
via another test.
One of the positive
sites is located in South Lake Charles off of
Arkansas St, while the other is in Carlyss off of
Tara Drive. The chicken pending is from the Toomey
area south of Interstate 10.
“These results are not
surprising as we have had evidence of WN virus
throughout much of the parish by way of positive
mosquito collections,” says Lucas Terracina,
Director of Calcasieu Parish Mosquito Control. “With
us now being in the peak activity period for the
transmission of these viruses, I am sure we will see
more activity in the coming weeks,” he adds.
Besides the above
locations, recent virus activity has been found in
other areas of South Central Lake Charles, Mossville,
South Sulphur, and West Sulphur. Earlier in the
year, activity was found in Moss Bluff, Westlake,
Fairview and Toomey.
Further evidence of
widespread virus activity throughout SW Louisiana
was the recent reports of WN positive dead birds in
Beauregard, Cameron and Jeff Davis Parishes.
“It is safe to say that
this virus is well established in nature throughout
the area and will be with us from now on,” says
Terracina.
Residents are advised
not to panic over these recent developments, but to
be aware of the situation and do the things
necessary to avoid mosquitoes and reduce production
around the home and/or business.
“What we are seeing
around peoples homes are a lot of things collecting
water and producing mosquitoes. These mosquitoes
stay nearby and will be difficult to control as long
as they have water to continue producing,” he says.
There is one particular
mosquito of concern coming from backyard container
type habitats. It is the ‘Asian Tiger’ mosquito.
They are small black and silver mosquitoes that feed
in the daytime only, moving very little from the
area produced.
“Many experts believe
this species plays a role in moving WN from birds to
humans,” says Terracina. “When you couple this with
the fact that they are daytime biters and live in
close proximity to human habitation makes them an
important species to control,” he adds.
Controlling them however
becomes a considerable task. Being day active biters
only makes conventional nighttime spraying
ineffective. Control must rely on elimination of
containers used for production.
This is where residents
must become involved.
“We do not have the man
power to go house to house in every neighborhood
removing and emptying containers. People have got to
inspect their homes and businesses and assist in
this effort,” emphasizes Terracina.
Containers come in all
shapes and sizes, however as long as it can collect
and hold water for 5 or more days it has the
potential to produce a lot of mosquitoes. Items like
old tires, cans, buckets, and toys are just a few of
the more common objects encountered. These should be
covered or removed from the environment.
Some items where water
is desired like flowerpot reservoirs, pet dishes,
birdbaths, and plants (bromeliads), require flushing
every 4 days. Other things like roof gutters and
boats should always be in a condition that assures
proper drainage.
There are several other
species potentially involved in the cycle of this
virus. These utilize a variety of habitats for
production, including low areas that hold water.
These should be targeted for filling or draining.
Species from these areas
have a more typical activity period beginning in the
early evening, into the night and then again early
in the morning. Control measures targeting adults of
these species are much more successful.
However, even with the
most effective control there are always some
mosquitoes lurking about, and it only takes one to
do some damage.
“It is important for
people to realize that even with everything that is
done to reduce mosquito populations, personal
protection plays a major role in preventing someone
from contracting a mosquito-borne disease,” says
Terracina.
Always wear appropriate
clothing, light in color, keeping exposed skin to a
minimum. This is especially true when out in the
evening hours or in wooded areas.
Avoid fragrant smelling
perfumes or colognes, as these may serve as an
attractants.
Bring along repellents
and space sprays, and use as needed. Repellents with
deet seem to be the most effective. Always read the
entire label before using any product.
Mosquito control will
continue to monitor for virus activity and target
those areas where virus activity is detected.
Control measures will be directed at both the
immature and adult stages with the use of both
ground and aerial units where necessary.
“We will continue to
suppress populations throughout the parish as
needed, with emphasis on those areas where virus
activity is detected,” he says.
People are also urged to
be on the lookout for dead birds as they can be a
good indicator of increased viral activity. To
report dead birds call the health unit at 480-2550.
If the bird is in good
condition, residents should try and collect it and
bring it in to the health unit. Targeted species are
blue jays, cardinals, house sparrows, crows,
grackles, hawks/owls, and sea gulls.
“There have not been as
many calls as we would have suspected and even fewer
brought-in for testing,” he says.
To collect a dead bird
use a plastic zip type freezer bag and turn it
inside-out to use as a glove. Pick-up the bird, fold
the bag over and zip it up. If you are unable to
bring it in immediately, place it in the freezer
until it can be delivered.
“Here again we need the
public’s help,” he adds.
With a lot of mosquito
season left, things could get interesting. Therefore
residents should remain ever vigilant and take the
steps necessary to assist in this matter.
For reporting a mosquito
problem or wanting more information on mosquito
control and related issues, you can call 721-3780.
You may also want to visit the mosquito control web
page at
http://cpmc.cppj.net/. This site has information
on mosquitoes, their control and the diseases they
carry. It also links to many other sites with
additional mosquito related information. |
