Health District to conduct final mosquito flights of 2017

Abatement efforts will treat over 2,500 acres county-wide

Reno, NV - The Washoe County Health District will conduct its final aerial abatement operation of the 2017 mosquito season on September 20 and 21 beginning at 6:30 am in the North Valleys area. Helicopter applications of Vectolex  larvicide will be applied to over 2,500 acres of wetlands from Silver Lake to Washoe Lake, including areas surrounding Swan Lake and Lemmon Valley, Kiley Ranch and Spanish Springs, Rosewood Lakes, Butler Ranch, South Meadows, Damonte Ranch, and Washoe Valley. 

According to health officials this application is necessary, even though daily temperatures are dropping, due to the continued reporting of positive human and animal West Nile Virus cases. In addition to a dozen confirmed human cases in 2017, several birds and a horse have also been identified with the virus this season. “This last application will help us keep the mosquito population under control until we get consistently lower temperatures that mosquitos can’t tolerate,” said Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick. The transmission of mosquito arboviruses is determined by average daily temperatures and even though temperatures have decreased, they are still in the range for mosquitos to transmit diseases. 

Health official encourage everyone to avoid mosquito bites by taking the following precautions: 

• Wear proper clothing and repellent if going outdoors when mosquitos are active, especially in the early morning and evening.
• Use repellants containing DEET, picaradin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 which are the best when used according to label instructions.
• Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep mosquitos out. Repair or replace screens with tears or holes.
• Clear standing water and items around homes that can be potential mosquito breeding-grounds, including small puddles, pools, planters, children’s sandboxes, wagons or toys, underneath and around faucets, as well as plant saucers and pet bowls.
• Vaccinate your horses for WNV. 

The Washoe County Health District’s Communicable Disease Program investigates all reported cases of diseases like WNV. Healthcare providers should consider a WNV infection as a diagnosis among patients who are ill and have recently experienced mosquito bites. Symptoms may include fever, headache, body ache, skin rash and swollen lymph glands. Those with a more severe infection may experience high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, paralysis and death. In humans, the virus has an incubation period of three to ten days. 

Residents may report mosquito activity to the Health District at 785-4599 or 328-2434. More information on WNV and the Washoe County Health District’s Vector-Borne Disease Prevention Program can be found at http://bit.ly/1SCOM2g. 

# # # 

About Washoe County Health District: The Washoe County District Board of Health, through the Washoe County Health District, has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Washoe County, Nevada. Its mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Washoe County through health promotion, disease prevention, public health emergency preparedness, and environmental services. The Board of Health is composed of seven members, including two representatives each from Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County, and a physician licensed to practice medicine in Nevada.